The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
WOMEN AND MEN IN TRADE
DIFFERENCE THoUoHT TO EXIST
BETWEEN THE Two CASES.

Dramntists Amend III This Country.
Tho young men have no, the field OF tho florists
all 10 themselves AT least two young women
have devoted their energies TO selling bouquets,
rather han trimming bonnets or dcsig ming gowns
The question oi young men and women in ret all
commercial pursuits came up the other day among
A group 81 women at tea. ana there was an aston.
ishing unanimiiy in favor OF the speaker who
.,pounicd the views reported here Il must
ny" she began. with an emphasis that threat
eued to spater her friends With the tea that came
splashing into the saucer. that I regard with
absolute dtsapprovnl the conduct OF these young
men who have gone into trade Of the kind tina; as
begun recently TO be so popular with them when
my girl friends lost klicir money, or what hap.
p~ned more frequently. discovered they had never
possessed any and had TO support themselves,
n vas perfectly natural they should do the only
thing possible to them They have never been
trained 10 prepare themselves as typcwritcrs.
clerks or as workers in any professional capacity.
They have no other equipment for work beyond
what they have picked up. and that is usually
ennnned to something like millinery or dressmak-
ing. N they undertake tho only thing they can
% II is therefore. excusable for q woman to un.
dertAkc the sort II work which she would never
choose II she were qualified To do any oihc'.
With men the c,-se is entirely different They
have any field open to them. There Is no reason
Shy they should take up retail business make
shirts, sell neckJcs or busy themselves with flow
era That is oIly a small percentage Of the occu-
pations open TO them. man can undertake
any career i,isonly awomHn who has no choice
when she Is poOr and ~ compelled To do only what
she has lc"ried To- do When men who under ord-
nary crc z,nstances would not have become haber.
dashcrs 20 voluntarily into that line ~ business
the fault Is more likely IL he With them than with
the spAal conditions II is rather interesting. in
view II the frequency with which young men Of
this sind ore taking up sor, " business which
is 70, that followed by mos, OF their friends, q
oS rive how men who beg IAN hunibly arc working
,Lrit way up while others who already have the
sdvaniages they are lookt for, deliberately
throw them aside. When a man prefers to sell
flowers NJ cravats rather than take his chances
n commerce the fault Is likely 10 lie with him.
don't mind having one Of these fellows visi, me,
nor do object especially to their being received
everywhere Just as they always were But 1t ~
not to be forgotten that they deliberately selected
an occupation of kind they were not expected
90 follow, chose IL as the one they liked best and
are settled in It because It suits their tastes best
And what arc any OF you girls going 10 say for a
man who prefers making bridesmaids bouquets
to taking his chance st being banker some day.
short skirts arc not 10 be worn by the shop
rirls They have refused vigorously. The
club which has ceased 10 short skirts itself
because the custom OF wearing them is too familiar
now, is busytns itself trying 10 mad other women
who may BE- persuaded 20 assist itS purpose by
appearing in this dress The shopgirls became
. natural sub!-c, OF attack. They are generally
young and pretty and they are numcrou. So III,
N wear the short skirts which the club members
have long since discarded in practice, alth
ihe torrent of their elnluence the subject flows
A. freely as ever The p5oprietors OF the large
department stores To when application was made.
took. in their rciuSals the ground that It WAS iul.
portanI for their Saleswomcn 10 be smArily dressed
and they could therefore lend M support 10 n
shrGir which proposed g. put them in short skirts
Doubtless these men knew what the weak spot
fRA - tLEEAs= 80
They know that the shoes depart more widely
than any other feature from the high standard
oi smartncss that other parts ot their dress are
likely IN conform Ia For the mudiShness OF the
shopEirl'S dress Is not tradition. IL - a fact
that smeiimeS hmnz'S parsons who know their
means and So the smsriness with which they
dress themselves
tSltis only from the waist line mp that these
girls visible tn the public, the objection to
Sh,V lne their shoes seems captous II Is IN the
rulH ur" ami N the style ~ ncckwear. nov i'm.
