The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-04
Bright and Witty Discussion of
q Serious Subject.
MANY VIEWS ARE ADvAN cED
Great Variety of Opinions, but the Pre-
vailing One is That Women Should
Dress According to Their Re-
sources and lnclina,ons.


The attention OF many Richmond women.
While bright and witty. the writer
touches upon q serious feminine prob
DANE DDhDEN.
EHB CLUB AND THE DRESS PROF.
LEM.
Dress was the topic for discussion 81
the meeting of the Thursday Club, o.
Hustleville, and all the smart members
%ore the best they had. and The club
soom glOwcd with charming combna-
lions of color in silk anu panne velvet,
md poisoned with picture hats. In
Contr&s. to this was the studied severity
OF hue and outline affected by certain
members, either on principle or by neccS-
sity. It Il grand opportunity for
,he members with theories. They wore
d smiling but pre-occupied look. as if
rchearsing their remarks for the dis
CIssfon.
When the time to speak cam. how
ever nobody Ventured, to begin. Without
doubt, this was stupendous question.
AT last the resourceful member took
The floor ana reiievea the situation by
heying:
Madame President, / Will open this
discussion by quoting 4 line from Po-
]onius instructions TO his son, in Ham
let: Costly thy habit thy purse can
buy / would like to hear the opinions
OF the members as to whether Shakes
peare was right in giving forth this die
;un1 contend that he was-that the
osophy. Carlyle has made it clear that,
10 a certain extent. the clothes are the
man. Much more then. the clothes are
the woman. The undisputed social SUI
premacy of tie woman demands that her
standing shall be in d manner determined
by her costume. Her personality is. en-
bodied and interpreted by it. The limit
OF her purse, therefore, should be the
only limit to her self-interpretation by
dress
''But who is to determine the limit Of
hci purse?" put in the practical mem
Der, dryly.
She herself can be the only Judge as
TO any of her limitations" was the re-
Fponse.
Then that's another story murmurcd
come one half audibly.
A pretty member. clad in a dream of
waist half rose and said Madame
President. l think Shakespeare was
right: we ought all to dress as well as
we can
She sat down abruptly. looked scared.
md two thirds Of her auditors applauded
her vigorously. Then a serious-1nInded
member, in a plain cloth suit, took the
fioor and said, earnestly:
Madame President, am glad to have
This opportunity to say that / think we:
are making our club meetings too much
o. an occasion for display There is a
rivalry IN dress that causes many secret
EGaft-DurIlnfTS ana auus SlSdLiS " AiiS
cares OF our lives If ii goes on it Will
tend to put an end altogether TO club
life on the true basis. We meet to eH-
Change ideas. but not On the subject OF
the latest fashions. We are adding to
the list of those who sin through eX-
travagance. and their name is region
And some Of us can't keep up with
the procession interrupted the auda-
c:cus member.
Then up rose a member with strong,
resolute face. simply clad i'll a dark
cloth suit and fine felt outing hat
Madame President she said. Il am
s.ad 10 indorse the words of the last
SPEAKER. and more than glad that this
question has come before the club
hive long felt that nothing threatens
the usefulness. and even the very lie,
Of woman's clubs more than The pre-
yailing rivalry in dress. Organizations
brought together for earnest purposes
of s,eif-im2roveTnent or pubic reform
.re degenerattpg into mere dress parades:
md the federation meetings amount to
a sort of spring opening'-an oppor-
unity for the exhibition OF costumes.
Women Of slight resources are over
strained in their efforts 10 vie with their
more fortunate sisters. We are foster
ING extravaganza and vanity Our clubs
should stand for something better! 1t
ts high time for some movement of re-
form.
..Nfll Mrs Piano kindly suggest some
method of reform?" asked another
member.
NV own mind" said Mrs. Plane. and
am. as usual confronted With the diff
ficultv OF regulating by rule or law what
ehould be regulated by reason and con-
science,
.Exactly.r INTERRUPTED the other mem
her who was impulSive. You have an
oh, 80 t-,a
say YOU can't do il, Whatever depends
,;,on Individual common sense has got
a., come hack to individual common sense
4. the end Rules will never accomplish
rny reform, nor will words. We shall
have to be educated out of our frills and
Fathers.
~ intended to say observed Mrs.
Plane. with dignity, that rule insist
Ing upon street costume at regular club
fneetinss might be OF some use
Then we've got TO define street cos
t,.rne,"
The member sitting next to Mrs. Plane
r,,;ryuured audihiy. Il always come in
street costume This members wore
q black crepon skirt and a waist trim
r,cd with touch of silverS blue velvet
and a little fine old lace. Apart from
the ever enduring lace, her entire cos,
tune, including the pretty home-'rimineo
hat, had cost considerably less than Mrs.
them was aware of this. The next
speaker made an unconscious comment
upon il when she said:
cts all in management and good taste
say. Some women can look better
on less expenditure than some others
who don't know now believe IN a Ut
tie fancy touch in every costume IL
makes a woman look prettier, and thar
means a good deal The clubs supply a
kind of education in dress / have seer
the kind Of woman used 10 call dow
dy'-a woman whom nobody suspected
of having a good presence or AN attrac-
tive face-blossom into a graceful. Well
attired and charming person. merely be-
cause the necessity Tor appearing in pub.
sio had reused her self-esteem and lee
her TO study her own possibility Anc
Ter whole nature shared in the improve.
,nent too. It's The same thing that hap.
pens to our minds
This speech was greeted with mods OF
approval and the dressy members tooR
heart One of them rose and said:
II think it's nobody's business how