The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-13
Women and Their Dress.
Philadelphia Press.


Have you ever noticed said a clever
woman, what very salient differences in
dress and general appearance you may OBJ
serve in the women in different lines of
business?'
What has your eagle eye fallen upon
now?' said her auditor.
well the actresses, of course, are a
class by themselves. 1t is a part of their
business to present stunning appearance.
and they set the pace. But in the ordinary
occupations in which women are employed
you will always find that mlliners lead in
style and generally attractive getup.
Their training teaches them neatness
and the artistic blending of colors. and no
other woman can achieve their style on the
same salary
What about the dressmakers? -
"Oh, the very same remarks apply large
ly 10 them, of course, for milliners and
dressmakers hunt in couples Saleswomen
in big stores, especially in the better lines
of goods, come under this head, as do those
in hair stores, manicuring establishments
and all sorts of grooming places Now,
when you get among the teachers you will
find an entirely different atmosphere.
Truth TO tell. teachers as a class are
apt TO be a littly frumpy. Some way
or another clothesology doesn't seem to
combine readily with the other 'ologies.'
But don't run away with the idea that this
necessarily condemns the teacher, even in
masculine eyes.
Look at that spnster teacher who cap
tured that big, big gun in Washington
the other day. 1 suppose he could have
had almost any society woman that he
threw his handkerchief TO. but you see he
wasn't looking for fashion plate. Some
men are built that way.
Then there are women doctors and law
yers,' continued this salon, meditativey.
Il believe they're worse than the teachers,
as whole
"A really successful doctor doesn't know
what she has on. She doesn't have to. Her
success depends so entirely on her compe-
tence that her appearance cuts no figure.
Her mind is on her patients. not her
clothes. / know a woman doctor on Wal
nut street who is making $4,000 a year, and
she looks like a bag tied in the middle.
There are scarcely enough women lawyers
to judge of them
Women artists ought to be the most ar
tistically clad of their SEX" remarked the
listener.
We'll that depends When they apply
their genius to their own dress artists, de-
signers, Illustrators all that sort are the
most delightfully."- gowned women in the
world. Not in fashion plate style. YOU I'M
derstand but graceful. artistic, poetic, aes-
thetic kinds of things, with just enough
adaptation of the latest style to save them
from oddly.
THAT kind of woman always sdapts ere
ates, and the result is a picture. But half
the time the woman who can do these
things pays no manner of attention to her
own appearance. II she recollects TO comb
her hair she does well. I tell you. dress
is an art, and to achieve distinction i'm IL
YOU have got 10 put your mind on it, same
as YOU would anything else"
About where in the line do the news
paper women come in?" asked the inter-
locutOr casually.
1T Is absolutely according to the indi-
vidual with us When we have desk work
entirely we dress like the rest of the office
women round about town--shirtwaist and
tailor-made skirt, usually walking length
when we are reporting our garb varies
according to the occasion. We would like
10 dress well, for our business brings us
in contact with r great many strangers,
often important people. and a nice appear
ance is a great help TO as, but our work
is hard on clothes. very hard'-loOking rue
fully at somewhat suspicious elbow
and it takes a lot Of money 10 keep them
even decent.
But my conclusion. after acute and pro-
longed investigation. is that good clothes
always help; that the woman who is sue
cessful without them would be more sue
cessfu with them, and that there is no
way in which she can use a portion of
her conscious cerebration to better advan-
tage than in building the smartest kind OF
d costume for herself that she possibly
can
But it takes time and thought. and if
these have got TO go elsewhere, why they
have, that's all"