THE COMMON SENSE OP DRESSING.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2626, 6 September 1882, Page 3

THE COMMON SENSE OP DRESSING.

[From the “Queen.”}

This is not meant to bo an essay upon fashionable attire, nor a column addressed to the wealthiest section of society. I prefer writing for the middle classes—for ladies whose walk through life is chiefly amongst gentry of moderate means and requirements. Of course the very wealthy, and those who belong exclusively to the upper ten, need no dissertation upon dress, nor any hint how to economise and how to look well upon limited resources. I have very frequently been asked the question, “ How much ought a lady to spend annually upon dress ?” It is a query which cannot be answered without some de-

liberation, and a due regard to the means and requirements of the person in question, A lady with whom much of my time is passed expends upwards of £SOO annually upon her clothing, nor can she be said to be extravagant ; her fortune and position entitle her to do so. Whilst oa the other hand, I am intimately associated with a lady who has for years past dressed well and becomingly on £2O, and has always contrived, on this small sum, to look perfectly neat and lady like. One fact, however, remains undisputed. There are ladies who will dress batter and look nicer on £2O a year than others will on £SO, taste and management being so largely concerned in the matter. For my own part, I consider it the extreme of bad management and the very worst economy to purchase any article of an inferior kind It fills me with amazement from day to day to hear ladies boasting of how cheaply they h-ive obtained certain articles of o:othing, whereas in reality euoh would have been dear at any price, being utterly valueless for wear. I am not unfrequently shown cheap boots purchased at 8s 6dJ the pair, gloves at 2s fid, dresses at 10id the yard, Newmarkets at £3, and I hold my peace and say nothing until it is suggested to me, as it sometimes is, that it would be for my advantage to possess myself of similar wares, and that duplicates of these landed articles are still to be had. Then I smile, and say I cannot afford to buy them which, although apparently paradoxical, is a plain unvarnished truth. To go to tho best houses and purchase the best goods is the surest economy; better wear is obtained, and on ap’ 'ranee of respectability ia visible to the ver„ Persons of modera. . '"■'s should, as a rule, dress in black, or dark colors, as such are not conspicuous, and consequently do not tell their date as lighter articles do. A blue

dress, for instance, or a red feather, how plainly they speak the wearer’s identity, even at a distance ; and how glaringly they tell the length of time they have been in wear ! In selecting a hat or bonnet, be sure to ascertain that the shape suits you, and that it fits your head comfortably. Do not indulge in feathers, still less in flowers, unless your means are such as to enable you to procure the best description, as nothing is more reprehensible or vulgar than cheap Snery of any sort. I have seen soma remarkably pretty bonnets, of the new close-fitting style, composed entirely of grey, bronze, or black straw, simply trimmed with scarves of spotted tulie, intermingled with boadwork ; such are far more lady-like than tho cheap-flower-crowned head-pieces which are exhibited in so many milliners’ window. For a windy day there is nothing half so comfortable as a tightly-fitting toque, but care should be taken that it is scrupulously neat and faultlessly made. A well mode toque is a graceful, becoming, and most comfortable article of wearing apparel, and, with a neat veil of spotted net closely adjusted over tho face and fastened securely behind, will enable the wearer to brave the most stormy elements without fear of having her head-covering blown nwoy or even misplaced. It is a great improvement if a darkcolored toque be worn to stick a bright pin carelessly in front in a slanting direction, as though securing the top of the veil. To a youthful face it is always becoming, as it takes off the too sombre appearance and lightens up the general effect. Jackets should not ba worn quite tight, unless the figure is particularly good, and without this important “ unless " Newmarkets should not be worn at all. How I wish I could persuade ladies to dispense with this muohabused article of dress, and content themselves, as they nsed to do with well-made ulsters, except in oases where the figure is slight and graceful and the purse long enough to admit of seven or eight sovereigns being taken from it and given to a first class workman—a chef amongst tailors—for procuring the coveted article in perfection. With what earnestness would I .mpress upon my sisterhood that dressmakers cannot out and fit successful garments of this particular class; it is an impossibility with them; they may, and do, profess to ba able to do it, but what is the result ? Shoulders crooked, skirts badly hung, seams all awry, sleeves wrongly placed, creases about the waist, misfitting about the collar, and machine stitching visible all over the garment. For travailing or walking there are few costumes more comfortable, nor any which look better on young slight figures, than dark green or brown cloth Newmarkets, with felt hats to correspond, and white or light colored satin scarfs, with gold or pearl pin stuo* neatly through. These coats cannot look well if worn over a dress. The plan which I have adopted is one not generally known, but is certainly worthy of being so, and it is extremely simple. Get your tailor, when measuring for your coat, to make yon a perfectly closefitting garment of the same colored satin—made without one quarter of an inch of superfluous material—Prinoesse shaped, the long straight skirt just reaching a shade below the garment to be worn over it, and finished off at the tail with a tiny plaiting of satin, which, appearing from beneath the Newmarket, detracts from the manly appearance of this species of muffle. The advantages are manifold; not having any pouffes behind, tho set of the coat is not interfered with ; being of a slippery nature the utmost ease is experienced in putting on and taking off the covering, and should necessity or inclination call for a removal of the coat, a perfectly neat and becoming garment is visible underneath.

