Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-05-11
n HE devotees of the order of

S georgette waists and the
y members of the low heels
E sorority are engaged in a bloodless
/, battle. Is the shop girls taste in
: dress better than the college girls?
This is the question of the hour
and we feel confident no feminine
judge or jury will ever be able to
decide the point at issue.
, In staid old Boston feeling ran
. high on the subject. To decide a
test was made by President H. C.
: Bumpus of Tufts college. We won
der why the dear old professor left
his musty books long enough to
even look at one of the fair sex,
but it seems he busted his spectacles
and cleared his throat and decided
that something must be done. Let
us whisper how he accomplished the
feat.
President Bumpus arranged two
tables in room, each filled with
wearing apparel for young women,
including both under and outer gar
ments. He then summoned two
score girls from Jackson college and
they were told to enter the room,
look carefully over the garments
that were being displayed and to Sc
lect such garments as they would
desire to wear, using precaution in
the choice, and with almost a fore
warning that it was test.
The forty girls entered the room
individually or in pairs, overlooked
the two tables at their leisure and,
it is reported, we're not hurried in
the slightest degree, in order that
there would be no opportunity af-
forded when the selection had been
made that fair and unbiased oppor-
tunity had not been presented each
one.
Each girl selected with apparently
her very best Judgment, and when
all had finished the garments were
all replaced on the two tables and
an equal number of shop girls were
extended the invitation to visit the
large showroom, as it appeared, and
requested to overlook the display of
hnery and select the garments they
would desire for their own personal
use were they to be the ones who
would wear them after selection and
purchase.
This part of the program was car
ried out with generalization by those
who were undertaking the test. and
each movement of the two sets of
girls was closely watched in order |
that the test might be observed from |
an honest angle and fair opinion
rendered by the selected judges.
1t turned out that the 40 college
girls. almost without exception, went
to the table that contained a vast
amount of snowy, highly-colored and
inexpensive garments; in fact, what
shop girls would term Show"
They selected the goods from this
table without scarcely a glimpse at
the other table, which was hardly
scanned when the luster of the more
inexpensive garments caught their
eye.
Upon the entrance of the groups
or pairs of shop girls to look over
the goods for selection, it is report
ed that without hesitation these
young women Immediately went to
the table containing the goods of
timer grade and material and by far
the more expensive, and each one
chose garments of strictly first-class
style and texture
The astonishment of those in
charge of the test was marked. vet
they were well pleased with the re-
suit of their undertaking and came
fully to, the conclusion that the av-
eerage shop girl was able to select
tor herself in manner that was su-
perlor to the college girl.
You will all say this was unfair.
what woman could really look
beautifully groomed and really smart
unless she was given weeks to
choose her costume her hair and her
complexion. My dears, that's Just
the point. 1t is done! If you were
forced to punch the time clock at
8 bells, with half an hour for
lunch and no opportunity to leave
until the dear old sun was disap-
poaring over the hill. would you
have much time for the powdering
and polishing and tinting which is
so essential? No. indeed. And the
little girls of the shops don't either.
but they are skilled and you marvel
as they trip along on their high
heels. with their peach blow color
and their carefully coiffed heads. Its
all done in the gray hours of dawn
while their fortunate sisters are
sleeping. You can see them any
morning if you are on the Omaha
early enough
But the college girls, the ladies
with the A. BIS. and the high collars.
Why is it that they did not win in
the style contest? One of the sales
women has solved the question and
she says:
When girl is catering to the
public, especially in a store of high
grade, one of the fundamentals that
she is impressed with is to become
acquainted with her
stock and to always endeavor to :
impress her trade with the finer "
goods. 6
Though you might not believe it n
one finds it very difficult at times to h
understand just why girls of refine Il
nent and education are so taken
with articles of medium or even low "
grade rather than the finer goods. "
But this is fact. | have had wo- a
men and girls of evident refinement o
deliberately ask me time and again t,