Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02

the country. and there is no use vast
ing time predicting that they will 60
back to their own level when this war
Is over.
When the intelligence Is awakened
as 1t has been, there is no narcotic OF
wealth and security that can deaden II
again. The situation must be looked At
In the light OF great historic event
1t Will be regarded as one of the SUI
preme movements in the upward path
OF women in mass.
The Clothes We Need.
There is no use preaching to women
to be morbid about clothes. and there
Is no use telling these women Of awak-
ened intelligence that they must wear
old and shabby things. because they
are beginning to understand that this
is not the way to make a nation pros
porous. Ten years ago that slogan
might have appealed to women: today
1t is brushed aside as silly argument
The Standardization OF clothes Is an
other bit OF childish talk. verbal pap
as 1t were, given to children who have
grown to be thinking beings
II 10000 women decided upon a coat
and skirt for everyday wear this win
ter. as a uniform, the price of that suit
would be raised far beyond the present
price Of any costume. So there's no
economy in that.
In such a suit ten women will look
well and 1000 will look their worst Sc
that's an argument that might work as
leaven against the other.
No one will deny that there should be
new outlook in clothes. The dress
makers foresaw this situation. and
they have prepared for II. France had
glimmering of 1t. but she was moi
movement. She still believes thai
America is the land of birds of para
disc. She only thinks Of US in terms OF
Aladdin-like wealth and wearing the
clothes OF old Bagdad.
However, when the new clothes ar.
rive from Paris and the women of this
country digest them they will be pu,
through the sieve of public opinion, and
what comes out will be trustworthy.
There is much that women should re.
gard In clothes as means to an excel
lent end. They are going to be too busy
this entire winter to spend hours OF
their time in shops. and they will not
be. able to indulge in that foolish fancy
of, sending up clothes on approval and
returning them the next day. The
shops. public opinion and the indigna.
| ton Of intelligent women are going te
be directed against this custom.
Therefore. it behooves every woman
to think we'll over what she wants e
| buy for her outfit, and when she buys
it to stick to it. We are a wastefu
nation in clothes as in food. Every one
have striking individuality of though
in clothes. Much of this condition /.
due to the overwhelming display Of
ready-to-wear costumes offered at
reasonable price to every woman wht
passes a window.
This situation may continue in tn,
shops. but it must now meet a highly
trained mind. The woman who earn.
| money is apt to spend it more foolishl,
| for clothes than the other kind o.
| woman, which is truth that seems I,
escape the majority of those VIII,
preach.
This truth has struck home amont
| the English and French, who say tina
| there has never been such extravagan
purchasing OF clothes in those coun
| tries by the middle-class women VIII
| have gone to work for the first time
| The women in the munition plant
simply pour out their wages on. finer,
| in the London shops, and the women o
the bourgeofsie in France, who are mai
ing money in munitions, are going t
the great. dressmaking houses in Pari
for the first time in their lives and nay
ing prices that heretofore were onl
paid by the South American million
aires.
The Business Woman's Clothes.
The condition that exists in Grea
Britain and FRANCE may be repeated il
this country, but not in the same way
because our great middle class ha
4 possessed the millions. There will Ger
tafnly be a great curtailment in tn
7 purchasing of extravagant and frivo
! lous clothes. High prices will be pal