Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-24
ECONOMY IN DRESS.
WOMEN WITH SLENDER PURSES CAN
DRESS TAsTEFULLY.
What Style of Raiment Best Becomes
Matrons Who Are Growing in Years
The Ideal Dress.

Many women who spend but small
sum annually on dress contrive to costume
themselves nicely and near enough to the
prevailing fashion to present thorough
| ladylike appearance, A well-dressed
woman not only commands respect from
others, but, from the consciousness of being
becomingly dressed and looking well, GER
tainly DIES feel better and is more graceful
and self-possessed. Among people of small
means too much neglect is allowed regard
ing personal appearance. Even a poor
woman may dress with taste and show
more of it than woman of means, from
the very fact that the ability to buy finery
of all sorts, to crafty strong fancy for
ornament, leads to bizarre effects which are
! sure death to pure tastes. One can hardly
! offend good taste by dressing too plainly.
! particularly if the material is good, while
nothing can more certainly and quickly
offend than an overplus of trimming
! 1t is great mistake to suppose that
! economy in dress means shabbiness. The
one is commendable, the other odious
There is economy and economy in the mat
| ter Of dress One is bald economy, which
shows itself pitifully bare at every point,
while the other struggles to conceal its
make8hifts by making everything appear
/ to the best possible advantage One woman
! Will make over dress into dull. drearv,
! monotonous Gabrielle wrapper, unrelieved
! by single artistic touch or enlivened by q
! dash of color; another will contrive and
! study little, and from q similar cast-off
! best dress evolve jaunty skirt and basque,
| to serve the very same uses as that horrid
! wrapper. And of the two, which will look
| the more attractive or grace her table bet
! ter?
| Quiet dressing is the most economical for
| those who have limited allowance, and
| always in better taste for any woman, rich
) or poor. The wearer of a snowy dress is
soon recognized by it, grows sooner tired of
! it, and its usefulness is much less in pro-
| portion to its brilliancy. A black dress, or
dark, plain color can be made Just as styl-
| ish and dressy as a gayer one, and if worn
| oftener will not be instantly remembered
| the moment its wearer comes in sight.
Changes of bright, pretty ribbons; some
times linen collars and cuffs; again cream
| ruchings then white friIling, all beau
| tity and change the one serviceable dress
| for various occasions. And when, in due
course, the dress must be made over, trife
| of new fancy material added will give the
impression and feeling Of 'brand new"
| toilet.
People to whom new clothes are the ex-
ception rather than the rule, cannot afford
| to be careless in the use of them. because
garments neglected will not only lose their
| fresh crispiness, but will not last SO long as
those kept in order; and the woman who
is unattentive in this respect will learn by
sad experience that eternal vigilance has
to be the price Of decency for poor folks.
Linen thrust carelessly into the bureau
! drawer; ribbons tossed aside; laundried
/ linen put away with heavy underwear.
crushing it heavy dresses hung over lighter
ones; Others hitched on a nail by the neck
| band; hats and bonnets left around any,
where; gloves put away wet with perspir-
alton; these articles will never regain the
! loss they suffer by such heroic treatment.
and, far worse the habit one forms of care
! lessness and slovenliness will blot ones
character pitifully.
When taken of, a dress should never be
thrown across the back OF the handiest
chair, unless temporarily. Any dress good
enough to wear is worth brushing and
busting, turning wrong side out and hang
ing up. A clothes brush a whisk broom,
sponge, bottle of ammonia, a hand
brush a cake of erasive soap and vial of
alcohol should form an important part of
every woman's wardrobe.
| Granted that our young women, and
!
derstand the art of tasteful, economical
dressing, and neatness in keeping their
wardrobes in womanly order, then comes
up question not often answered, because,
more's the pity, it is not often asked.
| What shall our elderly women wear,
our real elderly women, from 80 wears
| old and upward, so that they shall be
| comfortable and fashionable, dainty and
neat? Young women often feel " it makes
no difference what mother wears; she
doesn't care fig for fashion And as to
! grandma-why, she never even thinks of
| her clothes" Both of which conclusions
are serious mistakes and very untrue in
| themselves, unjust to the elder members
of the family and unworthy the young
! ones.
The woman does not live who, under
the ordinary circumstances of health and
reason, does not always like nice, pretty
! suitable things, although too often it is
dear old mothers conscience rather than
| choice that leads her to wear an obsolete
I dress and Anticipated mantle, bought when
the grown-up girls were tiny tots. and
not able, as now, to monopolize what
| little luxury and comfort can now be
afforded.
How should our dear old people dress :?
Artistically considered, gray is the ideal
tint for old ladies-the soft, silvery,
| lovely gray Of Nature itself-and next to
that black. Brown and purple should be
excluded on account OF their unbecom-
! ingness to the dimmed tints of eyes and
complexion. The ideal dress of the ideal
old lady, all things being equal, is I'M
questionably severely plain, elegant vel
vet, with a soft tulle handkerchief crossed
over the bosom, lace on wrists to cares
the wrirkled hands that have so faith
fully performed their appointed tasks, a
dainty lace cap-not head-dress or an
ornament, but useful, sensible, beautiful
cap for protection, with white satin ribbon
strings.
Few of u.s. however, can afford to dress
our mothers and grandmothers thus ideally,
but not one of us but can make them COM
Portable, presentable, tasteful and happy,
for no woman is ever too old to be pleased
to look we'll
Even black silk dress-the next in
order in point of elegance-is not possible,
perhaps, but if by any practice of economy
it can be bought, it is wisdom to do so, for
it will last long time, and always repay
its cost in satisfaction, comfort and APP
pearance. Failing the silk, cashmere is
the next and most excellent choice; and
then comes that most useful, sensible and
desirable article, alpaca.
Any of these materials should be made
very plainly. If grandma is stout and ma
tronly, and likes the style. cut it princesse