The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-11-16


has things to say both witty and wise
on the absorbing topic of whether
woman can dress well on $500 a year
ITO begin" says the baroness, this
is a pernicious doctrine to inculcate in
the minds of men, Once the masculine
sex gets into it's mind the notion that
a woman needs no more than three
hundred dollars a year to dress we'll on,
even rich men will try to skirnp their
wives and daughters down to that sum
for costuming, and there Will be IN
their families scenes and disturbances
without end
"a woman in society cannot possibly
dress on three hundred dollars a year
To attire herself properly Will require
three times that amount She must
have at least four costumes-a hand
some tailor made street suit, a tea
gown dinner dress and an evening
dress. If she does not go to many dln-
ners or evening affairs, she may make
the same dress do for BOTH l knew one
lady who thus wore one gown the sea-
son through for evening ana olnners,
but it was a handsome one and could
not have cost much less than one hun
dred and fifty dollars. She had one
tailor made dress which probably cost
nearly one hundred dollars She could
model over these gowns Tor second pest
he next year. but the two together
themselves came to almost two hundred
md fifty dollars. Where, then, was the
money for her hats, gloves and shoes?
The climate of America is so extreme
hat we need both summer ana a
winter street dress here In England
or France the same one will do the year
.ound. Then, if a woman wants TO puy
a fur Jacket or even the smallest jewel,
,r. say, a handsome plumed hat, where
would she be on three hundred dollars
A year?
"One other point-if woman has all
he money she needs and if she also
likes pretty clothes, there is no way in
which she can please herself and aid
other people more easily than by in
dulgjng her taste and buying elegant
and beautiful garments 1t helps trade
and tradesmen and their families for
ler thus to spend money
1T is a matter on which no one can
lay down a hard and fast rule, TINS
question of how much woman should
spend for dress. A woman should dress
according to her means. If she has no
more. she can dress on thirty dollars
wear and be neat and tidy One year
when / was in debt / spent only fifty
7oIIars for clothing. / should sum the
natter up like this: Can a woman dress
on three hundred dollars year? If
she is in society, no; If not, yes
ladv who earns her living and
whose nav amounts to s35 a week says
if is out of the question for a business
woman situated as she is to dress on
200 a wear She is in heavy SwelI
,ffice in a great city where men rich
and poor come from all over the earth
@ consult her employers and herself
f she dressed shabbily or very cheaply,
he could not keep her place, for eli
nts would draw instantly the conclu-
ion that her employers were either an
tnprosperous or a stingy firm, and in
sitber case they would not want to
have dealings with such men. So the
business woman pays $50 to 800 for
tailor suit and $40 and upward for hat
and thinks it pays her to do SO.
And if I were to lose my place." she
said. land had to find employment
again I should put on the best clothes
had to do it in. If you have to go out
and hunt work, you should wear good
clothes in order to give the impression
that you are prosperous Look your
best brightest and youngest. and you
will obtain situation twice as quick.
81 suppose if L stayed at home and
had time to remodel my garments I
could dress on less, but when I'm in the
vhirl from daylight till after dark
what can l do? Once I thought 1 would
have two old gowns made over into one
to wear to the club. / had a second
hand black silk and a white silk skirt.
had the two put together for black
and white costume, Mrs. Roosevelt
fashion, and 1 bought some lace and
twelve bolts of ribbon and paid for the
making. Result, cost of thirty seven
dollars. and 1 had only an old dress,
after ALL"