The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Digital Edition > My Day
My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt

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NEW YORK, Thursday—I had not thought that there was much virtue in the new long skirts, but last night I happened to see an item in which the ladies' new fashion was given as a reason for repairing sidewalks in the city of Pittsburgh! Authorities there couple long skirts with high heels and say the reason for repairing the sidewalks is to prevent the ladies from falling. So this does give us at least one good reason why this fashion change might be accepted.

Up till now I had seen very little point in it. It meant that if you had a good dress, which had no hem left over from last year, you could not use it this year. The only advantage in this predicament is that perhaps if you are able to afford a new dress you could buy one and give the old one to one of the European or Chinese relief funds.

Our clothes, as they are, are of very little use in China, but the materials can be salvaged to some extent. In Europe, however, the mass of people do not think so much about styles these days, even though they are apt to remark that the materials we send them, particularly those used in ready-to-wear clothes are not as good as materials bought in pre-war Europe. Nevertheless, the exact length of a skirt makes very little difference—in Europe or anywhere—to a needy patient on leaving a hospital or to some refugee who needs something to keep her warm.

* * *

Mayor William O'Dwyer of New York City is going to hold a fashion show at the City Hall next Monday evening and at this show the country's highest style honor will be presented to the fortunate winner of the Fashion Critics Award.

The one great drawback of having to be in style is that when there is a marked change and people have to discard everything they have or else decide to be out of fashion.

* * *

I follow with some interest the accounts that are printed from time to time of the Congressional trips abroad, and from Ankara I read that Representative John Taber, Republican, of New York, says that the United States has no imperialistic intentions! I am sure that the foreign governments in all areas will be much reassured by this, but I wish that Mr. Taber might make the announcement over and over again in our U.N. meetings, since it might serve to allay the fears of some of our colleagues.

* * *

I was glad to see that Dr. Alice Hamilton was one of the recipients of an annual Lasker Foundation Award for medical achievements. She has long done outstanding work in many fields, and this is not the first recognition which has come her way. At her age, it seems to me, one can accept honors of this kind and feel assured that they are deserved. One's accomplishments have had time to be evaluated, and the judgments are made by a younger generation which has profited by one's labors.

E. R.

(WORLD COPYRIGHT, 1947, BY UNITED FEATURE SYNDICATE, INC. REPRODUCTION IN PART OR IN WHOLE PROHIBITED.)


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About this document

My Day by Eleanor Roosevelt, September 26, 1947

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
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Digital edition created by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project The George Washington University 312 Academic Building 2100 Foxhall Road, NW Washington, DC 20007

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MEP edition publlished on June 30, 2008.

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Transcription created from a photocopy of a UFS wire copy of a My Day column instance archived at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library.
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