New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-04
THE ENGLISH WOMAN AND
DRESS.

| In a well known American journal a
woman writer who has been WISHING
England has recorded among her other
! impressions her views on women's dress.
! At once It may be said that she does not
appear to have thought much Of English
womens toilets. As matter OF fact
she sets 1t down In plain words that she
saw more grotesquely attired women OF
! all ages in London than she remembers
70 have seen in any other city OF the
world. So much for her opinion. Or
course, every one has right to his or
| her views. II Is not to be expected that
we should all see things alike. Many
people have no eye for beauty; others
are content with anything. But allow
ing for all this, one must admit In the
long run that when the general opinion
Is in favor OF this or fatty opposed to
that It must be assumed that II comes
| nearer to the mark than the opinion OF
| an Individual We therefore feel quite
unmoved by this sweeping condemna-
\ ton OF English womens taste in dress
from the other side of the Atlantic. since
we know that her opinion IS not that or
| others who visit our shores, while, above
all, It is not shared By French critics.
Time was, perhaps, when English
women were not as well dressed as they
I might have been. There have been times
undoubtedly, when insufficient attention
was paid to the subject of dress in TINS
! country. But this is certainly not the
case nowadays. English women can
/ Justly claim to be among the best dressed
women in the world, and, taking all
| things into consideration, 1t Is really very
/ doubtful whether in any other city IL
would be possible, irrespective Oh Glass;
| TO see so many we'll dressed women as
| one does in London. During the past
year or two il has been most noticeable
that taste In dress is spreading even TO
the lower classes. Even 'Arriet has
| lost her desire for CLAIMANT color at any
price. She has come TO realize, further-
more, that her wardrobe cannot be
law unto itself IL she is not to look
wholly ridiculous. Those whom we de-
scribe as our women OF fashion dress
with exquisite taste and delight the eyes
| Of all nations. ,,.,
| that IL Is the French cOuturieres JOY 10
dress an English woman, for none other
can do such justice to their creations aIu,
withal, when does she ever look more
| attractive than when CARRIED in what may
| be called the uniform OF her country
| women namely. the tailor-made costume,
which has excited the admiration OF al
women who wear western dress IooG
ness knows! II Is plain enough, ana u 10
curiously and specially becoming When
we'll made and properly worn, and we
may confidently assert, because II Is an
obvious fact. that, while the Englsh
woman can wear with the very best re-
suits the most elaborate French creation,
abe. of all women in the world, can do
Justice 10 the tailor made But IL we
excluded from consideration tie woman
OF the upper classes, who can arord 10
patronize the very best dressmakers both
at home and in Paris, we should stiIi
venture to claim for ourselves the ais
tinction OF being a well dressed nation.
Go into the suburbs and STUDY the women
there. You Will find them singularly well
dressed They may not always be turned
ont by the houses whose names are Ia
nous, but their clothes are almost IN
variably we'll chosen, well cut and Wen
The English woman has learned to give
attention TO detail, and this is most OBJ
seryable in what must be described as
the "turnouts' OF the women OF the mo
die class Do the women OF the french
middle class dress as we'll? Emphatlcally
can we answer-No Does the average
American-we cannot say middle class III
her case-dress as well? No! IN what
make n tour of the capital through the
districts which correspond TO our May
fair, Ealing, Streatham, or even Mile End
and find the female population as taste.
fully CARRIED as they are in the several
parts OF London? IL is high time we made
a vigorous protest against the attacks
made on our taste In dress. We have no
reason whatever TO fear criticism, ana
there comes q time when II is a positive
folly not to recognize ones own merits.
In short, II is unpatriotic, which Is
certainly discouraging TO those who have
done their utmost to raise the standard
OF taste and relieve us OF the charges
laid against us. II we do not form the
right opinion of ourselves. Again ana
again have we been assured that the
English woman need fear no foe so far
as her figure. her carriage and her present
taste in dress are concerned. The more
we realize this fact the more surely shall
we try 10 live up to IT, Our American
critic has made mistake, and the world
wide patronage bestowed upon our shops
and our couturieres by her own country
women go to prove it.-Reprint from an
English journal.