The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-15
DRESSING THE CHILDREN.

How One skirt Answers for Many
Waists.
The usual French girl is very plainly
and sensibly dressed for school. She
has not great number Of school
gowns. but they are well chosen and
are made with great care.
One Of the popular school gowns with
tall, slender girls is a gown Of Scotch
plaid cheviot. At least the skirt is of
the plaid cheviot. It Is made on the
bias fits closely over the hips and mas
the fulness all gathered to the back.
The most popular plaids combine dark
blue and green.
With these skirts are worn smart
blouse OF solid blue or green cheyiot.
These are generally turned over to the
tailor, for they are not successes un-
less they have the unmistakable tailor
finish.
Some Of the smartest of these blouses
are made with plain back and short
pointed yoke The fronts are tucked in
several punches, and are allowed to
blouse a trife over the belt The
sleeves are very moderate bishop
sleeves, with only the slightest bit Of
fullness at the bottom to be gathered
into the cuffs. Linen collars and dark
ties are worn with these blouses
The chief virtue about this gown is
that a blue or green blouse can be
worn to equal advantage with the skirt
without making a s'patchy toilet"
Changing the bodice each week not
only varies this toilet, but it saves ell
bows considerably.
So often the plump growing girl COM
plains that she cannot bear beIted-in
bodices, because they tend to make the
waist appear shorter The couturieres
here always suggest In these short
wasted girls that they wear sgIrdIe
belt in the same material as their
blouse.
To give the desired effect, there belts
must be cut with the points on the
lower edge and the upper edge should
be sloped away until it just hides the
waistband Of the skirt If this style OF
girdle is fitted, boned and laced correct
ly it is bound to give long waisted
effect
The blouse effect is visible even in
the little jackets. Boleros still nold
their own, but the newest jacket effects
have short basques and blouses trifie
over the belt. On one OF the smartest
looking school girls / saw such an at
tractive dress of blue and red cloth tnat
boasted this effect.
1t was made of dark blue serge. The
skirt was moderately wide godet, with
all Of the fullness gathered to the back.
1t was trimmed around the top with a
band of dark red braid, put on in a
rounded point at the front.
Tne bodice was sort Of blouse. with
short basques opening over vest Of
red cloth. 1t had pointed revers OF
blue cloth over larger revers of red.
Red braid was put on like braces. ex-
tending from the shoulders to the bot
tom of the basques. back and front. The
belt was of red cloth, fastening with an
oblong buckle, with but very little full
ness. Atthe top where they were trim
med with points of the red braid, they
We're finished with small Haring cuffs OF
the blue clot1, faced with the red cloth.
The high, straight military collar was
of the same cloth as the vest.
Another attractive school gown for a
grid OF fourteen is made Of dark green
serge. The skirt is made vita two mar
row box pleats at the front and three
at the back. Three big green pearl but
tons are sewed in rows on the front
box p1eats From under the buttons
come three rows of wide black braid
that extend around to the back, where
they are lost under the pleats.
The bodice is a blouse of serge, with
two narrow box pleats of the material
that give the effect OF braces These are
trimmed with three of the big pearl
buttons and under them are slipped
epaulettes Of the green serge. trimmed
across with strips of braid. The cor
sage fastens under the left box pleat.
The sleeves are small coat sleeves
trimmed at the bottom with six bands
of the black braid. The gown was to
be worn with black moire belt and
tie, and a white linen collar.
One of the most attractive little
school jackets have seen is made of
dark blue serge It has broad box
p1eat at the front, trimmed with small
pearl buttons that hang loose. The
basques are short and slightly rippled
and are held in place by narrow belt
that slips under the front box pleat-
The collar is a big collar, trimmed
around with rows of narrow black
braid. The sleeves are moderate coat
sleeves, with small cuffs outlined in the
braid.
1t is really surprising to see how a
French mother will contrive to make
one skirt answer for many waists. A
French woman actually told me that
she had provided six waists for skirt
which her daughter, a girl of sixteen,
was to wear to school,
Out of curiosity / asked to see the