The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-11
DRESSING ON $40 A YEAR
A WOMAN SAYS SHE MANAGES TO
LOOK WELL ON LITTLE MONEY.

By Close Economy and SkiIIfu1 Manage
meut 1t May Be Done-Not Cent Is
Wasted, However Something About
Her Apparel.
"How do / dress on $40 a year," ex-
claimed my friend. Il fiatter myself DO
it well / mean TO look decent on every
occasion. / don't 90 to many balls or par
ties, but take in the theatre or a concert
once in while, and never heard of my
escorts being ashamed of my appearance
yet. In the first place l make my own I'M
derclothes. On, l know / can buy pretty
things which tit nicely very cheap. but
they won't wear like the homemade arti-
Gle. bought one of each garment want
ed, ripped it up and used it for a pattern.
A paper pattern would have been cheaper,
but it would have needed more fittins and
been harder 10 copy.
I get thirty-six yards of bleached cotton
cloth at eight cents a yard. This will
make me three suits of underclothing-
drawers, corset cover, underskirt, long
skirt and nightdress. For trimming | use
the knitted or crocheted stuff l make my
self if have time TO do such work. Some
times | buy piece of cotton edging for
twenty cents and use that.
VARIOUS THINGS.
ain summer | wear black cotton hose;
in winter black merino. Three pairs of
each kind do me. / buy for 3711 cents a
pair or three for 81. In the summer / get
the jersey undervests; three of them cost
20 cents. They ut themselves to the form,
being seamless, and they laundry beauti-
fully. For winter flannels pay 37JS cents;
they are not all wool, but they are warm
and thick Three of each will last me two
seasons l find.
Il wear low shoes in summer on all but
rainy days. They are chic, you know, and
the cost is about half that of boots. gen
orally buy one pair during the summer at
81 %. The russell or morocco ones are bet
ter than the black ones at that price, and
they are what generally choose. In the
fail buy a nice thick soled pair of Dongola
boots, for which | pay $3.50. wear slip
pers at home. get pair for 81, and they
generally last two years.
In the winter, to save my white skirts,
! wear red flannel one. | make il myself,
and one lasts two winters. Knitted edg-
ing, quilted rid, or even plain feather
stitched hem, finishes one nicely ut the
bottom. Two pairs of rubbers are all
wear out in year. | get good ones.
can get good pair of corsets for s. As
seldom wear them at home, or in the sum-
mer, pair more than lasts year As for
hose supporters, bought IA set for twenty
nine cents, and the catches and buckles
4.
elastic ribbon and fix my own whenever
they need it, just transferring the nickel
fXings, you know.
DRESSES AND GLOVES.
My primrose cloth dress cost six cents
yard; it was a sort of c.tmOric. got ten
yards at a bargain counter, made it with
full skirt, leg O mutton sleeves, a full waist
and "a sash. My gray mohair cost me thirty
nine cents a var. uade il myself with
plated skirt. tuI. sleeves aud a coat tailed
basque.
As to drapluz skirts. keep my eye on
the store windows 'yu-ra iui, costumes are
displayed, ana i,vn. racm get lots of
ideas About once Is year 70 20 IA good
dressmaEer and have one dress cut-gener-
ally my winter wool frOck, which il my
best one. | pay - - Tor the cutting. bast-
ing and draping, and get up with the
styles once a year.
My sailor hat ! trimmed myself The
hat cost fifty cents; ribbon and some black
quilts brought the whole thing up To l.25
For five cents / got white veil that Is
still good, and for thirty-nine cents a pair
of black silk gloves. bought them at a
bargain counter, but they are thin and
silky just the same. | would not wear the
thick tatfeta gloves which are generally
offered at that price. but if one watches
the stores one will find special sales of real,
silky, cheap gloves every spring.
My white frock was manufactured from
the crossDar muslin children's aprons are
made Of 1t was SIX cents yard / made
it with full skirt, pulled sleeves, surphce
waist and sash. Around my neck, with it,
tied a bit of black velvet ribbon, and 1t
did for hot Sundays as well as for street
wear For cold weather have a fur cape
/ could have got me pretty plush jacket
for about what the cape cost, but should
have been obliged to get q second wrap in
the spring For s. have pretty seal
plush cape which Will wear two winters,
and which looks real stylish, v / that
bought il do say il. My bonnet is partly
old. bought a frame for forty cents and
covered il myself with brown velvet, put
ting puff up from the face.
THE SUMMARY.
"To save my bounets rainy days ] have
made myself a Tam o ohauter capof black
,yorsted. For best wear / paid 81 for pair
Jf black dogskm gloves. and for everyday
cover my hands during the cold season
with black mitteus which cost SEVENTY -tve
rents in the beginning, and have lasted two
winters. They are Knit Of good quality
silk, and lined the thumb and palm WITH
I'D black cloth, 50 that me friction ia those
places hash maize a hole yet"
While my friend talked I made jOttings
In pencil here tBey aTes
= yards cotton cl1fb at r.,s..-......--.. q =
pair black CottgB slts-sl. .-......-... ~ /
pair black yuer.l0 lt...-. .-.-.....-.... ~ 4
yersey uIceTye..-- ...- ..-- ...... - 4
sets Elnser fi4nn-ls. o. ca. $40 year, one
year = veal. 10000 s.t.---- ~ .
SIMMER sa,>.. ..............,........... y
winter boot. .--......s-...... -
,hpIe7-. o. ..a years val. -..-...---.-- ~
.lagr.. ,.,... S yards n4unri ~ % oeoiS
yard ...-..-.-- -.-r--'-...--.. -
.aota.r 84sJarj vrapper. 70 yards a. :
c-1-t ..-..-.... ---...-.---.--s -
mar rltrerr az - cents each ...-.-....-... ~
5ats7su orezs CO. year wear. ....-....-..-. -
-tr .....-.....--. .s.-....... -
.io4lr dress - yards a. ~ cents. .......... %
BLACK sal5or hst...--..---.- ...-.......-. -