The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-01-11
GOWNS BETRAY MORALS.
sloyenIy Dress Means siovenly Traits,
Says New York Art Teacher
Miss Knowles Upheld.

NEW YORK. Jan. lift girls want
to impress their critical neighbors
with the high moral standard it is
necessary that the hair be worn in
the neatest of fashions and that frocks
be chosen that are beyond reproach
This is the advice of dress expert,
Miss Neale S. Knowles, of the Iowa
State Agricultural College, who stud
les the scientific side of clothes She
announced the other day to teachers
in convention in St.Louis that sloven1y
clothes mean slovenly mental habits.
Just how far the garment woman
wears may be considered an express
sion of an inward grace, or the op
posite. is subject which classes in
home economics have not considered
generally, but Miss Grace Hitchings,
instructor in the fine arts department
of Teachers college, has gone over
the matter seriously and said Miss
Knowles is about right.
II self-respect means morals, then
clothes and normal mind are reIa-
ted she said. Every woman who
has given the matter moments
thought understands the effect that
her garments have on her mind IF
she is badly and carelessly dressed
she has not the same self-respect she
has when dainty clothed A pair of
shoes with run down heels are
enough to pervert ones moral view
point. Slovenly footwear usually ex.
presses a sloyenly mental condition,
and a sloyenly mental condition may
lead to immortality. It would be
more difficult to maintain a high stan
dard of morality when thus clad than
when arrayed in exquisite neatness
from head to foot.
Isn't there an old proverb some
where that says something about be-
ing able to tell the character of
woman from The clothes she has worn
during certain years of her life7 I
think it is from the age OF eighteen to
forty. The man who said that reach
ed the conclusion by deduction. He
knew the mental characteristics of
the woman would necessarily find ex-
been cleverer than most at reading
the characteristics, but be knew how
to go about it.
But asked the interviewer. how
are we TO reconcile the generally ac-
cepted statement that the morals of
the French women are somewhat loos
err than those Of other nationalities
when they are said to be the best
dressed women In the world? They
. are famous for their exauisiteness and
their dainiiness OF gowning."
80 they are Miss Hitchings
agreed but they are quite as clever
at covering up their careless morals
as they are in hiding physical imper-
fections. The French woman cannot
be Judged by the ordinary standard.
4In our own classes in dressmaking
and designing we notice that the girls
who have begun to pay more atten-
ton 10 the details of their clothes and
to strive for artistic lines and effecs s.
are beginning to change their point of
view about other things The infIn-
ence Of dress on the mind is really
I remarkable when you begin to study
cause and effect. Good go1ning and
grooming make for self-respect, and
the announcement that we give these
students TO lei their individuality find
expression in drags. both in costumes
and millinery. broadens their minds,
I believe. raises their standard of
morals not a little.
II may be too severe 10 say that
carelessness means immortality, but
It certainly means immortality
Miss Hitchings was dressed in a
dark blue tailor costume. slightly
hobbIed a black satin and velvet
round hat and black furs. AS If IN
explanation of her following fashion
eccentricity she said that she con
sidered II right for women To make
the best of every mode and 10 adapt
ii to her own style. @Eccentricities
/ Of fashion are never copied By he
woman who is well balanced mental
". You might almost Say ifa' those