Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 170, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1911 — FEET ARE AWKWARD [ARTICLE]

FEET ARE AWKWARD

Great Many English Women Are Pigeon-Toed Neighbors From France Declare They Should Have School for Teaching of Foot Deportment—Hobble Skirt Blamed. London.—The Englishwoman would ba the most graceful woman in the world if she could only learn the graceful management of her feet. Thia, in effect, was the verdict of a party of Frenchwomen who visited Hyde Park, and who apeared to derive considerable amusement from watchtag the awkward way in which the English women in the penny chairs placed their feet “Maladroit” “gauche,” were a few of the criticisms overheard expressed in tones of varying intensity. It was noticed that the ladies sitting in the row—the objects of these comments—were apparently all unaware of the Criticism their feet were causing. Though not perhaps, the usual habitues of the park/they were mostly well dressed women, wearing the customary "hobble” skirts and the rather conspicuous shoes of today, which are made in various shades of leather to match the stockings. One of London’s leading teachers of- dancing and deportment later in the day said that most English women need a course of “feet discipline.” “It is another example of the danger of adopting a fashion set by a foreign country,” she said. “The ‘hobble’ skirt—the present mode —was evolved by French costumers to suit Frenchand Frenchwomen are renowned the world round for their graceful feet

“English women hastily adopt the fashion without thinking that, practically for the first time in the history of fashion, the feet fdrm a conspicuous part of the tout ensemble. There are no .crinolines or loose plaited bell skirts, to hide them. “Beyond a little drilling in the management of her feet which she gets in the hobbledehoy, short skirted period of her life, the English woman is never taught the necessity of graceful Control of her feet. “Now comes suddenly this tight skirted vogue and her feet are revealed in all their pigeon toed or sprawling awkwardness. Not all of them, of course, for some English women are naturally graceful from the top of the head to the tip of the toe. “English women are fully aware that the new skirt makes smart shoes and stockings absolutely de rigueur, but they forget that smart shoes and stockings draw special attention -to the feet and make it equally compulsory that they should place them gracefully.”