The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-04-18
DRESSING ON $40 A YEAR
A WOMAN SAYS SHE MANAGES TO
LOOK WELL ON LITTLE MONEY.

!SSN V1GI ~ - III
BY Close Economy and Skillfnl 7danaEo-
ment 1t May BE Done-Not a Cent Is
Wasted. However Something About
Her Apparel.
Elbow do l dress on $40 a year," ex-
claimed my friend. 81 1atter myself l do
it we'll. / mean to look decent on every
occasion. Idon't go to many balls or pas-
ties, but l take in the theatre or a concert
once in a while, and l never heard of my
escorts being ashamed of my appearance
yet. In the first place l make my w I'M
derclothes. Oh, l know l can buy pretty
things which fit nicely very cheap. but
they won't wear like the homemade arti-
Gle. l 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 nave needed more fitting and
been harder to copy.
I get thirty-six yards of bleached cotton
cloth at eight cents a yard. This will
make me three suits of understanding
drawers, corset cover, underskirt, long
skirt and nightdrcss. For trimming l Use
the knitted or crocheted stuff / make my
self if l have time to do such work. Some
times | buy a piece of cotton edging for
twenty cents and use that.
VARIOUS THINGS.
''In uln1ne 1 wear black cotton hose;
in winter black merino. Three pairs of
each kind do me. l buy for 371z cents u
pair or three for 81. In the summer | get
the jersey undervests; three of them cost
Is cents. They fit themselves to the form,
being seamless, and they laundry beauti-
fully. For winter t%lannels l pay 371]5 cents;
they are not all wool, but they are warm
and thick. Three of each will last me two
seasons l find.
II wear low shoes in summer or all but
rainy days. They are chic, you know, and
the cost is about half that of boots. l gen
orally buy one pair during the summer at
S1.25. The russell or morocco ones are bet
ter thar the black ones at that price, a:d
they are what l generally choose. In the
fall 1 buy a nice thick soled pair of Dongvla
boots, for which 1 pay $3.50. wear Slip.
pers at home. l get a pair for 81, and they
generally last two years.
''In the winter, to save my white skirts,
l wear a red flannel one. l make it myself,
and one lasts two winters. Knitted edg-
ing, quilted hr..id, or even Il plain feather
stitched hem, finishes n nicely at the
bottom. Two pairs of rubbers are all
wear out in Il year. l get good ones. |
can get a good pair of corsets for X. AS J
seldom wear them at home, or in the sum-
mer, L pair more than lasts IL year. AS for
hose supporters, l bought n set for twenty
nine cents, and the catches and buckles
from that pair are doing duty now. buy
elastic ribbon and fix my W whenever
they need it, just transferring the nickel
fixings, you know.
DRESSES AND GLOVES.
"My primrose cloth dress cost six centsa
yard; it was a sort of cambria. l got ten
yards ut a bargain counter, made it with q
full skirt, leg o. mutton sleeves, a full waist
and a sash. My gray mohair cost me thirty
nine cents a yard. l made it myself with
a plated skirt, full sleeves and Il coat tailed
basque.
GAS to draping skirts, l keep my eye on
the store windows where full costumes are
displayed, and from them l get lots of
ideas. About a year l go to u good
dressmuker and have one dress cut-gencr-
ally my winter wool frock, which is my
best one. pay So. rs for the cutting. bast-
ing and draping, and get up with the
styles once a year.
"My sailor hat 1 trimmed myself. The
hat cost fifty cents; ribbon and some black
quilts brought the whole thing up to S1.25.
For five cents l got a white veil that is
still good, and for thirty-nine cents a pair
of black silk gloves. I bought them at a
bargain counter, but they are thin and
thick taffeta gloves which are generally
oT,rol ~ that rrson h,,% ~ N 1rofrhao
the stores one will find special sales of real,
silky, cheap gloves every spring.
MY white frock was manufactured from
the crossbar muslin children's aprons are
made of. 1t was six cents a yard. l made
it with a full skirt, pulled sleeves, surplice
waist and sash. Around my neck, with IL,
1 tied u bit of black velvet ribbon, and it
did for hot Sundays as we'll as for street
wear. For cold weather | have Il fur cape.
I could have got me Il pretty plush jacket
for about what the cape cost, but l should
have been obliged to get q second wrap in
the spring. For IS l have Il pretty sea!
plush cape which will wear two winters,
md which looks real stylish, If l that
bought it do say it. My bonnet is partly
old. l bought a frame for forty cents and
covered it myself with brown velvet, put
ting a puff up from the face.
THE SUMMARY.
ITO save my bonnets rainy days l have
made myself a Tam o. Shanter cap of black
worsted. For best wear l paid 81 for pair
of black dogskin gloves, and for everyday
l cover my hands during the cold season
with black mittens which cost seventy-five
cents in the beginning, and have lasted two
winters. They are knit of good quality
silk, and l lined the thumb and palm with
old black cloth, SO that the friction in those
places hasn't made a hole yet"
While my friend talked I made jottings
in pencil. Here they are:
So yards cotton cloth at 8 cents. ............ Sc 50
3 pair black cotton stockings. ............ OO
3 pair black merino stockings. ............ %
3 jersey undervests.. -. ..-.. Is
s sets winter fiannels, 70 last two years, one
years. w
summer shoes. Is
Winter boots ! 50
Slippers at 81. one years wear............ 30
Flannel zs:rt, 4yards flannel at 20 cents q
y8ru. I"
"Mothe, Hubbard wrapper, 10 yards at 6
2 pair ruaLers at " cents each ............. 70
sateen dress, Que years wear. Is
Belt. 50