The San Francisco call., 1906-06-21
PEOPLE and THINGS|
BY LOUISE WELLER.

The fashionable woman of Paris is
rebeIlious. She does not want to wear
big hats any more. With this end In
view she has formed the League OF
Little Hats" the sole object and aim
of which is. so we are told. to rid her
self of stuDendOus headgear. That
woman has resort to such an extreme
measure makes one naturally cOnclude
that big hats are "all the style" That
woman should want TO break away
from the style
What is doing? Heretofore when
Fashion spoke it was different Woman
accepted her mandate. fully aware that
the imperiOus dame took no back talk.
She just gave her command and all
women followed. High or low, rich or
poor. it made no difference, they seem
all her devoted slaves Something must
have happened And that something
can only be mans expressed and
marked disapproval
Women, when they get CONFIDENTIAL
tell one another that they dress to
please themselves and to make other
women envious. That is but half true.
1t is not only half the truth, but the
weaker half. Woman's first aim in
dress is to please man. When she
pleases man she pleases herself and in
cidentally makes the other women en-
vious.
There is method in this woman's
madness. If woman dressed to please
woman it would be too hard. With a
glance the woman takes in all the par
ticulars of dress, and it is an X-ray
glance at that. She sees hat. shoes,
gloves, gown, and knows every detail
of their confectiOn- She is ION to the
tricks OF the trade" She practices them
herself Man, on the contrary. only
sees results. 1t is rarely that he can
"a "a vi nf Ia
only knows whether or not it pleases
him.
This mans noting of effects only IS
accountable for many of wOraan's little
toilet deceptions. Woman does not like
to tell an untruth. However, she is
not above living one. Only she must
feel sure that she won't be found out.
She is perfectly safe with the men. A
light touch of pencil to the eyebrows. a
tiny drop of fluid in the pupil OF the
eye, bit of carmine to the lips and
cheeks, many times make her all the
more attractive in mans eyes. But
women-there is no use her trying 10
deceive them No matter how expert
in the art of make up" she may be,
they can tell it mile OFF. 1t is a sort
of sixth sight with them.
That is not, though, the only decep-
tion man brings upon himself He
goes about cIamOring for simplicity.
He talks big about simple gowns sim
ply made, and naturally woman must
give him what he asks for.
If she were to tell him that there is
nothing more fussy and more expensive
than these same simple gowns wouldn't
he be astounded? What is the use OF
spelling his beautiful dream? 1t is
sad enough that the man who meets
the bills should discover that the only
thing about these simple dresses that is
not simple is the price.
But really women on the dress sub
ject must deal in this deceptive fashion
with men, Mems opinions on dress are
not honest opinions. They laud the
simple. but expect the expensive. They
praise the sensible. but only look with
favor upon the foolish. They cannot
realize their own taste in dress. They
are fashion blind.
If any woman be foolish enough to
dress as man says she should she would
be the butt of the town. The women
would pity her. The men would laugh
at her. The big waist, plain dress sen
sible hat, that is really a protection
for the head: broad -soled, ffat-heel
shOes-all their pet theories that they
hurl at knowing wOmen-seen In the
flesh would appal them They would
ny from it like from the plague. And.
worst of all, they never would admit
that they were responsible for il.
Woman knows this. Since it rIeases
man, she let's him talk and. nearly in
all cases. does just as she has always
DONE which is just as she pleases.
But oh, my, man must have been
unusually vigorous in his attack upon
big hats To most people they are very
becoming and that is all man asks.
studying the question over. however,
am inclined to think that the feminine
ranks have split and that the men who
are decrying big hats are backed by
do they want little hats? Just be-
cause" / imagine. What better reason
could there be? And why does fashion
dictate big hats? For the very same
reason, suppose
Well if il is tilt between man and
fashion. it is going to be exciting and
interesting
wager man wins.