The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-19
THE HAS XII II LETTER
The Cotton Dress Movement.
q FredeEiclk >. Haslin.

one Of the enects OF the European
war viii be the partial abandonment
Of. the SILK frocks by the average
American woman. A movement
looking towards the substitution OF
cotton for other materials in wom-
ems clothing hasebeen initiated in =
numb Der OF cities and Is rapidly
sweeping over the country. WINE
only the extremists Will go so far as
to insist that the entire wardrobe
must be made Of cotton fabrics.
there il no doubt but that cotton VIII
fill q larger place in feminine ciolnl
ing than ever before.
The Chicago club women hays
taken for their slogan. "A Cotton
evening dress for every woman IN
chicago, It is predicted that Dy
December i every society leader IN
the city viii have fallen into me.
Mrs George Earle 10 the prime
mover in the Chicago campaign anu
she is rapidly pushing the mater m
to public notice. Last week mas
querade ball was given In the LIZ a.se
view building, at which twenty-nVs
Of the women guests wore cotton cos
tunes which did not suffer either IN
stylo or elegance by comparison Win
the silk and velvet gowns worn AZ
similar former affairs.
The women of st. Louis are NOT
allowing Chicago much lead IN TINS
matter At the ball OF the Neneo
Prophet, which is regarded as tne
most important In the carry SOU.
season, practically all fthe women
wore cotton gowns. It has infor-
iamally announced that this entertain
ment established precedent 20 &c
Generally followed IN ST. LOUIS
fflrou oh out the winter season.
Gertrude Anterior. the writer. Is
credited with having given the hrst
impetus to the cotton gown cam
paign In New York. Miss Anterior
has always been an admirer OF SOIL,
ciingY materials. especially IL. ior
gowns to be worn Indoors. The
dainty weaSes OF voiles and other
fabrics offered by American manu-
facture1s appeal strongly to ner
sense az well as to her patriotism.
She Is strongly advocating their I'D
eral use this season. Mrs. Strives
ant Fish and Mrs. Borden Hartman
are among the other we'll known
women who are advocating cotton
frocks for formal occasions.
The cotton. exhibition which was
SO successfully held in Washington
last week was only forerunner OF
many similar affairs to be held IN
different parts of the country. Ma
turally, the southern women are
taking the lead in tLis matter. and IN.
Nashville and Atlanta plans are we'll
under way for cotton exhibits to pc
held after the tourist season opens
Women in all parts of the southern
cities will vie with each other IN
wearing the product Of their country
In manner which will inspire their
northern visitors with a desire to I'M
Iitate them.
New orleans has long been given
the palm for the distinction and ele-
gance of the cotton dresses seen
there. Many northern women make
a point Of buying their summer
frocks during their winter stay IN
that city because the assortment OF
beautiful cotton fabrics seems great
| er there than elsewhere 1t is also
claimed that the New Orleans women
have greater skill in developing col
ton frocks than can be found else
where New Orleans merchants are
going to emphasize their advantage
1 this winter so that the northern
woman who goes down to this MS
| toric old city with her usual ward
robe of silk and satin is going to
bring home more liberal supply OF
cotton frocks than usual and sne
will wear them more freely.
Several phases present themselves
in the consideration of the cotton
frock movement. 1t originated in
the desire OF the women of the ma
ton to relieve the distress caused by
the closing of the European markets.
to the American cotton crop. Like
every other innovation it has brought
forth many objections. most OF
which can be set aside. It was
claimed that creating a run upon
cotton would decrease the demand for
other goods, whose makers would
suffer quite as much as the cotton
dealers, and also that most OF the
finest cotton fabrics are imported. SO
that their use does not help the
American manufacturers. These OBJ
jections have been partially answer
ed in circular letter recently IS
sued by Mrs. Pennypacker, the pres
Iident OF the General Federation Of.
EyVomen's Clubs, in which she strong
" endorses the movement.
COLLECTIONS can be set aside. . said
Mrs Pennypacker, IL you consider.
that most of the cotton goods are
manufactured in the New England
states, and that America for years
has been producing three-fou-ths OF
the world s cotton supply. The Grip
ping Of the cotton industry by a fail
ing demand means the loss OF many
millions of dollars this year which
southern cotton growers would spend
chiefly upon commodities manufac-
tured in other states II their cotton
crop IL taken on their hands
It has been stated that the use Of
cotton for women's clothing will
lessen the demand for wooden fabrics
which are staple article OF An,eri-