WOMEN’S FOLLY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2205, 20 November 1920, Page 1

WOMEN’S FOLLY.

' A subject that is exercising the minds of thoughtful women —the foolishness of modern dress —was dealt with by the Biennial Convention of the Women’s Clubs of America. A resolution was passed to pdace on record that the members of the federation were heartily in favour of the movement for simple, becoming, and modest designs in women's clothes, Tho stupidity behind the present craze for dressing has begun to dawn on thoughtful women. In these days, when nearly every woman is a worker in some form of activity, the astounding slupidily of much of (heir dressing is apparent. .Men have been forced by stress of working conditions into a uniform—for what is the present “suit,’’ either dark or light, but the plainest of uniforms —and something similar will yet lie forced upon women by financial stress. Over and over it has been repeated that production is governed and controlled by consumption; that we choose what shall be grown, made, and presented for sale. Our altitude towards dress seems not to have been sufficiently analysed. Years ago women made their own (dollies, and did all sorts and kinds of harder things besides. But a .dress once made lasted for years, not alone tiecause its material was good, but because it remained “in style.’’ Then came changes. Prosperity increased, and with it women were released from many of I lie privileges as well as the hardships of household work. Certain activities were carried out of the house into the industrial world; others were carried on by people hired io come in to the home, and a wide margin of lime was released for the women. At that period women were denied outlets for such, intellectual or artistically creative impulses as I hey might possess. So, in order to till their leisure time, a. round of social functions was devised, and for these functions women must dress, not merely becomingly, but competitively, each to outdo (he other. The things we believe fashion imposes mi us, the constant changes in style, the extremes of fashion, Cue lime and the money we all waste, arose from conditions iioav wholly altered. Moreover, the producers of garments are suilering, and the workers are in the worst stale of all. The most appalling tact the Home Economics Department of the C.eneral federation ascertained was the result of constantly changing styles upon the garment-makers themselves. 1 here are no words of condemnation too strong to (dtaracleri.se the ignorance or (he selfishness of women, who, without a thought of the people who make their (dollies, are willing to be led by a tiling they call Fashion. It is ridiculous that we should lack the courage to as completely standardise oar street clothes as men have standardised theirs. It will not put the dressmaker or the costume tailor out of business any more than the men's tailor has been done away with because so many men wear ready-made clothing, and all men dre-s more or Jess alike.