The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-20
Frederick Haskin's Letter
The Working Girls Clothes.

New York City, March 1S.-The
heavy bombardment of dress regu-
lations which is being hurled at the
poor, surprised working girl in so
many American cities has made no
impression upon New York. Here
working girls can still wear what
they please. Their employers have
laid down no stern and arbitrary
rules for them. When Chicago de-
partment stores frown upon bobbed
hair and rouge for salesgirls, and
when Newark banks forbid rolled
stockings and peek-a-boo waists in
their formal precincts, New York
ers merely shrug their shoulders
and smile u superior sort of smile
So far they have developed none of
these prejudices.
Short skirts and bobbed hair
have nothing to do with morality
and efficiency" declared the head of
a large New York mercantile house
when questioned on the subject.
Whether the skirts of our en-
ployes are six inches or II inches
from the floor does not concern us.
We stress neatness and dignity, but
aside from that there is no effort
made to influence or coerce our
workers. Dress is matter of
taste and habit. Wearing the hair
short or long is a personal matter
which has to do with the individual
and no one else. We feel that our
people have the same right to exer-
else individual taste in questions
of dress as the debutante or the So
ciety woman
Yes" joined in his junior part
ner. disgust in his voice 'aII such
prohibitions are nonsense-sheer
nonsense. Business women should
be permitted to dress as they
please, just as men do. We do not
object to bobbed hair for our sales
women any more than we object to
bald heads or side whiskers on our
In fact, when you come
to think of it. bobbed hair is not
half SO offensive as no hair at all,
is it," And he smiled as he stroked
his own STRAIGHTFORWARD scalp.
Then the question of dress is
sensitive one, with women. They
won't stand much criticism on the
subject. They are apt to get sulky
s
ploye with a grudge is worse than
no employee at ALL
Suggestions, Not Regulations.
There is one department store in
New York, employing about $500
women, which does have certain
regulations concerning dress, but
they are tactfully offered as sug-
geStionS rather than demands. An
committee on this import
ant matter, elected from among the
themselves, does the
when necessary. Girls
who wear thin waists, for example.
are generally informed that it would
be in better taste if they confined
themselves to inConspicuous I'M
derwear, and girls who appear in
extravagant decollete are politely
requested to desist. Otherwise. the
advisory committee seems to pos
sess rather liberal ideas.
Not even these limited restric-
lions are placed upon the 1000 girls
and women who are employed by
large insurance company in this
city. When questioned as to this
seeming lack of discipline, a bust
ness executive OI the I1TH asserted
hat the company was concerned
entirely with the efficiency of its
and pot with their clothes.
IF the girls want to wear short
skirts or wear their hair bebbeI
)r in Mary Pickford curls, they
nay. Some of the company's Off
,ials. of course, have their individ-
Ial prejudices. BY the way, a funny
Incident happened here the other
lay which you might be able to
Use in this connection. A girl came !
n to apply for a job as a stenog-
.apher in Mr.. (we'l call him SMITH
Smiths office. She was the regular /
lapper type, with short hair and |
hort skirts and her face streaked |
Up like an Indian squaw. Smart. !
.hough; and took her dictation |
without a hitch.
Smith. you see. is one of the old |
kind that is raising all !
his howl about the new girls and !
heir clothes, and here was a splen- |
lid example of all he disapproyed !
If asking for a job. We could see |
hat he was impressed by her eff
:iency, though, so we hung around |
Waiting to see what he would do. |
After a long silence he finally said, !
I'm sorry, but I cannot employ you,