Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-28
Just 81 Varieties
of Her Uniform
BY Frederic J. Hsskin

| So far, the effect is anything but uniform.
Fifty-sevcn varieties Of womens uni
/ forms, representing every "servIcenbie
| shade and cut, can be counted by care
| full observer Mt any busy street corner.
| To explain the exact points wherein
each differs from the Others would over
| tax any masculine mind, but according
to the woman the uniform she IL wearing
| is entirely different from that OF any other
organization and decidedly the most
st Wish and suitable OF the collection.
A month after the United States enter
ed the war, wenty official womens uni
forms we're catalogued, and the number
| has increased so rapidly that even those
who mastered the mysteries Of army and
| navy insignia long since have given up
the idea of identifying the women's war
togs
Nearly every feminine war service
! organization has adopted n uniform, not
m rely TO promote esprit dc corps, put
| because practical dress was a necessity
II women are TO drive and rcpnir auto
mobiles, make shells, manage canteens
near the front and bale hay, they must
be dressed properly The workers them
selves at once realized this
THE FACTORY STYLE.
| In factories the accepted uniform
| for the women workers-if It IS UNI
! form -consists Of blouse and overalls,
with cap and goggles, if necessary
| Fly-away hair, futterlng ribbons and
| frills are barred rs a precaution against
accidents On the farm, overalis and
| blue blouse are accompanied by big
straw hat instead of the factory cap.
Stray curls and bows do not assume great
Importance here, and the farmerette
can make herself as attractive as she
| likes for the cdihcation Of o chance hired
man
Wdmen have always baked at the
idea Of wearing unbccoming clothes or
the same type Of clothing on all occasions.
| In planning utility uniforms for war
service there has been lengthy argument
by blond war workers explaining why
| khaki IS an awful shad," II is an
interesting fact that young la1les given
4 chance to choose from several uni
form models invariably considered be-
coudngness an important factor and
wearing qualities less vital However,
! the committees who have evolved the
majority Of women's uniforms have un-
feelinglv insisted on colcrs that do not
show dirt ankle length skirts, tailored
waists. and other buslncsSlIke items
A LA SOLDIER Agn SAILOR
Most of the dresses of cantccn workers.
! motor drivers and Office workcrs are
! modelled after army and navy designs
i Good and bad points Of army and navy
uniforms have become matters for serious
consideration by women on uniform
! selecting committees Thc soldier who
!! became embarrassed because a young
| lady stared ut him IN the street car was
needIessIy concerned, for the critic was
| only studying the set Of his collar and
| counting the buttons on his cost
Need for uniforms BY war workers m
| the field IL apparent but regarding stand
ardizcd dress for clerical forces engaged
IN war service there are varying Opinions.
Girl yeomen in both navy and marines
are considered part Of the force and
wear uniforms especially designed for
them The dress Of the marlnettes AZ
the grl clerks Of the marines arr some
times called IS q femInized vere'yu OF the
marine uniform. with oversee zap and
tailored JACKET When on duty the
marinette wears the uniform at all times
as per q r from headquarters, but
when off .lty she IL exempted from the
ruling that all Sighting forces shall wear
the uniform At all times IN time o. var
SWIVEL H.rR HooFE
ClerLs II The War Department nave
only recently become interested in unI-
r rms ~wIre cnaIr officers wear uni
! forms. sav the girls We arc told that
Nc are really helping - win he war. 50
| Whv shouldn't We have i uniform
| Tins uniform proposition has been placed
| before the Young women employed N
The War Department branches ami II Is
| found hat the majority are IN favor Of
wearing a uniform Several models we're
selected and displayed on pretty Young
| clerks before he general staff ard a COM
mittee OF War Department girls.
The girls quickly picked out a silver
| brown SUIT with bronze buttons and =
/ soft helmet-shaped nat. tgt the general
staff withhold opirion IS 70 tne adj
visibility cf anv urlfCrm. Il now rests
| with he staff Whether 70 War Depart
rnent girls will appear in ne dress they
have chosen Even II ne verdict i
| favorai le il Is dcuhtfUl II a1 edIct
will put the entire feniFlne staff OF the
| War Departmeft into uniform The
tentative plan IS 70 permit the wearing
| OF the uniform as a sort of merit badge ny
girls who have neen IN service for a cer-
tain length oi time and whose work has
been satisfactory
FROM ltlt EittS tfti.ll Vi view Il tl -
! form is an advantage TO an office worker
! because II Identifies her as II war service
| Then too. ii has a decided effect upon the
wearer herself Is ono girl IN uniform
puts IT, War work seems more important
when you wear a uniform
REALLY, QUITE THE THING.
Women are willing and eager to wear
uniform for the same reason that q
man wishes to wear one. s a badge Of
| service-in this case OF service 10 the
country Women are wearing uniforms
in order to render the most efficient war
service. hut this does not indicate that
they will continue to wear standardized
dress when the pressing need for it is
over
In time Of peace uniforms are as
seciated largely with conductors, bell
bows, and maids Now and again
radical supporter of dress reform inCites
publicity and humorous comment by
advocating that civilized woman wear a
standardized dress usually a Greekhke
creation of flowing drapery or modified
mans apparel with skirt substituted for
trousers. Sometimes the new dress is
adopted by some organization, which
resolves to convert the rest OF the feminine
world to Greek house dresses or riding
habits as the case may DC. But when