WOMEN'S CLOTHES

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 11

WOMEN'S CLOTHES

G. B. SHAW'S VIEWS Interviewed on the social and political implications of women’s changing fashions, Mr Bernard Shaw has revealed that in his 1 opinion fashions themselves possess little significance against the basic human instincts. Here are the questions put *to (Mr, Shaw by a London correspondent of the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald,’ and his answers:— Do you think, ,Mr Shaw, that Western women’s love for ever-chang-ing fashion has greatly affected the progress of masculine democracy? Answer: The price of an answer will, if given at-all,, be.£2,500. -n- . I believe it is only* recently. in the unchanging East, notably in China and India, that the - desire for European fashions lias set in amongst the cultured classes of women and girls to any great extent. Is this a sign of the awakening of these lands? Answer: It is not a sign; it is itself the hard fact that “ the unchanging East ” is changing like mad all the time, while the West is digging in its toes and sticking in the mud as hard as events will let it. Valuable cashmere shawls were commonly sent to Queen Victoria as presents from India. Do you know if

these shawls, which occasionally Her Majesty gave away at Christmas, were ever worn by the high-bred recipients, or were they kept merely ns mementos ? Answer: I remember the vogue of cashmere shawls very well, and of their British imitations, the Paisley shawls. No more convenient wrap has ever been invented. It has been observed in Arctic Russia that backward peoples are availing themselves of schools, and the opportunities for education provided ‘by the Soviet Government, largely because the women and girls are adopting European dress. What do you think of this, Mr Shaw ? Answer: All people that on earth do dwell go everywhere to show off new clothes when they have any. Russia is no exception. In Russia, before the war, the Soviet Government introduced two pretty sensible costumes for factory girls to wear, one for summer, one for winter. Fashion shows are. now being held for all classes of Soviet society. Will such standardised costumes in your opinion make women more uninteresting to the male and so lower the marriage rate ? Answer: No difference. In Russia or elsewhere men marry women, not costumes. Do you consider that ugly dress makes for inferiority complex? Answer: No. The Victorian tall hat was compulsory and ugly, but a new one bucked up the wearer tremendously. Do you think that prison dress should be reformed still further, and if so what would you consider the ideal prison dress for women ? Answer: There should be no prison dress and no prisons. There are better ways of dealing with criminals.