Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-24
Some Methods of Making Old Frocks
Do Another Season.
bow TO LENGfHEN 4 SHORT SKIRT
IF Not for the Sleeves, No Changes
Are Needed in Waists.
EFFECT OF COMBINATIONS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

special Correspondence OF Inc Evening star
NEW YORK, June d. 1899.
Very busy these hot summer days is the
woman who made up her mind that this
summer would surely be cool. reasoning
that lightning could not strike twice in the
same place-rhat is, that after last sum-
mers torrid days we must of necessity be
cool this year. Great is her disappointment
and great in proportion her industry. For.
IN spite of all arguments to the contrary,
cotton is cooler than wooden materials. and
when people argue they are cooler in fan
nel one is constrained to believe that they
do not feel the heat as much as they think
they do as much others do
II is a good thing. indeed, that Dame
Fashion has decided that cotton gowns are
once more suitable for street wear. even
in the metropolis. otherwise We should ali
have had TO disUbey her or stay out of
town, no matter how many affairs needed
attention. But if cotton gowns are a com
fort they are certainly a nuisance in one
way They won't stay clean And whole
cotton gowns. like cotton shirt waists, are
only eXcusable when Spotlessly fresh. So
one needs a good many of them, and after
the allowance for new frocks has been eX-
hausted attention must be given to refur-
niShing the frocks Of last summer. and OF
perhaps previous summers
The first thing 10 look at is the skirt, for
whole dress must be discarded, separate
cotton waists always looking patchy.
Cotton Dresses Clear the Ground.
It Is such a wen-known fact that skirts
OF wash gowns shrink and it is also so pat
ent to every observer that skirts are worn
much longer this year that one should be
prepared to find all skirts too short But
too short d. es not express the condition in
which some of them seem to be. Positively,
they look short golf skirts. What
fortunate thing ii is, under the circum-
stances. that founces and ruffies are as
popular as everi For with their aid il is
a short skirt indeed which cannot be made
the regulation length And the regulation
length, Il is needless to remark, is kissing
the ground That is all right when it is
turf. but the same dictum of good taste
in having walking gowns clear the floor
applies in summer in winter.
Nor are we confined to any particular
sort of shape or founce- The circular
iounce of last summer which IL was pre-
dicted would not be seen. has survived and
is as graceful ever. although ii does not.
as a rule. mOnOpolize the whole skirt as it
did last year. The delight OF one woman at
finding that this founce did not require
particular cut of skirt to put it on was
quite pathetic. She had a straight skirt be-
longing to a last years gown to which she
was attached The skirt was too short and
there was no possible way of letting it
down, 1t had been heightened last sum-
mer after every washing and was now
faced to the depth Of about ten inches. 1t
was not the sort of a frock which seemed
adapted TO little round ruffies and she had
given ii up. when some one told her a bias
ruffle could easily be put on the skirt, slop-
ing up just little in front, not a deep.
obtrusive ruffe. about five inches In front
and not twice that in the back. Out came
the discarded and beloved gown. few
yards of material which fortunately match
ed IL were produced also. and the second
NJ hat Ia sSfu nj
than the first.
Many Ways to Lengthen.
Had this eager searcher after method Of
'tpiecing DOWN but known 1t there Is a
more severe hounce than that she used. 1t
Is made or the bottoms of the pique skirts
which seem TO be more trimmed than is
always necessary for quiet taste. These
severe fiounces OF ruff1es are gored, have
very little fuIlness. yet make the bottom of
the skirt stand out, and vary In width from
five to ten inches.
Then there are the deep and graceful
Spanish ftvunces, which are invaluable for
letting down thin skirts. such as dirnity or
null One can buy the hounces already
embroidered and they are a most ornamen-
tai addition 10 any gown Little rutfles as
a method Of lengthening skirts are well
known. edged with narrow lace they can
be put on In any number. and IL the bodice
also needs alteration they can be applied
there. quite changing the character of the
remOdeled dress
When skirt Is quite past lengthening
such a heavy and scant piQue or duck
which has been worn several seasons. there
Is still another excellent use for IT. Make it
over into a golf or bicycling skirt. Many of
the girls in Florida last winter and early
spring appeared to be supplied with as
many white golf skirts as the popular cadet
at West Point has white trousers His
trousers are left TO him by departing ca
diets, until one man has been known to
have sixty pairs The girls numerous
white golf skirts were the accumulation of
summers upon summers white pioue and
duck skirts which had all been made over
into golf skirts.
Extra FaIlness Taken Out
The full skirts OF some summers ago
which were quite wearable last summer are
sadly out Of cate this. A clever needle
woman has only to take out some OF the
tullreSs and gore them. A linen skirt W hich
has been heightened everywhere except
upon the bias stayed seam at the back was
opened IN the back and part OF the fullness
taken out OF there: cutting the seam on on
each side naturally lengt hened II. as Il was
bias. and in front the skirt was not dis
turbed at an OF course had its owner been
the band and reshaped the front. as all old
skirts are too wide across the front for the
present styke
One difficulty found In making over wash
materials Is the difference in color between
the new material which one has carefully
saved for just such a contingency and the
dress itself. which has been Worn in the
sun and also Numbered until il has faded
one can only fade the new materials as