Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-05
T hey F. allied
to Brand
Workers
Society Matrons Could
Not Make Business
Girls "Dress the Part,
-NosWonder.
BY ELEANOR GUNN.

Not so very long ago a project
was under way to establish shop
for business women's clothes.
Women who were in the social
world only, thought it perfectly
splendid idea and were. ready to
put capital in it. Business women
were up in arms against it, And
no wonder.
Just because the fates have de-
MED a woman the chance of happi-
ness in what some men are still
pleased to call her proper sphere" ;"
there is no reason why she should
be branded before the world! Not
that it is disgrace to be in busi-
ness; not that women of intelligence
fail to deem it privilege to asso--
ciate with men in the big interests
of business life but they do object
to being regarded as in class dis
tinct in human qualities from moth
ers and wives.
A shop dedicated to the dressing
OF business women would only have
the short life it deserved. 1t is a
woman's privilege as we'll as her
duty to be as attractive in business
as elsewhere. This does not mean
that she should wear party clothes
to her place of business, nor accen-
tuate her charms in manner as
offensive in an Office as it is any
where else. One loses nothing in
: efficiency by being smartly dressed.
In general way one is quite within
her rights to choose anything it
pleases her to wear.
Extremes are obviously out of
place in an Office, but are they not
in questionable taste anywherea
Over-elaboration is not more vulgar
in the woman who earns her own
living than in the woman who
spends but does not earn money.
1t is of course true that the busi-
ness woman has dress problems Pc
culiar to herself and being busy
person she welcomes help in solving
them. But must this necessarily
mean that she wants to go into uni
form or something which is akin
to it? Or that she should accept the
tlree-or- four costume s-in-one idea?
Or that Judy O'Grady> is really any
different from the colonel's lady in
her love of pretty elothesss
Intelligence and Clothes.
The independent business woman
frequently has more money to
spend ION her back" than the house
wife and generally she shows in
telligence in the purchase of gowns
good in material and cut, made in
the mode-but not in its exagger-
ated form. She usually has sense
enough to select dark colors and
wit enough to vary any possible
monotony of appearance by adding
land subtracting collars and vesteess.
Another resource lies in novel
ties.'' Unfortunately there are
Women holding responsible positions
in the business world who are SO
very careless of their appearance
that they do not dress their part,
but these are in the minority.
The girl whose business activities
are confined TO four walls finds hef
dress problems simplified She has
one role to dress for, whereas the
woman who must go out and cir
etifate in the world has two. The
business girl should never make the
fatal error of wearing passe, party
clothes to the office. 1t is part oi
her stock in trade to look as at
tractive as possible and if she mus
choose she should be more con
cerned i'll being properly dressed foi
office hours than out OF them.
Great Need of Designs.
A well-stocked shop carrying
clothes for any discriminating
woman will answer the purposes o.
the business woman. Perhaps sht
needs more carefully chosen clothes
than women in the ordinary wall
of life. For instance, she mus
have complete rainy day outfi
and enough changes of blouses ant
dresses to ye neat under every try
ing circumstance. She must weal
clothes that are happy compro
mise between indoor office worl
and street clothes. This is pecu
liarly important if occasions demant
{ her to be in both places in the pur
suit Of her daily bread.
A fastidious business woman
should have dresses that will en-
able her to enjoy a dinner will
friends and maybe the play, atte
a busy day-witnout the burden o
going all the way home to change
a dress in which she may accep
a luncheon engagement anywhere
and not be stamped as out OF tn
picture.
The shabby genteel" has abso
lutely no excuse for being today
II is the crisply fresh, appropriate
and attractively- planned costuminI
of our. prosperous business Womel
that makes them what they ar
everywhere today in America--al
intelligeutly dressed group, up.o'
whom uniforms would COME
neither distinction nor taste.
Supyialata. the last of the queen
OF Upper Burmah, who with he