The Topeka state journal., 1918-10-28
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
RUREA
FREDERIC J. HASHN. Director,
Wasf1fnztou n q
GIRLS IN UNIFORM.
Washington. D. @


| Washington, D. c., Oct 2s.-This 10
| the first war in which women. other
than nurses have worn uniforms. So
! far. the effect is anything but uniform.
Fifty-seven varieties OF wou1en's uni
| forms, representing every "serviceable
shade and cut, can be counted by
careful observer at any busy street
corner. To explain the exact points
wherein each differs from the others
| would oVertaX any mascuiine mfHd,
but according to the woman, the uni
| form she is wearing is entirely diner-
ent from that of any other ersaniza-
! ton and decidedly the most stylish
and suitable of the collection.
| A month after the United States en-
tered the war. twenty official womens
uniforms were catalogued, and the
number has increased SO rapidly that
even those who mastered the myster-
| les of army and navy insignia, long
since have given up the idea OF iden-
tifying the women's war togs.
| Nearly every feminine war service
organization has adopted a uniform,
not merely to promote esprit de corps"
J but because practical dress was q
necessity. If women are to drive and
repair automobiles, make shells, man
| age canteens near the front, and bale
| hay, they must be dressed properly.
| The workers themselves at once real
| lied this.
/ In factories, the accepted uniform
/ I
form-consists of a blouse and over
allt, with a cap and goggles, If nee
| eSsary. Fly away hair, huttering rib
bons and frills are barred as a pre-
caution against accidents. On the
farm, overaIls and blue blouse are ae-
| companied 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 edification of a chance hired man.
Women have always baked at the
| idea of wearing unbecoming clothes.
| or the same type of clothing on all
| occasions. In planning utility uni
forms for war service there haS been
lengthy argument by blond war work
ers explaining why khaki is an awful
shade" 1t is an interesting fact that
young ladies given a chance to choose
| from several uniform models invarf-
ably considered beconingnesS an i'm
portant factor and wearing qualities
| less vital. However, the committees
who have evolved the majority of wo-
mems uniforms have unfeelihgly in
sisted on colors that do not show dirt.
ankle length skirts, tailored waists and
other businesslike items.
Most of the dresses of canteen work.
| ers, motor drivers. and office work
! ers are modelled after army and navy
and navy uniforms have become mat
ters for serious consideration by wo-
men on uniform selecting committees
The soldier who became embarrassed
because young lady stared at him in
| the street car was needlessly con-
cerned, for the critic was only study
ing the set of his collar and counting
| the buttons on his coat.
Need for uniforms by war NorkerS
in the field is apparent; but regard
| ing standardized dress for clerical
| forces engaged in war service there
are varying opinions.
Girl yeomen in both navy and ma
rines are considered a part Of the
force and wear uniforms especially de-
signed for them. The dress of the
marinettes, as the girl clerks of the
marines are sometimes called, is a
Norm. with overseas cap and tailored
| jacket. When on duty the nharinette
wears the uniform at all times as per
| orders from headquarters, but when
| off duty she is exempted from the rul-
| ing that all fighting forces shall wear
the uniform at all times in time of
war.
| Clerks of the war department. have
only recently become interested in uni
forms. Swivel chair officers wear
| uniforms" say the girls. I'VE are told
that we are really helping to win the
! wa-, so why shouldn't we have a uni
| form ?" This uniform proposition has
been placed before the young women
! employed in the war department
branches and It is found that the ma
| iority are in favor of wearing a uni
| form. Several models were selected
and displayed on pretty young clerks
| before the general staff and a commit
| tee OF war department girls. The girls
quickly picked out a silver brown suit
with bronze buttons and soft. helmet
| shaped hat, but the general staff with
| held opinion as to the advisability of
| any uniform. IT now rests with the
| staff whether the war department
| girls will appear in the dress they
| have chosen. Even if the verdict is
| favorable, it is, doubtful if an edict
will put the entire feminine staff of
the war department into uniform. The
| tentative plan is to permit the wearing
| badge by girls who have been in serv-
| ice for a certain length of time and
+ whose work has been satisfactory.
From the girls point of view, uni
form is an advantage to an Office
worker, because it identifies her as in
war service. Then too, it has de-
| cided effect upon the wearer herself
AS one girl in uniform puts it, war
work seems more important when you
wear a uniform"
| Women are willing and eager to
wear a. uniform for the same reason
that a man wishes to wear one 1t is
! a badge of service-in this case, of
service to the country. Women are
wearing uniforms in order to render
| the most efficient war service but this
| does not indicate that they will con-
tinue to wear standardized dress when
the pressing need for it is over.
In time of peace. uniforms are asso-
ciated largely with conductors, bell
boys and maids. Now and again a
radical supporter of dress reform in.
cites publicity and humorous comment
by advocating that civilized woman
wear a Standa rdized dress usually a
Greeklike creation of flowing drapery,
or modified mans apparel with skirt
substituted for trousers. Sometimes
the new dress is adopted by some or
ganization. which resolves to convert
the rest of the feminine world to
Greek house dresses OF ridinn ha hits