The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-09-03
sHoP-MApE WHITE GOODS:

sHoP-MADE WHITE GOODS:
Why They Have sueeesdsd In Crowdiss
Oct Honss-Aads Articles.
Ten years has ss11iced to revolution
ize matters relative to ladies' under.
wear. and the time formerly spent in
tucking, shirring. stroking. putting and
trimming dimity has wisely been devot-
ed to other aims. When . young lady
spent the best part Of two days over q
single article manufacturers had not at
tanned their present supremacy. Then
only the weather. class was able to in
dulge the luxury of shop-made white
goods. Now only the same class can
afford homemade underwear. De-
mand, in this as in everv commodity,
regulates the supply. and there IS not .
dry goods store in the city or in any
town of five thousand women where
one can not keep herself clothed ut .
minimum cost.
With perfectly fitting corset-covcrs
made of a very good quality of Lawns
dale cambria, well made at that and
neatly trimmed. to be had at s. cents;
night-gowns at $2.75 dozen, and
skirts selling for a song, it is simply
madness for any one but a skilled nee
dle-woman to attempt to do her own
plain sewing. Not only is it time vast
ed, but sacrifice of raw material, for
the hOme-body will pay 25 cents for .
pattern, and in tho cutting, basting and
finishing her waste of cloth and cotton
representa- so per cent. loss from the
manufacturer point of view.
In the factories the sizes are cut in
dozens. and so closely that the waste
from o dozen garments will not aggre-
gate square inch. In the sewing
there are special hands for every divis-
ion of the work, and the girl who is
crude enough to leave quarter yard
ends of cotton to her stitching does it at
her own expense.
The beauty of shop dimity lies in the
universally good loom. the difference
between a medium and the choicest
stock being in the trimming and not in
the body cloth, as usually supposed.
That is to say the stuff in IS skirt is
identically the same as in a dollar gar
ment, the superintendent work account
ing for the former figure. The very
cheapest skirt sells for SO. 40 a dozen; as
is to be expected the material is coarse,
but the sewing is neat, few tucks
ornament the facing and unless the
wear is constant an entire year can be
covered. Ascending in the scale nice
skirts are offered at IS cents, pretty
ones for $13 dozen, and beauties at
$3.50 each. The trimming is confined
to tucks, insertions and rufiles of Ham
burg edging. founcing of German em-
broidery, and lastly lace, which is not a
good investment. The latter trimming
is certainly the most captivating, but
save for bridal or special wear the Sc
lection is bad, for the reason that the
ravages of the laundry soon rob it of its
glory. The city stocks contain some
very handsome petticOats flOunced to
the waist with straw-tucking, Medicis.
Irish guipure or crochet lace, braid
trimming, or embroidery on Swiss nain-
sock or null. These designs do double
service, since they are intended for
sheer dresses or to be worn with tea
gown or open breakfast robe. In cut
the skirts are very scant, usually yoked
to obviate the fullness in dress skirts.
As a rule shop-made skirts are ankle
deep, but if it is desirable to save re-
pairs and economic washing, they
should be shortened. Unless the dress
is thin there is no necessity for skirt
longer than thirty inches. One that
clears the shoe-top allows greater free
dom in walking, besides being much
neater.
The attempt to introduce silk skirts
is still apparent, and the number Of
ladies who watch silk sales is constantly
increasing. For this purpose India and
Chinese goods only are sought, gros-
grains and summer silks having too
little body to be of much service.
Quilted satins will always be wore for
cold weather, and the same is true OF
Irish poplins. and German reps. Flan-
mel petticoats are staple, and beside
white tints there are china blues, pale
pinks, tender greens and merveilleux
strips. The fancy for hand embroidery
in this line is met by designers, who sci!
silk embroidered whole-cloth of such
exquisite workmanship that it is hard to
believe the irOn-hOrse could be taught
such skill. They are not only beautiful.
but so cheap that no woman outside Of
q nunnery or solitary confinement can
afford to complete with them.-C Chicago
Infps,- (lceO11