Dolly and Minerva have decided to wear some of the Arrow sisters' dresses home, to see what Mother's reaction will be. As it happens, Delphine has dropped by to borrow some sheet music and Geneviève is paying a call to Mother. After a long, long moment of heavy silence and stone-faced stares at exposed legs, they begin pitching in their impressions. Being well-brought-up ladies, they are loathe to make negative remarks, but are hard-pressed to find compliments. In general, the fabrics are admired, but even with an extra 18" in length, the styles are just too bizarre. Geneviève gamely tries to equate them with the outlandish get-ups of French youth after the Revolution, a radical "anti-style", which resulted in the young men being called "Incroyables" and the girls, "Merveilleuses". Basically translated, "weirdos" and "freaks".
Dolly and Minerva are spending more and more time with the Arrow sisters, Doris and Mabel. Everything they do seems so interesting and fun to the Ackermann girls. Their world seems so much more daring and innovative than what exists between the covers of Ackermann's Repository of the Arts.
Today, Doris and Mabel have decided that our girls must have a makeover. Upstairs in their bedroom, they have pulled out several fashionable frocks, silk hose, shoes, hats, and assorted undergarments. After some hairdressing and makeup, Dolly and Minerva are outfitted to the last detail. The underwear comes as a shock -- so little of it! And those stockings! Why wear something that is made to look as if you aren't wearing it? Short skirts and almost bare legs will take some getting used to. All it takes is a little impromptu Charleston lesson to make the girls realize that short skirts are so much fun! And Minerva shows a unique talent for doing the Shimmy.
