Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-14
WEAR FEW CLOTHES,
TEST OF PATRIOTISM
Awful Situation Faced by
Women as Result of
u. S. Demand
CUT CLOTH ONE-FOURTH
Otherwise There Won't Be Sufficient
Left for Army and
Navy
BY M'LISS

Have you put your wardrobe on the
hg-leaf basis?
Sartorially speaking. are you out in
the cold? AS you answer these oues-
tions, 50 will your patriotism be gauged
Tor Uncle Samuel. through his economy
board of the Council of National Defense.
has decreed that cloth in woman's garb
must be cut down 25 per cent, aid that
saving of 40 per cent must be achieved
In mems mufti IL our soldiers and sail
ors are to be adequately clad.
Moreover the underwear situation is
enough to make a pac'fist want to fight.
1t has been announced that the Govern
ment will need for its defenders rs per
cent OF all the neece-lined underwear
manufactured, 81 per cent of the WOOL
ems, 46 per cent of the ribbed cotton wear
ana 20 per cent of the balbr.gsans
Nor Is there any hope of being all
dressed up In new b. V. D.. for. accord
ing to an analysis of tho underwear mar
ket, the Government will need as many
OF these as II can get for the summer
wear of the jackies
1t looks as il the wearing of GOOSE
mesh were the surest bet
y may be. too, that barrels will be
fashionable, but certain 1t IL that barrel
skirts. with tn .ir extra yards of ma
terial will have to 60
Modistes have not yet worked out the
problem of just where the 25 per cent
saving vii 30 taken from. To abbre-
viate the skirt TO greater extent would
be to eliminate II entirely or at least
10 give 1t the proportions of the lamp
shade SO popular with our South Sea
Island sisters
IL may be that trousers for women
VIII at last be Justified on the grounds
OF this economic necessity. It is scarcely
possible that the sheath or the hobble
VIII ever again be tolerated. There are
some things now that women, even in
the name of patriotism, no longer will
consent to.
Pockets and belts and superHuous
trimmings will be first to go, it is
thought, but as every local Paquin
KNOWS, these do not consume nearly
70 per cent of u costumes material.
Because Of the desperate outlook the
French ambassador Monsieur Jusserand,
has been called into consultation, and
he has promised the cooperation Of tn.
Partisan couturieres. AS yet no an
nouncements have been made. We can
only specul tie.
Once th,re was n popular song, en-.
titled. Nothing From Nothing Leaves
YOU" That would seem to be the most
fitting way to address a decollete after
the sartorial Hoovers have finished de-
Quoting 25 per cent of it.
And what is "A poor "Eollies" girl of
Mr.. Ziugfeld's troop, who wants to show
her patriotism and keep her respecta-
bility, to do? Can she reduce her COS.
tune by one-quarte~ and retain her
membership in the Law and order So.
ciety?
MEN ALSO IN QUANDARY
But while agitation rocks tho femi-
vafn ha In, fhn nj
To reduce your costume by almost one
half Is, you must admit, a man-size Job.
even If 1t doesn't concern a man-size
outfit. And to retain your dignity in a
suit that Is only 60 per cent Is some-
thing worth worrying about.
One-piece suits for men havo been
suggested and knickers too, have been
talked about. But these latter would
require the long stocking, and the price
Of the long stocking is about as high
as the 1918 skirt Is likely ( be.
Long ago Isadora Duncan and Lady
Constance Stewart Richardson thought
they had solved the clothes problem
with few yards of chiffon or tulle. But
IL Is doubtful If these early eXponents OF
clothes conservation would be considered
patriots today.
The american Indian, too, could get
along quite nicely, thank you, with a
few pints of paint But the few pints
that the native male American of today
can do with has not been noticeably for
external usage.