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

MI dances. manners and NOR
Iva ais. are the cause for much
criticism. constant and carping. On
all sides we hear strong condemna-
ton Of the present sartorial tenden-
cies. We are told that our clothes
are outrageous. that they are made
only TO appeal TO the coarser in
stincts OF man, and that our man
ners and morals are as bad as our
clothes Is this criticism uncalled
forg Alas. not always, but | think
that the most severe critics do not
realize that cur fashions after all but
express the present unrest and eX-
citement that dominate every phase
of the modern life.
Il is not immOdesty nor indecency
that inspires the clothes Of to-day.
II is that woman being the inarticu'
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
Initiated with a new sensation every
hour a day OF extremes IN thought
and deed. Exaggeration Is the key
note Of the age; we meet It 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
mondaine should wear only quiet
drab effects. No indeed. But, realiz-
ing fully that We are affected men
tally. morally and physically by eur
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 az MS 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 al the beginning. I must
SAY once and for all that the present
fashions are not immoral. that they
do not create immortality, and that In
themselves there is nothing sug-
gestiye iu the really lovely fashions
created for the mondaiues. ID is pos
sibie for a lady-Or. ! should better
say. gentlewOman- 10 wear any
thing and still be a gentlewoman II
is. in a way. not what she wears. but
how she wears il. that marks the
difference between the well bred
woman. the woman OF good manners.
and the woman who seeks 20 attract
through the suEgestiyeuess Of her
clothes. Wearing the present fash
ions Is like dancing the present
dances-it is an IN the manner in
which il 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 or trained % that
part can better assume 10 b. she is
dressed for IL. lt is Ear easier To- act
ike q lady IL one is dressed like one
During al ages the clothes ol tHr
woman have reflected the spirit of
that day. Critics looking on az the