The Washington herald., 1913-01-05
By JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

With the coming Of the new year
there seems to be a general influx of
debutantes TO the business world; girls
who are young in years and younger
still in experience From several Of them
have come letters to me asking for
word Of advice along the line of the
proper sort Of clothes to wear during
the work-a-day hours in downtown
shops or offices, as the case, may be,
question which has presented a problem
to women since they first began TO en-
ter the business world.
The solution OF the working woman s
dress worry Is not easy, because II must
be regulated largely by the amount OF
money she has at her disposal, but there
is one rule which every girl, whether
she is earning much or little money, may
follow with perfect assurance that she
cannot go wrong in so doing, and that
one rule is simplicity.
Miss Fluffy Ruffies may be a pretty
and dainty bit of femininity, but there
is no place for her in either office or
shop where life is earnest and severe.
1 have known girls to begin their bust
ness life with many frills and furbelows,
but they soon discover that they are not
only in poor taste, but that they actually
retard progress in the fulillment of their
duties.
Makes Poor Impression.
In the first place. a dressed-up doll
Eirl gives the business world a very
quick impression that she is there to be
admired and not to win her way TO the
success upon which, chances are, she is
dependent for her daily bread and but
ter, as a consequence of which no one
takes her seriously, and her climb to pro-
motion is much slower than that of the
young woman who always is neat and
tailored I'm her appearance. giving one
the idea that she is ready for earnest
work, :. equipped mentally and dressed
appropriately
Every girl instinctively loves pretty
clothes. Frilly frccks, shadowy laces,
and all that sort of thing. seem a nat
ural part of her life, but they should be
only part of her home and social life
and never enter into the daytime
hours which she gives to the pursuit
of a business career.
Remembering that simplicity and
neatness form the keynote of good
taste in dressing for business. the next
question propounded is, What then
shah 1 wear?'' to which comes the an
swer that every woman must be a law
unto herself. selecting that which is
tailored, durable. and becoming.
Since the white shirtwaist dawned
on the clothes horizon there has never
come a more serviceable thing for the
woman working downtown, for the
white blouse is neat and gives one the
impression Of cleanliness and good
taste at all times Business women
who can afford the laundry bills which
separate waist and skirt entail will
never, perhaps. accept a substitute To
the beginner in business life, who has
only small salary upon which to de-
pend. the laundering of white shirt
waists is such an item of expense as
to make them impossible to many, for
even the careful girl. in the cleanest
office, can wear a white blouse but two
days, and it is more often the case that
she must change her shirtwaist every
morning in order to present a neat ap-
pearance.
The one-piece frOck has come as a
bourne to many business women both
because il is so much easier to get into
than a separate waist and skirt, and
also because it solves the laundry
problem. There are few things more
attractive than a little dark serge
dress with white linen collar and cuffs
for Office wear during the winter
months. while the ginghams, percales,
and muslins can take the place of CASH
mere and serge when summer rolls
around once again.
Has One Objection.
The chief objection to either the dark.
unwashable waist or frock is that Il
soon accommodates much dust and be-
comes very soiled If worn week after
week in an Office, but the girl who can
have two such dresses for work can
change off from one to the other, thus
minimizing this objection. Certainly for
the girl who has little time in which to
make her morning toilet the one-piece
dress is a tremendous convenience for
which reason it is likely to hold its own
for many a long day to come, despite
the. tickle turns OF fashion.
Experienced business women have
often told me that the mode OF dress
employed during working hours has a
strong psychological influence over the
amount and character of work accom-
pIished.-
Let the business woman who is ac-
customed to simplicity of garb during
her working hours come down to her
Office some fine morning all dressed I'm