po,tani part Of woman dreSs that these girls
ID "a her rldrrrneS- Rules in all the Stores
have now limited their effects 90 white and black
Vie days III the gaudy culors, which continued
nSantage 81 the shopxirl's dress for the qu-S.
non NJ color sometimes brought her tOgrct
Black and white make such mistakes impossible
Apart from the stOrcke"p-r objection to having
bis saieswomcn IN short skirts there would in
al probability b. decided protest from the girls
themselves IL Is always the prevailing mode
that the shOpClr follows and that is not I n the
erection ot shorter skirts ust now. The woman
Sho went TO a large place, in IN" hope Of intro
ducing the short * ~ was delighted wnrn she
saw the Sal.Sw0m"n IN the millinery department
sweeping along with trails Of black cloth b-hnd
the other disadvantages OF that style uf dress.
which she was 81 secure them. Her first disap-
p9,h'm men .nms aI,rI PRELIMINARY conversation
peated sup-rciliousiy -Oh. YES, they might be
more convenient and all that. you know But
They're wearing them longe: all the time That
declf"d the question Tor her.
Wrappers az the breakfast dress for hotel wear
have recently come in "a criticism under cIrcrIn.
which otita md rt, Al
opinion as 10 their propneiy II the QUESTION had
gone far enough has been started rs IL was.
the inquiry stOpp~d short Of final declAon. and
whether or not wrapper may h. worn with pro.
p'eiy in hotel dining room, has not been vet
decided To observers Of the situation III most
public dining rooms there IS slight evidence II
any vogue for the Wrapper. just now II is tie
silk waist which preponderates rs III. fa,oH,-
garment for breakfast wear, The variety Of tie
s!k waist, as the largest hotel in the city every
myfnlng reveals II, - amazing. Every color IS
f"prrsenctl at .lat morning meal and ~ is every
a,elgn IhciF w"arrrS conc from all parts II
we country distant in varying degrees from
ihe centres Of fashion iut they al come To
nrraxaSt in SILK waists white dcmurcly tucked.
purple that shricks at being displayed carry
in the glare u the morning light. Shiny Crimson
WIN Inc anticipation of lace. apple green. sym.
noc may BE-; hut dis!ieartenlng e. breakfast.
These manifestations % the silk WAIST cluster
about the tables until II seems that not another
garm'ri 81 their E!rt ccuid hG EFT in the cl,y.
one lies only TO walk out into tho avenue ard
aok mo the shop windows however. u realize
that The supply has not begun 10 be cxhaustcl.
IAIs Is as true Of all the leading hotels as Of
tho largest. Which shows the fashions Of American
feminInity more fully only because tie examples
are more numerous. The wrapper may have
slight vogue AT some Of the smaller family hotels
m me upper parts Of the Clty, but ~ a garb for
,he large or fashionable hotel II ~ not often to
Dc met with. IL Is not tnat toe dwellers In all
Of tho expensive hoteR are addicted 10 costly
dress One need only look at the women gathered
IN the corridors after dinner 10 realize the striking
lnconguty between their own appearance and
INC eNp.nsiveneSS Of their surroundings II Is
NOT entirely tho background which emphasizes
The difference between the price Of the wOmen's
ciothcs and the amount they must pay for the
pnvi ecc OF living in such Surroundings But
II ~ fact that garments which in quality would
ho' be thought appropriate for much less prctcn-
nous surroundings would do service in the dining
ana drawing rooms ~ some Of New Works. most
expensive hotels These are likely however
70 De limitations in cheap form Of STYLES more dig.
n.hsd Than the comfortable but Ia toOed Wrapper
!i'"N follow IN" silk waist plan, only with varia.
'4ns that make II much CHEAPER than the kind
E'hr'l Is affected by the transient hotel guest
fW II Is never the women among these INIT arc
r"n'mlcGl in the matter Of dress. They arc
W New York, and wear only their finest, whether
iney come from Maine or Los Angeles II il
we permanent dweller who arrays herself cheaply
amid all tic gOrgeouSness Of New York hotels.
Franc" stands far behind the other countries
Today in the number Of women who have won