Women’s Dress Etiquette of 1922

A lady's dress must be in harmony with her surroundings. Avoid anything exaggerated or eccentric.

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What A Woman Should Wear

• Women should dress quietly and inconspicuously when traveling. When in doubt where the plainer dress. 
• A lady's dress must be in harmony with her surroundings. Avoid anything exaggerated or eccentric.
• Sport skirts are not appropriate for business or on the streets. Neither are high heels.
• A lady should not go about in a blouse and skirt outside her house or an office, anymore than a man should appear in the street or in the presence of ladies in his shirt sleeves. 
• Gloves are always worn by a lady at a social affair. Although she may remove them, she must have them on upon her arrival. 
• Black clothes should not be worn at a wedding. 
• Girls should not go to school in georgette waists, silk stockings, pointed-toed or high heeled shoes and hair put up in a ridiculous style.
• A hat is never worn with an evening dress nor is a day dress worn without a hat.
• A thick ankle should have dark stockings whenever possible.
• A very slim lady should not wear a severe straight lined frock.
• Satin slippers should be worn only with semi evening or evening dress —never with street clothes.
• Pumps are not worn with fur coats, nor velvet hats with summertime frocks.
• Sport clothes are for the tennis courts, golf links, skating rinks and similar places, not for teas and receptions.
• The slim lady must avoid the severely straight up and down lines and stripes in all forms tunics, large collars, ruffles, soft flimsy, checked and flowered materials should be worn by the slim lady.
• The stout woman must avoid checked and brightly colored materials. Long lines and clothes without waistlines should be her choice.
• Do not trim cheap gowns with expensive trimmings, nor imitate expensive gowns in tawdry materials.
• Do not wear a decollete gown in the daytime.—From “Every Day Problems in Etiquette” 1922

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