The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-06-17
WOMENS GOWNS
BETRAY MORALS
FederatiOnists Discuss
Fashions.
TYRANNY OF STYLE IS BLAMED
Ornament, Not Protection,
Is Main Consideration
BY Them.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Chicaeo. June 1O.-The subject
Of dress came before the women
gathered here to-day for the bien-
lli7I convention of the General Fed
Grafton of women's Clubs. Mrs.
Robert j. Burdette, of Paradena,
Cal. discussed ii in its relations to
n1crals. while the assemblage itself.
by a great majority. exemplified the
beauties of tarsorial simplicity.
One woman Mrs. Rudolph
BIankenberg, of Philadelphia-sto
ON the platform very squarely in
her sensible" shoes and turned the
laugh of the convention on itself.
TIE Philadelphia wore skirt of
aTaple folds with no hint of slit,
ard waist modest and comforta-
he.
For fifteen minutes before Mrs.
BIankenberg stood up delegate after
delegate had spoken to the effect
That copies of the resolution should
De made available to the presidents
OF State declarations. Some declared
that they should be in the hands of
the president of every club by the
january preceding the convention.
Then up stood Mrs. Blankenberg
with directness speaking in every
line of dress and feature and said
The resolutions are available,
and always have been available, not
only to presidents of clubs and State
feieTations, but to any member who
will take the trouble to get the
printed record. They are to be had
in October preceding the convention
-you don't have to wait to January.
There's something for you to think
over" she concluded, poking a
lnotherly fan in the direction of the
delegates. There was moments
silence and then IA litter.
Mrs. Burdette, in discussing mod
eYn dress. spoke to an expert and
aFipreciative audience.
With forbidden knowledge
said the speaker, came self-con- |
sciousness, and with self-conscious-
ness came the sense of shame and |
Jhe the protective garment-and
thus did the transgression of our
first parents cover all future gener-
ations 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 mat
ter if the neck be exposed nearly to :
the waist line and limbs nearly half
way 10 the knees. if only the style
he followed health and suggestive
ness are lost sight of in the craze to
he IN fashion.
Miss Grace Hutchins, costume
designer of Columbia University,
says the morals of a woman are read
in her gowns, and that slovenly
dress indicates her mental traits;
that the woman who is addicted to
extreme styles is sure TO be an eX-
tremist in everything else. But she
adds she does not believe that every
woman who wears immoral clothes
is necessarily immoral. She rather
believes that a large per cent. of
them reCklessly and relentlessly fol-
low prevailing fashions without
knowing why.
AS the fashions are to-day. "A
woman would have to design nearly
everything for herself. if she would
not wear immoral clothes. The rea-
son is plain enough.
Fashions. especially French FASH
Io"e. are not designed for good wom-
en- They will not spend enough mon
ey To suit the merchants That is the
reason that every new fashion Is de-
signed originally for the demi-
monde of Paris. -
The speaker, herself clad in UNI
white. asserted that
American women are clothes-made.