Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-06-14
Psychology Of Clothes.

Psychology Of Clothes.
SIT would take gallon Of sherbet and
An electric fan to overcome the effect OF
that costume" gasped the Scientist.
The Young Philosophers ran to the
window to see what had provoked the
Scientist to an inaccurate statement OF .
proposition. On the opposite side Of
the street strutted young woman,
dressed in red from the tip Of her suede
slipper to the tulle Of her large picture
hat.
"Some one has told her red Is becom-
ing to her, and now she wears 1t, regard
less of time or circumstance" comment
ed the Cynic. "a gown like that, how
ever, on an August day is positively an
act Of cruelty to spectators"
81 wonder" unused the Sage, "if any
of us fully realize the effect upon others
of the garments We wear"
eve had striking example of 1t In
our home last winter" confirmed the
Epicurean. "My sister and we're made
to wear colored wooden dresses during
winter, from the time we could first
walk. Nevertheless we have always lik-
ed dainty garments, and when my sisters
first baby came, eighteen months ago,
we determined to keep it in white until
it was old enough to 60 to school. One
cold day my father found the baby
toddling about the house in a white
dimity dress. He at once took my sister
to task for clothing the child improperly.
We explained to him that white wooden
lon fho no
child from feeling cold. But 1t doesn't
keep me from feeling cold when see
herr he stormed. And it didn't. He
insists that he suffered acutely from the
cold every time he saw the little one In
its filmy frock."
81 asked a school teacher once" said
the Sage, whether the garments her
pupils wore in any way affected their
scholarship. She replied without hest
tation that they did and that, moreover.
the garments which she wore affected
their scholarship. She explained that
she had one particularly becoming and
attractive gown, which she wore during
tests or examinations. This change of
costume not only the more observing in
the class seemed to notice, but even the
dullest felt it and profited by it. This
same teacher cited the case of young
girl who had entered class half clad,
disheveled and dirty. Her books were
soiled, second hand ones which she had
begged from others. She was sullen and
showed little interest in her studies or
her classmates. Suddenly orphaned,
this child was adopted by benevolent
organization, which purchased new
books for her and clothed her in gar
ments, not only new and comfortable,
but attractive and becoming. With the
new clothing she donned came new
interest in life, new self respect, and
she is rapidly becoming one of the most
promising pupils in her grade. Mothers
should study this subject of the psychol-
ogy of clothes"
"Mothers and wives" added the Cynic.
"Not every wife realizes that the work
of the day for her husband is often made
easier or marred by the gown in which
she greets him at his breakfast table,"
"That is true" agreed the Sage. "a
man sometimes makes the mistake OF
telling his wife that she looks we'll in q
boudOir jacket. Thereupon she forms
the habit of wearing one to the break
fast table. And that is all right during
the honeymoon, perhaps. But when a
man sits down to belated breakfast,
with school children clamoring for at
tention, and home duties fairly Shrek
ing from nursery and kitchen, he feels
vaguely, although he does not analyze
the emotion, that there is something in
adequate about the appearance of the
woman who faces him, my lady OF the
dressing sacque."
"But man would not wish his wife
to dress like nursery maid," protested
the Epicurean.
"Why notp" demanded the Sage.
'Why not, at least, while she ia perform
ing the duties of one? What could be
more suitable, serviceable or becoming
than plain cotton housegown and spot
less white apron? Our educated helpers
and trained nurses have changed this
same costume from badge Of servitude
to an insignia of rank. Women are
prone to believe that man has no intui-
ton, that he is not susceptible to
psychical influence. She has believed it
many times to her own undoing. A man
il annoyed, If he finds his wife working
about the kitchen in discarded dinner
dress; he is likewise annoyed, II she
GENES to his dinner table looking like
servant. Nevertheless he may be and
probably is quite ignorant of the cause
of his annoyance"
"That is because man for generations
has been the business head and the war
rior of the family" expounded the
Scientist. "He undertands the methods
and the necessities of proper equipment.
He would not 90 shooting for duck with
an elephant gun"
cat the same time woman is the more
punctilious about the conventionalties
of Dress" commended the Epicurean.
"But conventionalities are many times
the creatures of her own caprice" said
the Cynic, "and are not often brought
into being by the laws of proper equip
ment. Where conventionalities fail to
coincide with these laws, man rebels and
often, too often woman submits"
"Here is case in point" laughed
the Sage. 81 know young matron who
is extremely fastidious about the pro-
prieties of dress. She is never seen at
formal dinner or at the opera save in
evening gown. Her street costumes are
faultless. But have seen her working
about her kitchen in a silk kimona and
torn silk skirt. She felt, moreover,
that she was maintaining the dignity Of
her position"
81 suppose none of you would believe
me, if told you of the wonderful effect
upon the health which different gar
ments may have" timidly ventured the
Mental Healer.
"Whether we accept your philosophy
as whole or not" politely returned the
Cynic, 1--WE are all willing to concede
that woman feels no better than she
looks. Personally l have cured more
than headache with bath and COM
plete change of garment.
sand, of course" admitted the Scien-
fist, 1--WE are beginning to learn the eff
feet which colors have upon the mind
and the emotions of man. We know that
red"
"But that Is the x, Y, z of the sub
ject. Start our wives and mothers at
the A, B, C of it and they make their