The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-04
EXIT THE FRUMPY WOMAN.
She is Passing Forever From the
Worlds sfaxs

Her day is ended and her sex breathes a
thankful amen. There are a dozen ways
| Of describing the vanished one. but no one
seems quite to have diagnosed her dress
and habits like until the Chronicler Of the
| Chicago Times Herald" who says:
The genuine frumpy lady is usually rec
| ognized by being horribly overdressed
She seems to possess an overpowering
compelling desire to plaster the entire con-
tents Of her dresser onto the front Of her
gown. She revels in the soiled neck rib
bCls, bits of lace dabs OF ribbon. wads of
discouraged ostrich plumes-everythlng in
fact. that should find a way to the rag-bag
or the cleaners. Her hats always have
feathers, ribbons buckles. aigrettes. and
bows galore. each individual bit OF trina
ming having no particular regard for the
other and all being strewn about on a felt
or straw foundation with no other purpose
in view than making a conglomerate mix
ture Of millinery materials.
The frumpy lady has n pronounced hank
kering for ragged silk petticoats and heels
that are on the bias. The two make
thrilling combination on a day when mud
puddles are rife. In fact the frumpy wo-
man makes an excellent showing during
rainy seasons, for she will wear plumes in
her hat in spite of everything. and has
no choice apparently between newly curled.
fluffy ones, and the stringy. straight hor-
rors that fairly drip depression and gloom.
There is just one reason why the frumpy
girl is frumpy-besides the main one that
she is a natural born frump-and that is
that she has no idea of fitness or utility
She doesn't know that a soiled foulard is
not the proper costume for shopping. and
that a discarded theatre bonnet Is not ap-
propriate for marketing. There is a time
for everything. But the frumpy lady would
go mountain climbing in French-heeIed
dancing slippers and pink chiffon bodice
Or she'd wear theatre-wrap and carriage
boots to football game if she happened to
feel that way. She goes In for the fussy,
fTilly. overturned trappings and seems
never to realize that there are moments
when the soft fripperies are out Of place.
But why dwell or the trump? She is
passing into the haZy background along
with the fivestoried theatre hat that was
worn in the sos. the seal-plush dolman
trimmed with jetted braid. and the wax
wreaths under glass globes that graced
hideous handicapped tables in the stiif.
tear-compelling parlors. Women are
surely, but slowly. coming into their own.
They are learning to spend more money
for good. serviceable. well-tailOred, proper
ly-cut gowns. and less money for gilt belts
chiffon neckties that are wrecked in two
wearingS, and the foolish. perishable
knicknacks, on the sales OF which the
merchants grow fat and grow rich.
The lessons OF fitness and utility are
being learned. The woman Of today. that
is the woman who keeps up with the pro-
cession, has come to the very sensible con-
clusion that plain. neat gowns and trim
little hats and dark. heavy gloves are-if
properly ehosen-decidedly more becom-
ing and a thousand times more modish /
than the garments that are fussy unto
and of little real service.