THE ART OF BEING SHABBY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 212, 12 October 1914, Page 4

THE ART OF BEING SHABBY.

The following, from the Melbourne "Age," is equally applicable to New Zealand women, or, for the matter of that, women in any part of the world: — On ordinary occasions women are inclined to preach to one another, by deeds as well as by words, that the chief duty of woman consists in being smartly dressed. She must always appear in garments that look new,. and her~wardrobe gradually becomes crammed with clothes'that are too worn to wear, yet too good to throw away. These were our ideals in the days when all of us, except the lucky women who lived in the backblocks and cared nothing for fashions, strove to emulate

the ladies whose dress allowance amounted to many times our total income.

Now the war is dragging on slowly, and we are likely to have less and less money to spend on replenishing our wardrobe. This seems the moment when.we might set the fashion of shabbiness. To be dressed in elothes that look as if they had just come home fromthe shop is the easiest of all things; it needs only a cheque book to accomplish this feat. To wear shabby clothes with an air of distinction is an aristocratic accomplishment that would not be out of place during the present crisis in this democratic country. In order to be shabby in the right way it is essential to have the right clothes. One can imagine a duchess in a threadbare tweed suit; but she would scorn to show herself in a faded, betrimmed silk dress, like many of those that have reposed in Melbourne wardrobes since last summer. A Frenchwoman -can feel and look serene in a well-worn navy blue serge sxiit, or in a simple walking frock that has seen much w T ear; but the frills and flummeries of yester year would be promptly rejected by her. Melbourne women who are buying a few summer clothes with the intention of making them last as long as possible had better

look forward to the old age of these garments, and therefore buy them as simple* as possible. Ah untrimmed washing: dress can be worn till it almost falls to pieces; and its owner can still feel that she is a worthy representative of an Imperial race. Tattered finery would at the present juncture look woebegone,, and so is utterly unsuited to our mood, of stern determination. New finery just now is so obviously unsuitable that itwould be superfluous to explain why and. wherefore. So from every point of view,, even from that of a futurist clothes designer, absolute simplicity should lje thedominating note in our garb during; this memorable year of conflict.