Fashion and Things Feminine.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 158, 24 March 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

Fashion and Things Feminine.

By IDA MBLLER -

.V \K\V ACTL'MX COSTUMi

.No mattcf nheiiier a woman lias ample means or not, the task ot choosing a now frock or outtit is generally a pleasureahle one, and though, when means an.' short, there may lie a good deal of anxiety attached to the purchase of the new toilette, bst a mistake shoal! ari-e, resulting in the waste of a I'iiw slrllings, interest nevertheless runs high in the matter of selection, and is perhaps more keen than v. inn the outlay of a sovereign more or less is oi little eon-equenee. Tlic economical woman naturallly feels a certain pride in getting good value for her money and dressing well on small sums, and eonsj lers Jt no waste of time to carefully plan out her v. ardrolie before purchasing. She knows, too. the value of neatness, and a "stitch in time." Apropos of neatness in skirt-hems, the followin; is worth remembering: - In walking, as we all know, a woman is apt to run her heel through the hem of her skirt and rip up the stitches, unless the hem is very securely stitched. Machining the hem is the host safeguard against such a catastrophe; hut when the material is silk, or something of the sort, for wliicn handwork i- more sujta.hle than machine-stitching, it i- an excellent plan to finish off the skirt-hern with a row of French knots, which latter protei t the hem from being ripped up by the heel, and are an effective addition to a skirt. The knots, made of -ilk-twist, should bo set at short intervals apart. With siik dresses, it is not considered correct to adopt machin.e-stitcTiing. which is only for tailor-mades and woollen materials, and i- quite out of plate where delicate frocks are concerned. TTonie-drossmakcrs should hear this in mind, together with the iittle "heln" offered regarding the sociHngof .-kirt-henis with French knots. The new season's fas'ron? are cor-

No. 1916. Liiinly very charming, ami are not at all extravagant in trend. Observe, lor instance, tiic graceful and practical style lor early autumn wear. Tlio back or the coat hangs sac-fashion to the hips, while the fronts are buttoned and tucked into the waistband, which is of the dre-s material. The sleeves are finished with cull's, and at the neck is a double collar of the Napoleon kind. The skirt is unite plain. One of the colours of the autumn is bronze-green, and the coat-dress would undoubtedly develop well in bronze coloured face-cloth or suiting, or in one of the new and pretty shades of gre.v(ir.eon that are wonderfully soft-look-ing and becoming. The hat illustrated is, like the drc-s typ'eal of one of the new .autumn style.-, and would look well in black or navy silk, trimmed with pleated ribbon and'feather rosettes.

\ GIRL'S SCHOOL l-'IKJCK WITH HLOOMKRS. p'iiin morning :ui>r,.j .Mtirartivc f>>r girU umkr u-n

Copyright.

v:<cable stylo for every-day wear in '.lie schoolroom is a tiivss mtli b-oom-ers, uttvr tin.- fashion ot tin- one .i----lustiati'd. liu- i)ii)uin,i., or knickers aio made, of tlie samo material an the irock, and all might be carried out m navy serge or dark given plain, with good effect. I lie frock h. quite simple, and is made with a botiice and sKirt, joiiu-t! at the waist. It fasten-, on the cross. If the skirt is made with agood foldiirnier, it w;l] lie unnecessary to button it. the waist fastening being siilficient. , i'be paper pattern of tlie frock is in six piece-, including half the skirt, half the back of bodice, oii 0 front, one sleeve, on, cuff, iim ] the band for the waiit. The pattern of ihe knickers is in one P'e<c only, representing half .he garment. Elastics are run at the waist and knees, where the material i s simply hemmed. The pattern piece;, as indicated h\ the tlingrani. are laid on four yards (if 40-inch material, opened out to it- full width and douhled. A space is marked out in shadow for the lacking half of the hack, for the whole back must lie cut out in one piece. All the other puttorn pieces should l,;, ~,; oll t ; n c ] ]|p ];_ C'aic must be takvm in cutting out the skirt that the centre-front conies on the straight of the material. The dotted lino on diagram indicates the exact centre-front. The skirt, it will he observed, fastens on the diagonal with button, and buttonhole';, carrying on the line oi the bodice fastening. It is seamed at the hack. The left front of the bodice is straight at the ciige. but the right front is on the slant. The dotted linr- on diagram indicates the slant of the right front. The bodice should be lined with thin sateen and provided with button- on the left front and button-ho'es on the right. The sleeves bhould be gathered to the cuffs, which latter are lined and provided with button and button-hole fastenings, and stitched between cuff's and linings. The belt should also he iined. either with it,; own material or snteen (if the latter, the licit need nol be cut from a double thickness of material), and stitched to the skirt and bodice of the frock. The neck is trimmed with a muslin collar. The two parts of the knickers are seamed together, and the edges at the waist and knees are then turned in and hem-faced and threaded with lialfincli ehed'Y runners. NEEDLEWORK NOTES, When -titcidng pockets on aprons and skirts, or on any other garment, the following hint should be acted on. The pockets \\ ill not rip off so .easily if tlie stitching is begun about Half ail inch from the top and stitched upwards, then brought downwards. In this way tlie corners of the pockotts will he far more secure than if tlie stitching is begun from the extreme corner at the start. W hen the second or end corner is arrived at. do not finish off the thread at the corner, hut bring the stitches down again to the depth of half an inch, and fasten off secur.eTy. To sew on a flat button and' form a <diank, place a pin over the holes (leaving room for the neod'e to pass throusli) and over tlie pin: remove the latter, and wind the .shank of tlv« button with thread, and secure tin 1 latter as usual. A flat button treated in this way. will star on longer than if sown on without a shank.