Evening journal., 1918-05-17
PROS AND CONS
OF THE UNIFORM
Ever Since Wsr Started Advoostss Of
a Uniform for Women Have Been
at work-whst Are RssuIts7


a Uniform for Women Have Been
at Work-Whst Are Rssults7
Y must have been someone decided
ly unlearned in feminine psychol-
ogy who predicted at the outset Of
the war that the women Of the land
most interested in war work would
adopt a service uniform as a way OF
showing patriotism and achieving
economy. In Washington you remem-
Der, shortly after we took our part in
the war some one with misguided en-
thusiasm proposed that all the thou
sands Of women employed IN one Of
the large government departments
adopt uniform so as 10 reduce clothes
expenses to a minimum. And you re-
member what happened to this pro-
posaL To say that It was jumped on
is to put Il mildly. In the first place
Il would have called for an enormous
number OF new clothes all at the same
time. 10 would have been a sudden
drain on the manufacturers OF such
uniforms and a drain on the purses OF
the employees who had to buy them.
After this initial upheaval the mer-
chants In Washington who depended in
a measure on the patronage Of these
women WOIk0In N0ulQ necessarily AoCA
the falling on OF purchases. seam
stresses and dressmakers and milliners
whose services could not possibly be In
requisition by tho government at that
time would have been left without en-
ployment The string OF evil results
that were predicted was long and
gloomy and-well, uniforms never
have been taken up by that govern
ment department and still the women
there employed are managing to find
enough other ways 70 economic 20
that they have taken more than their
share OF liberty bonds and made very
generous contributions to war relief
work
a Ever since that time over a year
ago there has hardly been week
when some misinspired patriot has
not come forward with a suggestion
that women go in uniform. In Eng
land Il has been the same way. France
10 too sophisticated apparently or
klknowu her women too well TO have
made this mistake 90 generally. But
neither In England nor IN America
has there been any perceptible effect
on the usual sale OF women's clothes
through the adoption Of uniforms.
OF course, there have been hundreds
Of uniforms suggested, and IN a meas
ure adopted. The makers Of these cos
tunes call them uniforms. apparently
forgetting that the nam0 itself implies
q single design OF garment A costume
cannot be a uniform II would koem
unless there iE some uniformity afnonl
women In wearing Il. Yet as thing
stand now there are hundreds an,
hundreds OF uniforms. Every nov
organization that is banded together 10
war work adopts uniform, and tn
really versatile woman who dahbles Il
many kinds OF war work has a hal
dozen complete uniforms with ful
quota OF accessories for each. She ha
her food conservation uniform for can
ming time and the occasions when sh
descends 20 her own kitchen on thrift
cooking intent. She has her Red Cros
get-up for the days she spends rollinl
bandages or making collections for tn
Red Cross II she has and drives he
own motor she no doubt has a moto
drivers uniform and spends some hour
every week proving her efficiency Z
drive an ambulance IN the war zon
should her country need her services
Then days that she goes a-hoeing Il
help swell the crops this summer Oh,
has her overall agrarian costume will
vide brimmed hat and ieggings al
complete.
OF course there are certain classes
Of women who have adopted a single
uniform for the war work they are do
ing. and they wear II Just as women in
similar lines Of work have always worn
uniforms and probably always will
The Red Cross nurse wears her uni
form not because she is IN war work,
but because she Is nurse. and time
has proved that uniform costuming
is essential to nurses. The plucly
young women who have taken posi-
tlons IN street cars and running eleva-
tors have adopted a uniform TO the ex-
tent at least Of a coat. bloomers, hat
and leggings, though they can do as
they choose for shoes, blouses and
overcoats. and there seems 10 be no
limitation on their use Of earrings and
sewelry. But this also Is a matter OF
adaptation and suitability 70 the work
required Of them and not a matter OF
war expediency. II they were doing
similar work IN peace times they would
nave the same uniform II they were
usners IN a theater or parlor maids In
private houses they would have uni
toFms none-the-less. And It Is rather
uoueeaole that these girl conductors
Ano street car guards are not so enan-
- tHeif uniforms that they wear
them when on duty. In fact ors
young woman 30 employed said ths
otner day that the chief ADVANTAGE 4,
having the uniform was that becaus
ot she had to pay less for yyorl
clothes, and therefore had mora left =
the end Of each week 70 put aside I
buy best clothes 20 wear when he
eight hour shift a day was over. An
IN a recent account Of the Land Lar
sizes OF England, the thousands
women in the land army who a,
planting and hoeing and tilling Il
crops IN England this spring and sun
mer, the statement was made tn
when they send 90 London for pu
chases they usually include some dail
~ bit OF negligee-pinlk silk underwe
with many ribbons and much Ias
ruftied boudoir gowns and ultra fer
mine boudoir caps. They are re
women at heart IN spite OF their mu
cular outdoor work. and they are be
ter able to endure the plain monotol
Of their land army uniform n tn
have these fluffy things 70 wear Z
their own deiectation after work
done
In London, in fact, women's we
vtores report that the buying OF wor
pn's clothes Is unprecedented, and
'pite OF the vast amount Of war wo