Hide Article Text (OCR)
Louise Abberna, Noted Paris ienne, Horrified at Suf fragette’s Move. The Friend of Sarah Bernhardt Adores Frills and Laces. PARIS, Dec. 30.—The question of fem inism, women's rights and women’s ap parel was revived this week by a report from the United States that American suffragettes are seriously considering the advisability of reform in woman's dress with a view to the final adoption of the masculine sack coat and trousers. Louise Abbema, the French painter and the one woman decorated with the Legion of Honor, was reported as shar ing the views of Mrs. Howard Warren, president of the Federation of Women's Clubs of New Jersey, who advocates in the name of “democratic hygiene’ the discarding of frills, embroideries, etc, in favor of a sober and almost masculine attire. Interviews this week with sev eral French women show that there is not the slightest chance that the reform re commended by Mrs. Warren and the still more radical one preached by Mrs. Ethel Stewart, a Canadian feminist, will ever meet with favor in France.. HORRIFIED AT IDEA OF TROUSERS, Louiss Abbema, expressed herself as horrified by the mere idea of donning trousers. “Not only will I never dress in men’s attire, she said, “but I wish to protest against the absurd suggestion of making Women Wear anything resembling the harem skirt. I have the greatest con tempt for femininism and for suffragists In general. First of all, women must prove her worth; then she may talk of the rights. “This statement of my ideas on wom en's rights no doubt will cause Mrs. Warren and Mrs. Stewart to vent their wrath on me. To be frank, I do not care a lot for their opinion. Mina is shared by all of the most prominent French women who have done and are doing things worthy of the attention of thinking men, and Women, no matter of what nationality. “The agitation for women's rights, for the vote, for reform of feminine attires not supported by the women to whom I refer. As for the others, you will find they talk a great deal, but do nothing useful; therefore, they can have no ap preciable influence on the opinion of the nation.’” ADORES FRILLS AND LACES, Mme. Abbema, who is much appre ciated in artistic and social circles, is a friend of Sarah Bernhardt. She is an exceedingly busy woman, occupying her self with literature in her leisure mo ments after a day of painting. She is neatly dressed in a tellermade costume, consisting of sack coat and waistcoat, soft shirt, standup collar and necktie, and walking skirt of fashionable cut. “But this, she added, ‘is only my workday costume. Like all women I adore frills and laces and always dress for dinner.” An outcry against the present fashion of women's footwear was raised this week by a French medical society. “That tired feeling’ of which so many women are complaining, Isis asserted, is largely due to the Wearing of high heels. According to French doctors the unnat ural position the foot is forced to take when shods in a fashionable shoe consti tutes a complete displacement of the cen ter of gravity and by throwing the whole weight of the body on the forefoot occa sions a contraction of the muscles of the toes and legs. FLAT SLIPPERS CONDEMNED. Criticism is also offered against wom en who, as soon as they return home from the theater or a social function, change high-heeled shoes for flat-soled slippers. This remedy is condemned, for it causes the foot to pass from one ex treme to the other, which is bound to produce persistent suffering in the vari cose veins. In the opinion of leading French doc tors, Women who have their health should never wear heels higher than one inch.
Newspaper Details
Oakland Tribune
Oakland, California, US
Sun, Dec 31, 1911
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Justine D.
USA 15 Jul 2026
Other Publications Near Oakland, California
Sunday Oakland Tribune
Oakland Tribune
