The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-10-08
CLOTHES THE MAIN THING.
W Omen at summer Hotels Are Closely
Inspected and Judged by
Their Dress.

The new arrival at the summer hotel
always finds the second day more diff
cult than any other The first is usually
occupied in arranging the rooms. I'M
packing the trunks and getting ready
for the campaign. By that time the
guests know that the new arrivals have
bad plenty of opportunity to get them
selves into condition to look their best.
So there is no reason why they should
not look all right by the second day.
says the New York Sun.
They know that the inspection will
begin seriously when they go down to
breakfast that morning. and will con-
tinue at intervals during the day. After
awhile they will be accustomed to it.
Nice looking people" remarked one
woman on the piazza as a mother and
two daughters appeared. They had ar
rived the night before
Il haven't had chance to look at their
faces, said the other woman. who was
staring hard at them, but like their
clothes
The three advanced with an effort to
appear at ease. They were followed down
the piazza by the eyes of the women gath
cred here in groups. Mid-August had
brought new arrivals 10 the mountain
hotel, and there were many unfamiliar
gowns 10 be inspected and classified.
"Well-cut duck skirts the girls have
on said one attentive observer Of the
new party, which seemed as a whole to
have made good impression.
Eyes, assented another. who was able
to get closer view as the two sat down
next to her Their clothes are all right.
Bat isn't it curious that they have no
personal ornaments on. Not one of
them has even a stickpin."
The piazza buzzed with discussion of
the new arrivals. Their progress had
started it. AS one group after another
was passed. the talk began before the
women were out Of hearing Their plain
dresses bore the unmistakable ear marks
Of good style. 1t was decided that such
a beginning was promising But it was
necessary to wait until evening before
it was possible TO decide whether they
were well dressed.
That night they came through the or
deal with triumph. They wore rich gowns
smartiy, they were not overdressed, and
their simple jewels put to confusion the
woman who had commented on their
lack Of personal ornaments.
The three were sitting on the piazza
again that night when some tired tray
elers landed from the little steamer in
front of the hotel and passed up the
steps into the Office.
Aren't you glad, mother" SAID one
of the two girls, that other women
have arrived tonight. They'll have to
be looked over in the morning"
Nothing so much iniames the ordinary
feminine interest in dress as hotel life.
In the summer it is the most engrossing
topic, and in the winter hotels it comes
next to bridge. In her home woman sees
dress and change OF it much less fire.
quently. In hotels there are twice as
MAN. women as she sees ordinarily
about her, changing their clothes twice
as many times. 1t takes a strong-mind-
ed woman not to have her thoughts di-
rected altogether to the subject of cos
tune.
Hotel life as permanency has been
considered Instantaneous from the
point of manners before this. One of
its least admirable influences must be
the importance that young girls are
led to lay on dress. If the amount of
discussion they heard made them taste
full and careful in dress, its harm might
be mitigated, but, as a rule, there is
merely the tendency to overdress that
survives.
Many of the persons who live perma-
nently in New York's hotels find their
only opportunity to wear elaborate dress
While they sit in the corridors or the
palm rooms, that were presumably in
vented for the purpose of allowing the
guests the opportunity to wear their
gowns before an audience. The same
restricted opportunity to exhibit their
dresses is all that is available to many
of the most richly dressed women a.
the summer hotels.