Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-15
Bv LADY DUFF GORDON
("Lucile"

IA "a
MI dances, manners and NOR
@VA ais. are the cause for much
criticism. constant and carping On
m sides we hear strong cOndemna-
ION Of the present sartorial tenden-
lies. We are told that our clothes
re outrageous; that they are made
nly to appeal TO the coarser in
,tincts Of man. and that our man
lars and morals are as bad as our
lothes. Is this criticism uncalled
err Alas, not always, but J think
nat the most severe critics do not
realize that our fashions after all but
Hpress the present unrest and eN-
element that dominate every phase
Of the modern life.
Il is not immOdesty nor indecency
that inspires the clothes Of today
Il Is that woman being the inartlcu-
late half of the human race, seeks
20 express her individuality, her
personality on the world through
her clothes.
This is a day Of excitement, a day
when we have TO have our senses
titillated with new sensation every
hour, a day of extremes in thought
and deed EXaggeration Is the key
note of the age; we meet II In the
play, the fashions, in every phase of
our daily life Even our manners
and morals are exaggerated but this
is not due to the fashions of the mo-
ment, although undoubtedly our
manners and morals are affected by
the clothes we wear We have out
grown the day when handsome was
as handsome did; we now appar-
entity believe that handsome is as
handsome dresses.
One of my theories is that
woman should dress up to her man
ners and morals Now ! do not mean
by this that the members OF the
demi-mOnde should wear a certain
uniform: neither do ! believe that a
mondsine should wear only quiet
drab effects No indeed. But, realiz-
ing fully that we are affected men
tally, morally and physically by cur
clothes. do believe that we should
dress for. as well as act. the part in
which fate has us cast
Fortunately for the future of pic
turesque fashions, the world is
divided against itself One-half of
the males thunder at us that our
standards of morality are low: that
we are growing decadent. 1T is
your clothes; your clothes make YOU
immoral" they cry. But the other
side comes back with: You dress
as you do because Of your morals. it
is YOUR morals that make YOUR
clothes. not your clothes your NOR
ais
To start At the beginning. I must
say once and for an that the present
fashions are not immoral that they
90 not create immortality. and that In
themselves there is nothing sug-
gestiye i'm the really lovely fashions
created for the mOndaines u is pos
sible for a lady-Or, should better
say a gentleWoman- 10 wear any
thing and still be a gentlewoman. It
is. in way. not what she wears. but
now she wears il, that marks the
difference between the well bred
woman. the woman of good manners.
and the woman who seeks to attract
through the suggestiyeness Of her
clothes Wearing the present fash
ions rs like dancing the present
dances-it is all in the manner ia
which ID is done.
AS ! have often said. manners NAV
make the man. but dress makes the
woman. No woman is ever al her
ease who is not dressed for the part
which she must assume in her world
A woman not born OF trained TO that
part can better assume il il she is
dressed for IL. u is far easier to act
like a LADY If one is dressed like one
During all ages the clothes OF the
woman have reflected the spirit Of
that day Critics, hooking on a. the