The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-06


fashions and still wish to have
their little tots look childish. Dame
Fashion is kept so busy issuing DEGREES
as to what the worlds wife shall wear
that she never gets time to think of the
worlds children. So the dressmallers cut
frocks for children after the models worn
by their elders.
The result is that children look like
dwarfed adults. For clothes that are ar
tistic and in perfect harmony on five-feet-
five are incongruous on four feet. To
make a child's frock after the model of
an adults, simply shortening the skirt, is
ruinous to the child's appearance. How
can all the trimmings and geegaws of a
woman's gown find a harmonious resting
place on a child's frock?
When purchasing the materials and
making the little gowns bear in mind that
simplicity" is the watchword for a
child 5 frock- Then consider whether or
not it will be, becoming, for too often
anything is good enough for school," has
made a child the unnecessary butt of
rldicule for the rest of her schoolmates.
Mothers who have reached the happy
medium for their own gowns often go
10 extremes as far as the children are
concerned Either they overdress them
or allow them to wear shabby ilI-made
garments. 1t does not make a child con-
ceited to dress her simply and prettily
II does make a child self-conscious to
dress her shabbily.
For school gowns, pIaids in soft wool
are always pretty and serviceabTe. Those
displayed in the shops this autumn are
daintier than ever in their soft warm
unts. Those of green and blue with a line
Of yellow or white are always worn and
for school frocks are perhaps the most
SerViceable.
Then there are the soft browns, with
a touch Of yellow, red and green, that
are always so becoming to child with
These plaids are made up entirely of
themselves, or may be combined with
plain color, as one may wish, and are
cut either bias or straight.
Black and white even checks are much
worn, as are those of red and black. The
latter are particularly pretty when trim
med with bands of black velvet ribbon
studded along the edges with tiny steel
nallheads about an inch apart. The black
ana white checks take on jet nailhead
trimming with satisfactory result.
trocks trimmed with ribbon are unusu-
ally pretty and effective. The ribbon
shows TO good advantage on chiIdren's
clothes, as it has the youthful effect,
without which a child's frock is a dis
tinct failure.
Braids, both plain and fancy, are used
IN ptaIn up-and-down and Straightforward
eiIectS, and many are applied in scroll de-
sign. Velvet ribbons are used both plain
and gathered. and some are applied with
fancy stitches in colored silks that har-
monte with the gown.
Buttons are used in profusion. Those
OF steel are particularly pretty Little
fancy buckles with velvet ribbon are
used as the strapped trimming, and often
form the fastening of the waist.
The graded flounce is sometimes used
on the children'S frocks. It is not really
pretty, even when the frock is new, for
nounce to look well must at least touch
the floor if not train. Then it is bound to
sag where the material runs bias after
very little wearing. These uneven dips
and curves are inevitable in all f1ounced
skirts, but they are not as painfully ap-
parent in long skirt as they are in the
child fTOck. A fiVe-gorpd skirt Is the
NlT
be trimmed to simulate a graded flounce
with very good effect.
The blouse front still holds good for
misses and children's dresses, but is not
made as baggy as a season ago and never
spreads at the waistline. The biOused
a slight fullness is held in at the middle
of the back at the waistline, but is held
taut from the neck down.
The little Eton and bolero jackets are
as much worn as ever, and surely moth
ing can be more jaunty and girlish. The
pretuest ones are cut away in front and
show a pretty full waist beneath, either
of silk or the same material as in the
dress. Some Of the dressy jackets are
made OF velvet and cut in small Van
an accordion or knife pleated frilI of
Chiffon or silk that Shows between the
Nandykes as well as a little beyond the
edge Others are trimmed around the
edge with velvet ribbon or bands Of
cream insertion.
With ehildren's collars the same style
They are made plain and to fl the neck
snugly and no longer is the widespread
ing bow used. They may be fastened with
fancy clasps or buttons or q severe small
bow that plays no part as a fancy dec
Grafton rundown collars in all shapes
and sizes are much used. with the square
sailor back as the faVOrite
The fashionable headgear for children
was never daintier or more picturesque
than this season. All little children wear
bonnets, and even girls as old as or 8
are seen in fascinating little pokes
trimmed with feathers and laces. White
IS prettiest for very small children, and
bonnets Of white velvet or satin are very
fetching. But they soil easily, and the
pokes are really very pretty in browns,
greens or reds, trimmed with the white
tips.
Older children wear large picture hats
that are a modification of the ones. that
were used last year. The crown is very
full and Tam O Shanter shape, and is
sometimes covered with a drape of softer
ma terial. The brim is also very full and
between the crown and bTim is sometimes
draped with folds Of white satin ribbon,
which tie in front of the hat in a large
bow With the bow may be fastened
white ostrich tips
Only very young children wear hats
with strings tied under the chin.
Time devoted to children. whether their