Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-09

WET Sixteen doesn't often think OF ethical questions in connecticut
T. with her graduation gown. Her principal oncern In reference t9
~ ethics are mixed in with 1T. And the graduate might find Ter dress
for the great occasion lots Interesting. II she would give a little
thought to this side OF the matter.
Woman's dress, from the point of view II beauty, comfort or cost. i'd
by n o means all that 1T might be. And tho people who are going to
improve this condition OF things ar the younger generations So you
see quuea responsibility rests upon the graduates of today and tho gradu-
Iaos b re to come If W Q arr to have dress that Is artistic, that Is
healthful and that Is not wildly and fooishy exuavagant. the people who
are coming o n will have to take the matter in hand.
And 1t certainly is a problem worth graphing For 1t is a problem
shat reaches very deep into economic conditions 1t Is quite as worthy a
girls earnes efors as settlement work, the discovery of new stars "
researches in tn. laboratory. For It Ia the love of dress. and the desire To-
dress better than a be afforded, that keeps sweatshops going. drives many
husband father to speculation, and bars msn Of the finer things out
Of life. And yet, when the jewels nd silks and satins and laces and furs
are acquired, OFTEN almost at thu price of blood, what, after all, have those
who possess them7 Very little of real value, very little that is # real
beauty for the styles into which tho materials are contorted often rob
them of all real beauty-and very little that conduces to health or com
tort For womans dress today, from her heavy hat to her high heeed
shoes is to a large extent unhealthy and uncomfortable.
81 you see, there is more to the question OF the graduation gown than
one might perhaps think. And the girl graduate who Will take a stand
for simple, dainty dresses that are beautiful because of their artistic lines
and the intrinsic merit 81" the lace or trimming that may be u D. them.
and that EXPRESS the vaiueo Of the service they are intended to give and no
more VIII De arriving the hrt nah. IN building III the right knd Of dress
reform. Dress reform does lot by any mea imply freak attire, boomers.
Or lack of beauty 1t simply means dress that is based upon the principles
If art, that is appropriate to tho service demanded ot It, and that does
not cstm more tina 1t Is actually worth. AS W do OF live to sat neither
should we dress simply for ornamentationL There Is a fundamental need
underlying dress, and this should be h governing principle in the sdec.
ton of what we wear, not largely show as It is today. And then. with hs
need Ii the foundation, W g should add beauty-real beauty iron the art
point, and this Is often a vastly different thing from the heraIded beauty OF
fashion experts, because we should add beauty to the world In every form
we can.
Last year the graduating class Of ono of tho country's leading schools,
got together and decided that their graduating dresses should embody son
such idea. No dress as to cost more than a certain amount-and It was
and not a mass of elaborate trimming that had no use and a put IN
merely for show. And among all the countrys graduates. there were few
more charningly dressed girls than these.
1t is to be hoped that many schools viii follow this example this year.
end that graduates Will see in the question of the commencement dress
something more than the selection of snowy material, huterng ribbon and
hlmy lace.