The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-06-19

REFORM IN
STYLES
Mrs. Robert Burdette's Address Stirs
up Convention, After suffragists
Score Victory.


victory, dress reform in its relation
to morals came before the biennial
session of the General Federation of
Women's clubs at the opening ses-
Zion here Wednesday.
Mrs. Robert J. Burdette of Pasa-
dena, Cal, in plea for sane dress,
asserted: 1--WE have 100000 women
favoring our plan for dress reform,
and we will ask the convention to
indorse it. Some of the styles are
distressing and extreme, and it is
those we would like to change" she
added. 1--WE would like to see
women wear dresses that are large
enough for them to step in without
Inconvenience.
Shop Girls Make Fashion for Society
There are any number of women
who are ready to dress in sane man
her II the manufacturers will allow
them to. They can dress beautifully,
appropriately and deeently and still
be in good style.
'"rhe shop girl is the one who
makes the fashion for the society wo-
man who goes to shop and asks
for the latest There is nothing for
the girl at the shop to do but to
bring out the latest. That is why
we wish to have manufacturers join
with us in the reform"
Suffragists Score Victory
Led by Illinois women, the suffra-
gists won the right of discussion on
the floor of the main convention be-
fore the council of the federation.
While no decisive action was taken,
the sentiment of majority of the
delegates was so strongly expressed
that the executive board and other
sofficers can scarcely avoid accepting
the advice offered. This will give the
suffragists an opportunity to bring
their battle for Endorsement to the
floor of the convention for the first
time.
The women of the federation, TO-
900 strong, throw themselves into the
convention actively with all the ar
dor of seasoned politicians. Party
flags were everywhere, and stand
patters of the organization were lined
up against the suffragists, but lost
their first clash in the throwing open
of the right to discussion from the
floor.
Bitter Attack ON the Styles
Mrs. Burdette spoke to an expert
and appreciative audience.
with forbidden knowledge" the
speaker said, "came self-conscious-
ness; with self-consciousness came
the sense of shame and the protec-
tive garment-and thus did the trans
gressions of our first parents cover
all future generations with blanket
mortgage of clothes which we are
paying off with heavy interest.
Whether clothes were first worn
as an ornamental covering or for
protection matters little, for we seem
even to this day to CONSIDER the first
of prime Importance. No matter If
the neck be exposed nearly to the
waist line and the limbs nearly half
way to the knees, if only the style be
followed, health and suggestiveness
are lost sight of in the craze to be
in fashion
WOwan's Morals i'm Her Gowns
Miss Grace Hutchins, costume de-
signer of Columbia university, says
the morals of woman are read in
her gowns and that slovenly dress
indicates like mental traits; that the
women who is addicted to extreme
styles is sure to be an extremist in
everything else. But she adds she
does not believe that every woman
who wears immoral clothes is neces-
sarily immoral. She rather believes
that women are thoughtless and that
a large percentage of them recklessly
and relentlessly follow prevailing
fashions without knowing why
American Women Clothes Mad
4 The speaker, herself clad in unos-
tentatious white, asserted that Ameri-
can women are clothes mad, and that
nowhere else is seen the same elabo-
rate over-dressing save among the
declassed women abroad.
y Mrs. Burdette declared that COM
merce is another arbiter of fashions.
Quoting a newspaper, she said: For
many years the great mass of civilized
humanity has been clothed mainly In
cottons. Outside Of the orient,
which consumes it's own product, rs
per cent of the total production of
cotton fabrics is from raw material
grown in the United States. Imagine
then, the feelings Of the cotton grow
ers of the southeastern states when
that mere tube of cloth, the hobble