Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1920-02-13
MRs.FEuTONS TALKS
CONDUCTED BY
f1Rs WI. FELTON,
FASHIONS for Women


Experience is a safe teacher. What
you have seen or lived through Is
the best evidence that know any
thing concerning. I was born in
June, 1885, nearly eighty-fve years
ago. I have been close observer of
the clothes worn by womenkind
nearly all the time.
My dear mother dressed very pref
tily when I first remember her beau
tiful face and slender form.
When she was fully dressed she
wore a cap on her beautiful dark
brown hair. 1t was a mark of matr1-
mony in those days, a distinction be-
tween married women and spinsters.
1t was all right, Of course, to put
on caps, but how unnecessary and
useless.
Nothing could be prettier than my
mothers fine suit of hair, reaching
below her waist. I have a necklace
made of that lovely hair, still per-
fectly exquisite with it's gold clasps
and settings. To cover it up with
close-fitting lace caps was manifest
ly q mistake. My mothers dress
shoes were slippers with no heels
at all. She wore them when dressed
for company at home or abroad, win
ter and summer.
That was a mistake. Slippers are
good enough for pleasant or hot
weather, but were anything but
warm in winter time. Those fash
ions for women nearly a hundred
years ago were entirely unsuitable
for either health or comfort.
When my age was nine or ten, or
thereabouts, our fine women had
very tight bodies for the bust and
arms and a multiplicity Of petit
coats under a skirt made Of seven
or eight breadths of silk, and nearly
as many of muslin. Anybody could
understand that the women were too
saving for waist garments and too
lavish for skirt arrangements. l re-
member we had a couple of splendid
young ladies to visit US, to my Oft
expressed delight.
The laundry work was done at
our home. The clothes lines were
strung with petticoats nearly every
day in the week. 1t was common
custom to wear seven or eight to
make the proper expansion Of the
overdress skirt.
When our lovely visitors were
ready for a carriage ride or for par
lor company, they moved along like
ship under full sail. The petit
coats were starched so stiff they
would emit a constant rattle.
1t was in slavery time, but the
work would have been impossible
under present conditions.
When I was married at eighteen,
everybody but children wore bonnets.
1 never saw a so-called hat on q
grown-up woman until the close of
the Civil war. There is an old pic
ture extant-formed and in good pres
ervation-where such a. bit Of girl
as I was in pictured with a good
sized, close-fitting bonnet, tied I'M
der my chin with broad, yard-1ong
pink ribbons. This was worn in hot
summer time, and my sleek brown
hair was drawn down on my face
and over my ears until must have
had a perspiring time of 1t.
Nowadays the young and even the
middle-aged seem to go upon the
principle that very few Of nearly no
clothes are needed on a woman's
bust, down tc the waist. During the
coolest weather when their bare
necks are as notified as a. turkey
gobbler's snout, they still feel it In
cumbent to brave the elements and
show up naked necks. To dress for
party in zero weather appears to
mean getting on a coat Of paint and
powder and some f1imSy covering
to excite ones natural curiosity. In
my early days 1t was deemed awk-
ward to allow q glimpse Of even q
silk stocking. At the present time
it is lucky If the skirts will hide
the calves of a fashionable woman's
legs and her boots are more at
| tractive than her scarlet lips, OF
tinted eyebrows. Women fall on the