The Washington herald., 1913-03-23
By MARGARET WADE.

With the Legislature of a truly great
State, and not a suffrage State, at that.
regulating feminine attire by commission,
fashions at the National Capital become
of national interest. With many pages OF
the daily press given over to reading mat
ter on the subject OF spring fashions, with
five times that amount OF space used In
advertising the same, milady and her
wardrobe become important factors In
the commercial world.
According to the Ohio reformers, the
following of the fashion Is also a factor
in the moral well-being OF the nation, and
not a factor for good. Should the bill
introduced in the Ohio Legislature be-
come a law. there would be great fall
ing on in the retail dry goods trade 1t
is extremely improbable that there would
be any increase in the moral standing OF
those communities which the Ohio legis-
lators claim are disastrously affected by
peek-a-boo waists, transparent hosiery, or
Dutch neck blouses.
While the ill-advised attire of the aver
age woman Of business has long been a
matter OF unfavorable comment. there
are comparatively few women OF any
class of society who will allow their
style of dress to be prescribed by law.
The eight-dollar-a-week girl with twelve
silk hosiery is a problem quite apart
from the fashions" Frequently she is
doing greater violence to the canons OF
taste than of morality. In any case, she
is living in the land OF the free, entitled
by the Constitution of the United States
to "the pursuit of happiness" With silk
foot stockings, to be had in Street,
three pairs for a dollar, there is no rea-
son that the young person, pursuing
happiness in the matter of dress, should
not be able to enjoy all the benefits or
the Constitution without unfair criticism
from her own sex or restrictions by man.
made law. AS matter of fact, women of
good taste within or without the charmed
circle of our best society. do not have
to be told what TO wear or where to
wear the Elusive finery that appears to
be disturbing the peace OF Ohio.
The Dutch neck is entirely out OF fash
ion, while most women who have accept
ed its successor, the V-shaped neck, wear
not only guiInpe, but one or the modlsn
high collars, transparent TO be sure, but
quite correct, according TO canons or style
or morality. Transparent hosiery Is good
form only in the drawing-room. a decol-
lette is just what its wearer makes II,
and according to the evidence or the ma
1ority OF men and women of polite wash
ington is rarely of a kind to be adverse
ly criticised. 1t is not at all probable
that national lawmakers Will be called on
to act in the line of their Ohio brethren
While a large number of Washing
toms fashionable maids and natrons are
passing the last week of the Lenten
season in New York, it is hopeful sign
for home modistes that most of these
ladies are merely viewing the fashions
in anticipation of placing their orders at
home The well-dressed Washingtonian
usually is the woman of large means
who orders her gowns twice year from
Paris. or a woman of much smaller
fortune. but great discrimination, who
has everything made right at the Cap
ital. which accounts for the large num-
ber of first-class artisans. with the
souls Of artists. doing business.
Mrs. Richard Townsend, who has spent
the past week in New York. is a loyal
follower of Worth and rarely buys an
American gown. Miss Sheridan. also
at present one OF the Washingtonians in
New York. on the contrary, has her
gowns made in Washington. usually
from models of her own, direct from !
Paris.
The best-gowned debutante of the sea-
son. universally conceded to he the
rightfuI claimant for this title. was Miss
of Washington manufacture, but from
Paris models, adapted to the individual
style of this youthful belle by her artist |
iressmaker.
Mrs. Richardson Clover and her daugh- |