Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-05-25
BIZ ANNIE RITTENHoUEE.

THOSE who argue say that these
clothes arc necessary'in those climates.
They arc not. Foulxrds and Chinese
crepess are, perfaps cooler than muslin,
gtnghama or organdy. Whatever re.
Quires starch IL warm, This Is an, old
axiom. in hot countries.
The south, southwest and portions of
the middle west adopt muslin clothes
for other reasons than their possible
GOODNESS. They stand for cleanliness.
Whatever may be warned Ii cleaner
than that which cannot be- washed.
That H. another axiom that goes In
warm countries.
No matter how cool foulardl or q
Chinese crepe may bes or how comfort
sbleeits'soft, silken finish liz to the skin,
'itsstves sswoman mental idiscomfort.bs-
cause Of the thought that It does, not
60 to, the tub,
There L. nothing more welcome in
hot weather than the touch Of q frock
that has just come from soap and
water and, q bath In the sunshine. IT
make one feet cool.
This ID the reason that tho so.called
simple frocks' rule In most warm
weather states from May until Octo.
ber;, and this 10 also the reason that
they do not rule in the great cities or
in, those suburban resorts where
laundresses are few and laundry ex.
pensive.,
The adoption Of cool materials that
60 to cleaner instead Of to tub has
come about through economy and the
limitations Of domestic service. This lie
the reason that mem who, live In large
cities soon at the, idea Of adopting the
white linen and pongee suits Of tropi-
cal climates, even though the weather
is tropical and the need for such
clothes Is frantic. There would be no
way of keeping them fresh. The
smoke, SCOT and dust Of a city would
make one look like an ash.bxrrel oat
by the time the sun went down. There
are few, II any, American cities TINT
permit one to wear washable clothes in
the street.
It is probably a sad thing that the
public should prefer to be solid than
to appear soiled, but our entire choices
Of CLOTHES is founded on that basis.
A man will wear a cloth suit eight
months Of the year. but there's no
reason to suppose that 1t isn't Just rs
soiledA as the linen or pongee which, he
would discard after eight hours
1t ID Quttef true that we only knuw
how soiletl VIC. have been In ti,e. winter
by observing our olothes in the, sum-
mer. However, It Ii D knowledge that
we push aside. for We cannot permit It
d to govern our cold weather apparel.
The only people who renlly regard
will n1k2N n NJ
and organtiies among women are mon.
Since time began. they hava considered
this the appropriate ami exuuisite cos.
g tumery for womnnkind In hut weather.
Mtnr know nothing Of the. cost OF
clotiies unlexs they pay the bills, and
paying the bills teaches them nnthing.
They will look at a, $500, hand embroid.
cred lingerie finclf lined with chiffon
and consider 1t the pretty. simple thing
thnt q woman should. wear-the. thing
that enhances her feinininity and keeps
her from appearing artificial and over.
dressed.
It is impossible for a knowledge Of
tho comparative cost Of women's
clothes to infltrate through mems
brains. The centuries have not yet
taught them, that what looks simpla
oooS not atW8yD cost little
N \
And 1t is this lack. Of knowledge that
has caused. man novelists for centuries
to dress, thoir heroines In exquisite
musllns with large sashes. Oh. that
some ono would. teach. them. how to
dross their heroines. anyway!
This IL a dangerous topic on which to
start. for women feel strongly about It.
The barbarian that these men commit
IL beyond all description. They kill
heroine. with q gown. And, IL the au>
thor doesn't, the artist does. Casualties
and atrocities follow each other In the
pages Of fiction that appear In maga-
zines and books, especially the former.
Why isn't there q fashion censor In
every publishing house? Can't they
realize that most Of their readers are
women. and that they scoff at q heroine
who. through the fault. Of an author or
an artist. wears impossible clothes at
impossible moments? She becomes az
utterly worthless to the reading public
~ woman who would wear hail
gown in the morning and q Jersey
sport frock to . ball.
How cAnA one prevent q million or
n0rA vnovvnns,, <rsvv,., AL 1cu Sro< ~,r.a