The Denver Jewish news., 1921-10-19
ARE JEWISH WOMEN OVER
DRESSED?


and Dresses
In Il discussion apropos the clothes
of women eliminating in the question
of the over or undcrdrcssing of the
Jewish woman, comes the dictum that
the supcr-dressesl woman is always II
.Iewcss.
We sprang this question ut gath
crinc of Jews and Jcwesscs, writes
lame Ellis. associate editor of Cos
fumes and Dresses" In order to ger
the gist of rverybody's arguments. we,
OF course. took the opposition stand
in the afIirmative--that the Jewish
woman is more apt TO be ovcr-dressed
than her similarly prosperous sister
of other herirages.
'The other day" said the youngish
matron in quiet and unobstrusivc
clothes. II went TO grocery shop.
stood close to two much Ovcrdrcssed
women. considerably bediamoned and
bedeclied with, other jewels, and was
tempted to conclude that here were
Two typical matrons of my own re-
ligious clan. But the grocer signed
them mp as Mccarthy and MacGuirc.
And then there was no room for
doubt :"
one member of the group, argued
that Jewish women. no more than
other natiOnalitics of ttle same econ
cmic status are overdressed. y Jew
ish woman and a German woman-or
an American of the same type and
economic Status will bear quite II re-
Scmblancc to each other in the sim
iIarity. not of their specific tastes for
color and line in clothes. but in the
degree of intensity to which they cN-
PRESS this fondness for outward or
immcntation Dressing IL not a mat
ter of religion or race. In America
clothes are Il matter of the length of
time to which one has been accustoln-
ed to the economic status ut which one
finds it comfortable to live without too
much struggle with the environment.
1t is quite Obvious that all Orien-
tals have Il prediction to more in
tense colors than those of the west
and north. Just as the reds and vel
lows developed in Spain and the deli
cate pastel shades developed i'll Jap
ancsc art so any southern Oriental
will prefer an intensely bright shade
where II pale one might do the cold
nnrthrrncr. So much for color in
clination as determined by race. Dress
ing is not so much II matter of ma
tional or religious tendency as meet
ing with the approval of our neigh
bnrS and eligible males.
Granted that the second generation
OF American Jews assiniutcs more
Amcricanisin than the first genera
ton had either time or inclination to.
II is possible to assume that these
second and succeeding generations Will
he less and less distinguishablc from
those progeny longer on the soil
Dressing becomes. therefore. Il matter
Of character and intelligence quite as
much as acquired tastes. Once the
taste and type of clothing of thc So
called typical American is acquired.
the Jewish woman will certainly not
stand out with amy greater promin-
tIrcc in ,llrssins tlt,n any others.
But if the second generation Amcri-
can Jew should receive her training
in so-culIcd good tastc i'll the narrow
provincial Jewish quarters of New
York City, then the difference in
dressing will bp almost as apparent as
if she were not of the second gcicri-
ton
without getting into the dcbaiabic
question of who is an American, it Is
Obvious that the vast majority of the
shiploads of people deposited on our
shores decide eventually to avail
themselves of what seem 10 be the
accepted standards of dress i'll Amer