The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-07-27

young women evidences com
plete divorce from the funda-
mental principles Of propriety
and good breeding. We fail to
see how it can be defended on
the plea of comfort; and there
are a few who will deny that it is,
as a general rule, vulgar in it's
suggestiveness. One cannot help
wondering how it can be put on
without the aid of a shoe horn.
All over the country a note of
warning has been sounded against
the immodesty in dress to which
so many women lend themselves.
The craze to be dressed in the lat
est style has affected not only
thoughtless young girls but also
many women of more mature
years who can scarcely be ex-
cused on the plea of not know
ing what is postulated by the die
tates Of modesty. Even mothers
who are otherwise solicitious for
the welfare Of their daughters do
not hesitate to allow them to
appear in public so scantily clad as
to give the impression that they
are trying to popularize the street
dress Of those who are not usual
ly regarded as fit associates for
self-respecting girls.
Not long ago Leslie's Magazine
uttered the following opportune
and necessary warning on this
subject:
I'm the prevailing style Of
dress, woman, without question, is
exposing herself as never before
in the history Of civilization. Had
the change come about all at once,
it would have shocked the sex in
to a revulsion Of feeling; but,
coming gradually, it has taken ad-
vantage Of her weakness to &C
cept the styles as handed down
with too little protest. Through a
little independence in their own
dress and that of their daughters,
mothers Of refinement may yet
save the day for modesty and
even virtue"
| According to Miss Mary M. Bar
telme, assistant judge Of the
juvenile court Of Chicago, the
blame for a great deal of the de-
hatchery and degradation existing
in that city is to be placed upon
freakishlv dressed girls. The girls
of today, the high school girls and
those beginning to Ego out" de-
clares Miss Bartelme, put on such
immodest apparel that men pass
ing them on the street turn and
stare The indirect cause of this
low form of attractiveness is
traced by her to the mother who
has no time to bring up her daugh-
tiers but allows them to ape their
elders and CAD about at will.
eff I had my way about it, .
said Miss Bartelme, "these girls
who wear skirts reaching scarcely
to their ankles, shoes that look
more like stills, and a vulgar, low
necked, tight fitting dress, would
be arrested.
"There is hardly mother to-
day who teaches her daughters
to dress in simple, girlish clothes
The only difference between the
average street dress and night
gown is that the street dress is
usually colored. The delinquent
girls I meet and the factory girls
are not to blame for adopting
these outlandish styles They
copy them from the high school
girls whom thew believe to be edu-
Gated we'll enough to know what
is proper to wear.
II may be old fashioned and
prudish-I suppose I am in the
eyes of the class I have been
speaking about-but when pro.
gressive ideas in dress reach such
! a stage that women smirch the
sacred sweetness Of their purity
I think it is time to call a halt
Give me the old fashioned
mother"