Rational Dress.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10760, 6 May 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

Rational Dress.

Does the present style of dress for women, with its wonderful intricacies and elaborations, tend to concentrate their thoughts unduly on this subject? If so (writes an Australian), does it not necessarily follow that the higher in- . tellectuarqualities must lies dormant to a much groater extent than would otherwise be the case? Judging by very , many signs it is to be feared that the j minds of many women (not to say the ' majority) dwell on little else. \\liilo . this continues to bp the case the world "j will hn deprived to u very large extent j of the mora!, intellectual, and scientitic influence women might otherwise t exercise. Could not some simple (not- ' necessarily unbecoming) uniform be thought out r If women only knew it, '

plain and simple dress would command universal respect, while "fripperies" lead to their being regarded as mere toys.

Some may ask: Would you not even have elaborate dressing for festive occasions:- The answer may be that in the near future the present- modes will be looked upon as "fancy dress," and will receive general sanction on such occa-

s sions only. Women's present stylo of l dress appears derogatory to their dig--3 nitv from another point of view. It - seems pitiful and degrading to see an - unfortunate woman on a wet day with ) a babv on one arm and bundles and an 1 umbrella on the other, sweeping the ? mud from the pavements with, her skirts r as she steps into the road. Is the modi- , fied form of the "Turkish dress," which. , we Jiear of. the first "sound of the wind. - .in the mulberry trees?" Or, in other > words, is it the first sign of the downl fall of old methods and the promise of • a new era of reform and common sense? r Be this as it may, it seems certain i that if women adopted a more utilitarian style of dress their thoughts > would be less centred on such matters, t and their minds would expand and ■ reach after more worthy interests to the [ great benefit of themselves and to the world in general.