The most economical dress for everyday wear is a dark navy blue serge, and for evening a good white silk. Morning dresses made with double-breasted bodices are the most becoming, and the warmest; for evening the square-cut bodice and tight elbow sleeve are the most distingue. Bodices gathered back and front—or what the Saratoga girls call “ shirred ” —are vary pretty, and suit slight figures well, but should never be worn except by such. Many ladies spoil the fit of their dresses in winter by wearing under vests. This is a bad habit to give onesself, as if the vest be left off of an evening, a cold is sure to follow. I conceive it to be an excellent plan to tack a piece of soft, warm flannel around the back and shoulders of the bodice about midway from the neck, and properly shaped to the lining. This imparts a comfortable warmth, and as a similar piece can be adjusted to the back of an evening bodice, the danger of cold is obviated. I have known ladies sorely puzzled as to what would look best around their throats with morning dress. Plain collars have rather a stiff appearance ; tulle or lisse fallings toss immediately, and are unsatisfact ry as well as expensive. It is a good plan to purchase a few yard* of really good washing lace about an inch and a half in depth ; a few minute* will quill or plait it; it can then be cut into suitable lengths and tacked aronnd the necks of dresses, being easily removed and renovated when soiled. A piece of soft black Spanish lace, folded loosely around the throat, close to the frilling bat below it, looks very well, especially if a natural or good artificial flower be worn amongst the fold*.

There ii also another effective arrangement which can be adopted thus —Bay three yards of scarf laoe—a good kind, of course—trim the ends with quillings to match, place it around your neck, leaving nearly all the length in your right hand, the end lying upon the left shoulder, being about half a yard long, Wind the longer piece twice round the throat in loose soft folds, and as you will still have a yard and a half or more to spare, festoon it gracefully in front with the aid of a few concealed pins, and fasten a brooch or dower at the side.

Tan gloves are the best for wear. Long silk mittens are extremely pretty in the evening, and shorter ones midway to the elbow look nice in the house with the half long sleeves at present so much in vogue. To keep the feet warm, wear a pair of soft woollen stockings, with silk ones drawn over. This hint is invaluable to those who ride, as it is not unusual, on hunting days, to experience a severe chill, if riding a tired horse homeward at a slow pace after a hard day. Before closing my remarks 1 have a word to say about fur-lined cloaks. They have always seemed to me to be a sort of muffle, quite unsuited for walking, and only fit to be worn as a wrap, in a vehicle, on a cold day. Apparently made for warmth, they let in every breath of chill air, unless held carefully across; and it is not easy thus to hold them, if one has an umbrella or a parcel to carry, or a muff to hold in the hande. This thought having been constantly present with me, I bethought me of a new plan, which I communicated to my dressmaker, who carried it out to perfection. She took the pattern of the sleeves of my Mother Hubbard cloak, and the precise measurement of the spot in which they were placed—copied them exactly, and inserted them in the furlined mantle, binding the inner edges neatly with ribbon to prevent the fur, which was cut, from coming loose. She then removed the hood, placed a neat full frilling of cashmere and satin around the neck, and a full bow, with long ends, at the back. She next put five rows of gathers at the back of the waist, to which was attached, on the inner side, a band of half inch black elastic, with a strong hook and eye. This, when fastened, draws the cloak close to the figure and gives it a becoming shape. The band is preferable to a ribbon string, as it is more readily adjusted and can never get into a knot. In making the gathers small fragments of the fur may pull with the thread and show on the outside ; these should not be plucked at, but simply blackened over with a little ink. To utilise the hood for going out at night, or for variety to wear with the cloak by day, bind it nicely with black ribbon, leaving long ends for strings to tie in front. The materials required to effect this trans formation are —Three-quarters of a yard of cashmere, one yard of black satin, five yards of ribbon for back and sleeve bows, and three yards of binding ribbon. Ladies who have a taste for dressmaking and who are handy at their needle can easily do the work themselves, and will find their labor amply repaid by comfort and additional warmth. P. O’D.