Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-22

BOUT two billion dollars are spent
n every year in America simply on
women's and children's clothing.
A very great portion of the country's Mills
offices. retail shops. dressmakers ana
auxiliary manufacturers are needed to
take care Of this great volume OF pur-
chases of the country's chief articles OF
trade.
Considering the mysterious" and won
derful" factor OF styles and fashions
which enters into this volume of purchases
so strongly, what does cold-blooded analy-
sis along efficiency lines show as the per-
centage of efficiency attained?
Frankly, there is nothing in the whole
range OF human activity on the entire face
of the globe that compares in terrible in
efficiency with the fashion and style stu
alton in women's and childrens clothes
The efficiency is scarcely Is per cent out
of a possible 100 per cent Beside this
waste, the million dollars a day waste on
our railroads, so complained of by Bran
deis. looks tiny. Whole nations could be
built and financed by the waste which one
year produces in the field of style and
fashion.
l must add to this radical statement,
however that we are far more efficient
in this respect than at any time in the
history Of the last couple OF centuries;
but the volume of waste is vastly greater
to-day simply because style and fashion
are given a larger place in the lives Of
far more men and women of all classes
than In the days of long ago To-day
even the farmers and the small village
folk are stylish" II is actually true
that many things are worn in the West
before they become "the rage" in New
York.
Manufacturers make up hundreds upon
hundreds Of patterns of goods at great
expense, knowing well that only bare
dozen of them will find favor and be sold
in any considerable quantity.
The dressmakers and the manufacture
ers say that women themselves decide
which styles will go; while the women .
vow that the manufacturers and dress
makers control the styles.
AT the beginning of the season, when
manufacturers and makers should be busy
producing fabrics with some kind of def
mite knowledge Of what TO make. they are,
instead wastefully specializing in great
uncertainty; while after the season has
developed all mills and makers are under
a terrific strain to catch up on orders for
the particular thing that made a hit"
Because of the frightful waste due to
fashion uncertainties and stimulation, the
lowest possible grade of goods is fire.
quently put into garments, while if about
55 cents were added to the cost of the
goods in the piece the value of the gar
ment to its wearer might be increased at
least So.
To one who, like an efficiency man,
stands off from problem and looks at
its contradictions and absurdites, the sit
uation created by style and fashion would
be most utterly laughable If 1t were not
such serious matter, reckoned in dollars
anC cents. He picks out the contradic-
ton, waste and absurdities, and reports
them something as follows:
What can an efficiency man work out
that might introduce a little order into
this very admittedly chaotic and horribly
wasteful condition? How can the new
gospel of efficiency be made to apply to
fashion and clothes?
Let us make it plain at the very start
that the effort now being attempted by
some to have American fashions for
American women" is an ill-considered
and a very narrow-minded movement. We
might as well cry American books for
American readers" or American pic
lures for American eyes" We do not
want American fashions any more than
Chinese fashions-we want intelligent
fashions As in literature and in art and
in medicine and in science, We want to
take advantage of the resources of the
whole world. Fashion, like science,
should know no nationality nor creed
It should be cosmopolitan.
AS this matter of style and fashion de-
ponds on individual taste, il would be
futile to approach the matter from a
purely scientific standpoint of analysis
alone. It must first be based upon an
analysis of just what the feeling of mod
ern woman is.
Believing that a necessary starting
point for a consideration of this subject
must be definite word from women them
selves as to the suggestions which cold
blooded analysis offers, l have had an &C
tual canvass made of women under the
following general groups:
% Club and society women;
90 Business women;
(31 Shop girls;
(4 Average middle class housewives.
Knowing the conservative attitude of
mind of women, and their great love for
individuality, personal adornment and
beauty, / was entirely prepared TO find a
very light reception to the ideas of eff
cient reform which | had laid out in the
following questions:
"a Would you welcome an organized
attempt by women TO discourage fashion
extremes?
(2) How often do you believe the fash
ion trends should reasonably be changed
twice year, once year, or every two,
three or four years?
60 Do you approve of any attempt to
encourage uniformity of dress among
various types of women?
"a Do you think individuality and con
slant variety In dress are some things that