The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-12-29
WOMAN HEAD OF BUSINESS COL.
LEGE IN EAST HAS A, FEW
WORDS OF ADVICE ON A SUB
JEcT NOT ALWAYS WELCOMED
HOW A CATHOLIC WOMAN
SHOULD DRESS FOR WORK.

How the business woman should
dress is much talked of subject to-
day; every periodical and newspaper
we pick up has something to say about
the dress of women, both in the bust
ness world and in the social. Just at
present this seems to be a pertinent
subject for discussion in our Catholic
papers, writes X. z. Donellan, Presi-
dent of Calvert Business College, Bal
timore.
The Catholic woman knows how her
Church would have her dress; she
has been taught from infancy to old
age, all the requisites that make for a
modest apparel. Modesty in speech
and dress should be the earmarks of
the Catholic business woman, should
be the intangible something that
makes her different from her less
favored sisters. Is this truly the case?
Can we point with pride to our women
and say, they are the models for all?
The dress of the age tells the morals
of the age more truly than anything
else, and so the mothers of our young
girls should see that their daughters
go to their various occupations clothed
as BELTS Child of Mary, a child of
the Church. Unfortunately the dress
of the mother is rather the dress of
the daughter; the fashion of the short
skirt and of the low necked waist
veers perilously near the dress of the
pagans.
What Business Men Expect.
In my work | have frequently been
sought for advice on the subject of
dress. In fact, the direct question has
been put to me time and again by
practical stenographers and business
women of my city. How would you
say business girl should dress?" My
answer to this question has invariably
been the same. My long experience
with the finest business men and bust
ness concerns of this large city of ours
has taught me much as to what men
| desire in the women they employ
Every employer wishes that the young
| woman he employs should have about
her that air of refinement and good
business world, no matter how humble
| her circumstances.
The president of large insurance
company said to me very recently
You have a decided advantage over a
man having conduct of business
/ fol oiy. h0x
they should dress, without in any way
giving offense to them or their parents
| A man is necessarily limited on this
subject; for so many men, | should
say the majority, misunderstood such
things" And this is true; girls will
resent such advice when told them by
male instructors and the advice is thus
lost. This same gentleman went on to
SAY: ut is shame the way the girls
/ of today come into business offices
| They dress as though they were at
tending dance or social function
of some kind"
| The president of one of our banking
and trust companies also brought VI
| the subject. He wished to know why
did not instruct my girls on the sub
| ject of dress. | told him that scarcel!
week passed that / did not give
copious advice on the subject, but I'm
fortunately the parents do not coop
crate always along these lines, and 81
my words are UNDECIDED by many, i
not secretly resented.
What he continued to say is rathel
illuminating and contains in itsel