Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1911 — Good form [ARTICLE]

Good form

Good Form Don’t*. Don’t wear colored or fancy openwork stockings with your street shoes. Always choose plain stockings to match the shoes in color. Don’t pin your ruching and dress shields in place. Baste them instead and see how much more comfort they give you. It really doesn’t take much longer to baste than to pin. Don’t think that because collarless dresses and blouses are fashionable you can wear a low cut dress on the street. There is a vast difference between* “collarless" and “low necked.” Don’t buy any cheap jewelry and imagine it looks like anything but just what it is—a cheap imitation of a good article. Much jewelry is in bad taste at any time except with elaborate evening dress. Don’t wear soiled and mussed frills and ruchings. You had much better wear perfectly plain clothes without trimmings if you cannot keep these dainty accessories fresh and without soil. Don’t forget to see that your blouse is properly fastened before leaving your mirror. The waist gaping opeu at the back not only looks careless, but may cause - you some embarrassment too. Don’t allow your skirt to slip from under your belt. In these days there are so many devices for holding the blouses, skirts and belts in place that there is no girl who cannot find one to answer her purpose if she only tries. Don’t wear shoes or gloves that have lost their buttons and never wear shabby shoes or gloves if you can possibly avoid it. Keep the former nicely polished and the heels straight: keep the buttons on and the rips mended in the latter.

Receiving Guest*. How many women fail in the politenesses here when they give themselves up to Informal ways of doing things. A visitor not too well’known calls, and the lady of the house comes down in a loose, blousy wrapper, none too pretty or neat, without a word of excuse for not being properly dressed. This Is carrying informality to the point of ignorance, for if there is any reason why a loose garment is worn at a visiting hour it should at least be attractive and partially fitted to the figure. Then, in the event of some slight indisposition, it is possible to Invite a woman guest to go upstairs into a bedroom, where the dowdy dress of the hostess would not be so much out of place. To receive a man friend in such attire would be a grave indiscretion, for men abominate the flowing, unattractive robe, and as it is always suggestive of the absence of corsets it seems on such occasions vulgar in the extreme. The easy house gown, then, must look as if it Is worn over corsets to be within the pale of the proprieties, and if masculine eyes are to look upon it it must be attractive and belted in to the figure to boot. But only an old lady or a young matron who is compelled to dress in this manner should make a practice of receiving guests in such informal attire, for the dignity of suitable dress adds greatly to one’s social importance—above all, pretty, proper and becoming dress in the borne. Note* of Condolence. There are persons who never take notice of another’s sorrow until they meet the bereaved ones. Sometimes this attitude is from feat of intrusion, again It is from fear of not saying the right thing, too often it is from procrastination. ' Whatever the reason, it Is a mistake. There are some few who dislike outside sympathy in sorrow’. The majority are hurt if It is not given. They never quite feel the same toward the friend who they think was neglectful of their trouble. The visiting card with a few words of sympathy is sufficient, save among close frjends. A married woman incloses card of her husband. k. Never/make a note of condolence stilled. It should express you and not be an essay on grief. Also be brief. A few sincere sentences count more than pages of rambling platitudes. It is customary to send the note to the member of the family you know best. Including the others in your expressions of sympathy. Etiquette For Children. In answering a person children should not say “Yes, ma’am,” or “No, sir,” but “Yes. mother,” “No, father,” “I hope so, Mrs. Brown,” “Thank you, Aunt Helen.” They should. In other words, always affix the title or name of the person spoken to. - Shyness is generally due to ignorance of what is expected of one; therefore the shy child must be treated with great consideration and encouraged to come among strangers and older people and then be shown just what to do and say. No school of etiquette offers so many opportunities to its members to learn the correct way of doing things as the family table. No corrections should, however, be made in such manner as to attract the attention of others, and, if possible, make the corrections after the meal is over.