Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-18
TO REDUCE DlVORCES
Expert Designer Favors Girls
 Making Their Dresses.
HOW NEAT CLOTHES IMPRESS MEN


 making Course In All Female
 Schools, Declaring That Most Do-
 mestic Tragedies May Re Traced to
 the Gown Question.
 ",The divorce evil would not entirely disappear did every woman know how to make her own dresses, but putting her knowledge into practice would cer- tainly greatly reduce the number of di- vorces annually granted by our courts. l"
 So declares Mrs. Evelyn Foote, ex- pert designer. who recently concluded a lecture course in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa, says Washington special dispatch to the St Louis Post-Dispatch. Mrs. Foote is preaching to the women of these states that a dressmaking course should he added 10 the curricu- lum of every girls college.
 ''So long as the mistress of the home is unable to design and make her own clothes that home is imperfect" con tinues Mrs. Foote. who by reason of her fifteen years experience as an ex. pert designer is entitled to be heard.
 Women are taught cooking Why are they. not taught sewing and dress nlakingl The husband returning home tired in mind and body to frowsy, sloppily dressed wife is the cause of a large percentage of our divorce cases. During business hours men associate with women who dress neatly and are tidy and take care of their personal ap- pearance. If their wife greets them in the evening in a kimono or dressing sack or bedraggled dress compari- sons are impossible to avoid, and they are odious.
 Why is it you women dress for ev-. erybody else except those you love best? Before marriage you spent hours primping in front of the mirror. Six months after marriage you pay no at tention to what you wear when your husband is at home. Can you blame him, then. if he seeks the company of wiser women who know the way to mans heart lies not only through his stomach, but through his eyes as well.
 "The young women of our so called higher institutions of learning should be taught dressmaking just as they are taught piano playing. drawing or cook ing. Dressmaking is fine art. The sooner we recognize that the better for the stability of our social relations.
 T believe that every girl in boarding school. seminary, college and university should take a course in the designing and making of dresses whether she re- ceives training in higher mathematics or not One of the first patrons had when began my career was talent ed girl who had just graduated from Vassar and who declared to me that she would give almost everything she possessed if she could but make her own shirt waists. Today that girl makes her own gowns, and they are fine enough to wear 10 the most fash.' ionable receptions.
 But 1t is the girl of the poorer and the middle. even the ordinarily well to do, classes who need this instruction. In my last lecture tour I met a young bride who for several years had been employed in a business office as book keeper on salary of $S5 month. She spent her income mainly on dress. Finally she married a man who is re- ceiving SlOO or s125 month. pays S35 a month house rent and has to support himself and wife on the balance There is little or nothing left for clothing. That girl Is today perfectly miserable because she cannot dress as well as she did before she was married. She cannot make one of her own garments, and she cannot afford to have them made as she did before If a marital tragedy is averted 1t will be simply be- cause Divine Providence has taken pity on the couple.
 ''I repeat. let our girls and women learn how to design and make their own garments. There Is no telling what the future will bring forth. Even ln the present there is satisfaction in mastering an art. for dressmaking Is indeed an art. am devoting much time in an effort to have a course in dress designing and dressmaking add ed to the curriculum of the Iowa uni versity. and ! ain hopeful of success. It will lead 70 economy and domestic tranquility. of that am sure.
 This work of teaching the girls can not begin too early. Dressmaking can not and should not be taught in the public schools. int aat sewing should he taught there. Many of our schools .t.n.a,- .r, .t-. sff .t,,,fa f,. q. T7..