LADY DENMAN'S VIEWS ON MODERN DRESS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 622, 26 November 1913, Page 3

LADY DENMAN'S VIEWS ON MODERN DRESS.

All oveE the world there is an outcry against the present fashions. The majority o* the complainants say that they are immodest; many minister* have gone further, and have said that they are indecent; some authorities have even declared them outrageous and have had the wearers of the split skirts and tranpsarent blouses sent to gaol. The question of interest to us is: Are the dresses the women of Australia and New Zealand are wearing today either startling or shocking? Tn obtain authoritative views on this question, the editor of "Evervlady's Journal" recently sent a representative to interview a number of notable people, and a summary of their ideas as that it is oniy in their extremes that the modern fashions are objectionable, and that of our women the number who adopt these extremes iB very small indeed. Lady Denman, wife of the GovernorGenoral of the Commonwealth, said, in answer to the questions"l certainly think that the fashions of today are very sans, and much in advance of their predece3Sors. Women of good taste and refined feeling will invariably utilise the best in any fashion and leave the other qualities for those who live for notoriety. The hobble skirt is extremely ugly, but the split i skirt, if kept within certain bounds, certainly has its usee." Dr Carr, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, has been rather shocked by the scantiness of the modern draperies, and he said to the interviewer that "any woman who, by the scantiness or transparency of her dress, seeks to attract attention, or provoke temptation, is guilty of a grave sin of scandal." Among those who give opinions on the question of dress in the current ! issue of "Everyiady's Journal" are i

Mr Fred Niblo, the well-known American actor; Miss Madge Titheradge; the Rev F. C Spurr; Dr J. W. Barrett; Dr Clarke, Archbishop of Melbourne; and Miss Vida Goldstein. There is some very clever fiction and sketch writing in this number of "Everylady's Journal," but the crowning feature in the fiction line is the second instalment of "What Happened to Mary." "Everylady's Journal" is on sale locally for sixpence, and is a magazine to please every woman reader.