| Show I t j Is the American Woman an Imitator I j By Ily SOPHIE IRE IRENE F LOE I I 4 Co 1913 b br by The lre Press s lub Co Co Th Tho ew 1 York World I LL D. T. TARBELL economist In a vivid I I. I IDA talk taUt criticises her hr countrywomen as imitators saying a ln What It all aJI amounts to I Is that the instinct for ornament has gotten tho upper hand of or the groat hod body of American women Wo o c ha havo hae failed so 0 far to develop standards of ot taste fitness fitness fit fit- Itne It- It ne ness 8 and quality strong trong sure and good goodenough goodenough enough effectually to Impose them them- selves There is no national taste in dress dress- there is only onh admirable skill in adapting adapting- fashions made In other coun coun- tries There is no national sense of equality Even en the tho rich today In this country wear soar Imitation laces The very cry heart of the question of clothes of or the tIre American woman Is imi imi- tation We c are arc not engaged in an nn ef effort cC- cC fort to work worl out In Individuality l In dress h Indeed It is truo tu that th re I Is many nr a n woman today wearing Imitation imitation tion laces and at the same amo time sending sending send send- tn 1 ing checks check to 0 hospitals and orphan asylums and anti herself In the tire arena fighting fight fight- Lug ing for tor better conditions which conditions which was certainly not the case In the past when she h was wearing real laces and had hud mal maids to carr carry her train train and and as a consequence consequence con con- sequence knew nothing or of the world worM and its work Never e cr before have rich women generall generally gen gen- studied 1 econom economy on all sides as much as now leaning toward the tIre most simple the most beautiful To look at nt these statements from an unbiased point of ot view vie there are aro several several sev sev- eral things to he said contrary to Miss Tarbell's attitude t Contrary to Miss Tarbell wo we are arc now gaining g permanent national taste In dress That there thero will always bo boo World without end the extremist w who o I is Iii e cr present ever the same as in an any other other- country countr- I Is also indisputable Miss Tarbell further says This habit of ot buying buying- poor Imitations imitations does s not end in a n girls girl's life with her clothes When she site marries she carries It into her home Cheap decor- decor tion riot not real furnishings is the Ite keynote key key- noto note of or all she touches Has all this no rio relation to the national to the cost of or living This production of or shod shoddy cloth cotton laces cheap furniture what is la isit isit laIt it but waste Waste alto of or labor and ma run- tonal Time an and 1 mono monet and antl strength might ht have been turned to producing things s of permanent value alue Evidently sho she hero discusses l a a. condition condition con con- but gives no solution It Is easy enough h to CONDEMN IN con conditions hut but another thing to construct them There is something to be he said In defenso defenso de- de of Imitating the tha tire seal eal tho beautiful beau beau- It if If It Is not within ones one's means to got get the REAL REL thing thins Such a girl as sh she speaks of of If she cm earnestly neatly strives for happy effects to possess a ft real picture a n real vase ase a t ml might ht wait It until tho ho c end of or her hei days s 's real reat piece 01 ot t otc c c fore rore It Il I is a blessing that she sho can with her limited d means In this manufacturing ing world be 10 able to procure something something some some- thing that creates a a. bit of or Slow glow In her hot heart even cven though that bit be labeled 1 Imitation and which also In the tho making affords employment to thou thou- sands An And 1 even e In this direction not only I Ithe the buyer but the PRODUCER Is lR be becoming becoming becoming be- be coming discriminate lIe He Is II dally daily all copyIng copying copy copy- Ing 01 old 1 furniture and all nIl other old works of worth to como come within the means of the th MODERATE And thus ho educates a taste Uste for tor the thc BEST that t may be bo satisfied for fOI tho LEAST cost There Is much econom economy In that And In all an truth tho average a. American woman today toda though she has In the past perhaps and overdressed overdressed over over- dressed dresse 1 which is always the case caso Ina Inn in ina a n growing country is unlike her Tier sisters sis sis- ter similarly situated in other countries countries coun coun- tries able to be out edIt In the open and m may pick an and choose choose so so that the average average average aver aver- age certainly alms aims toward tho the best In taste |
