New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-28
FEMININE DRESS ABSURD
Bernard Shd5o's Ideas of 1t Com
meRted on by Womcn.


That ever fertile subject. women's dress. affords
Bernard Shaw subject for his latest diatribe. As
dress reformer Mr.. Shaw is a radical OF the radi-
Gals. He advocates haf-measures but goes
straight to the root of the matter declaring that
feminine limbs must be unfettered before feminine
dress will be at all tolerable.
He would have thought that any animal with
legs, II fettered with petticoat, must inevitably
60 mad. Boomers he considers ridiculous com
promise between male and female attire.
Rosalind in her tunic and forester's belt is his
ideal OF beautifully dressed woman. Going into
minor details. Mr.. Shaw declares that women
combine craven dread OF color with curious shy
ness of drapory everything soft being considered
voluptuous and improper He objects particularly
to starch, which he calls nasty white mud
Summing up the subject he declares that Eng
fish women adopts in dressing respectfully and
perfect nincompoops at dressing prettily.
Among New-York women Mr.. Shaws views have
been received with mingled praise and blame the
general idea seeming to be that if women~ar are
ridiculous. men are equally so.
MEN RESPONSIBLE
"An have to say about it" said Miss Mary
Garrett Hay, president OF The Daughters of Indiana
when asked for her opinion. lis that men are re-
spcnsible for womens dress. Women dress just
want them to-
DRAPERY AND TROLLEY CARS
Can you imagine anything incongruous
than drapery and trolley cars?" said Mrs John H.
Judge president of the Society fer Political Study,
at a Minerva Club meeting yesterday ANY one
would know that such an idea as putting in
draperies would emanate only from the brain of
man. would the utter absurdty of
any such plan for these busy times. If women
all had their carriages to take them about. the
idea would not. be quite impractical. but even in
that case there would be a stumbling block It
is that dressmalSers do not know how to drape
gowns gracefully. 1t is almost Impossible 10 find
one who can do artistic work in this Inc. l have
just in my acquaintance who wears
lovely draped gowns, when at home. and they are
all made by little French dressmaker whom she
discovered, and of whom she has monopoly to
Women afraid IF color, does Mr. Shaw say?
Well just look around you here and that question
will be answered for all"
There were over a hundred women in the audi
ence bravely gowned and hated in every color in
When a woman does stick to sombre colors.''
a thin pocketbook is to blame If she can afford
red or pink or lavender very we'll for every second
time she wears II it will be recognized, whereas 4
black or white gown can pass muster at any num-
WOMEN KNOW HOW TO DRESS
Il think that Bernard Shaw is the 'nincompooS'
| instead of women Mrs. Rothermel of Minerva.
| declared with emphasis Il am most decidedly of
the opinion that women know how to dress becom-
ingly. BY the natural evolution of the world the
| day for wearing flowing draperies and for having
the old Grecian figure has gone, never to return.
and the fashions of to-day are not only pretty.
but sensible l don't believe that even Mr.. Shaw
would prefer a Grecian costume to neat tailor
suit for shopping on Broadway.
I'm the Of eor5 1t Is the
| color for their own. This color which a woman
%e er 4oan but N to s asF that She
it because she is afraid of brighter colors.
RIGHT ABOUT STARCH.
/ Mr.. Shaw is right in the main. in what ne says
! about starch" said Mrs Ellen T. Richards. of
Boston Starch is ridiculous. A starched shirt
sheet IF al
1t is bad for cold climates because 1t radiates the
heat Starched petticoats give no warmth
than ever before, When they err it is usually in
the matte5SOf hats and the corsase trimmings.
mestic economies in school-it helps girls to dress
Il would not go so far as to call women min
compoops, in their dress. They improving all
WOMEN NOT 'NINCOMPOOPS"
Mrs Harry Hastings takes issue at nearly every
point with Mr.. Shaws ideas women's dressing
I'm the first place" she said to a Tribune re-
| porter. starch is not used much now except for
| mems linen. 1t has almost disappeared from the
household. The soft lingerie waists which are so
much the vogue call for starch.
Many women are nincompoops' in their dress
yet never did women dress more sensibly than to-
day They, are still. in advance Of the men, as is
took to dress like men gave il up.
rc H Of nd is aus clean Is s he
thing in use. Of course Mr.. shaw's talk. about
| that had died a natural death.
Women do To- not look like sacks when they put
properly. AS for the men, they are always ready
| to solve problems for us-but are too mod
to solve theirs for them
FOR THE WOMAN OF FASHION.
Mrs j. H. Gordon Is OF the opinion that woman
is not really to drapery, but that she does
not adopt it for fear Of being termed a fanatic.
IF a leader OF fashion you'd start the vogue"
she said, hundreds would follow Tie
who can wear such draperies and who goes unfet-
tered by corset is my ideal woman"