Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-25
Only Real Novelty About Them is
the Plain Back.
SLEEVES ARE JUST 4 Bit SMALLER
Cuffs Have Rounded Corners
With DumbbeIl Links.
WHITE GOODS TO BE POPULAR
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| NEW YORK. February %, 1S99
| 1t scarcely seems possible row that the
| time will ever come when the shirt waist
| will not be the most popular of garments.
| To be sure, the dressmakers give it black
eye at every opportunity, but they are
| hardly to be blamed, for nothing cuts into
| their trade quite SO severely. And should
| the day ever come when shirt waists are
| no longer considered good form it will be
because they have been allowed to stray
away from the straight and plain lines,
which only are their province. into frivolous
| attempts to ape fancy bodies. In winter
| in rich materials, little departure from
rigid simplicity is, perhaps, to be condoned.
| But in summer. when one is wearing plain
cloth or plain cotton skirts. fancy waists
| are out of place. One looks overdressed
| from the waist up.
Tho shirt waist is no longer a coming
| fashion for next summer. 1t has come and
| women who want the prettiest patterns or
| who are going south, or who have seam
| stress at home, according to the good old
| custom, are buying or looking a. the latest
| models, which for weeks past have been
| displayed more or less conspicuously. The
| hrst question of moment is as to the size
| OF the sleeves. VIII they be SO much re-
| duced that all pretty waists of last
| summer Crowded we are of the careful
| frugal class who always have clothes left
| oNSip Will bt either useless require
| much alteration that We might as well buy
| new ones The sleeves are certainly
| smaller. And undoubtedly the practiced
| eye can instantly detect whether the waist
| you wear was made last summer or is a
| brand-new one But making over sleeves
| is thankless job. There was something
| in the cut of those voluminous mutton legs
| which refuses to be downed when you try
| to make them shapely and small. There
| fore reflect well before you recklessIy rim
| them out to start afresh. But if you do de-
eide they must be made smaller be careful
| to whom you intrust the task There is
| nothing the ordinary seamstress bungIes
| quite so much as sleeves. 1 think If one
| were to stand over her and watch her take
| the sleeves out, see that she had the latest
| and best pattern and that she cut them
| over by that guide instead of by her I1nre-
| liable eye, which for some reason she de-
| lights to follow, the result would be a sue
cess.
| No Yoke This Time.
The only real novelty is the plain back
1t is pretty for change but shirt waist
without any yoke In the back and with
| only a tiny bit Of fullness at the waist
| where the gathers come will have hard
time of 1t in the laundry. And the laundry
| every rev days should receive visit from
| every shirt waist. A shirt waist that is
not dazzhngly fresh and clean is no longer
a shirt waist; it is an eyesore Yet I'm
| pique and the heavy cottons the plain back
| will be very effective. 1t makes the back
| look longer. and that should be remem-
bered by short-waisted sisters. Sometimes
| the back of the shirt waist is made per
| fectiy plain and over this Is put a short
pointed yoke. This has a natty effect
| The manufacturers are trying to intro
| duce collars of the same material as the
! waists instead of the white linen collar.
| 1t remains to be seen whether this attempt
| Will be success. The white collars are
| universally becoming, and this is a question
OF moment; still, it is good idea to have
| both sorts of collars. The very newest
| collars turn over and have rounded cor
ners. which allow the tie to show a little.
| Then there are ribbon stocks with a mar
| row piece of linen buttoned on the top
which are fancy of the moment But
| with the conventional wash shirt waist a
| plain linen collar, either straight or turned
| over, is the smartest.
Tucked in Clusters.
| There is good deal of tucking about the
| waists this year. Dainty pink and blue
dimity waists are tucked from collar to
| waist line in narrow tucks in clusters of
| i've running around the shirt. Then there
are the tucks of last year running in bias
| lines from shoulder to front box plait. The
| newest idea in tucks is shown in a shirt
waist which stimulates the tucked shirt
| front OF our grandfathers and great grand
| Iathers. There are five or six rather mar
row tucks outside of the front box plat.
| and outside of that wider tuck This is a
charming effect
The blouse has not by any means disap-
! peared from the front of the shirt waist.
too becoming an effect to be lightly laid
| aside. 1t is especially pretty when the
waists are tucked. Very many madras and
cheViot shirt waists are quite plain in front.
the fullness at the shoulders being stitched
| into several box plaits stitched down a
couple of inches on each side from the
shoulder seams. The backs of these waists
| are usually plain. like those described
9 a l.nfh 49,
! backs such as were worn three summers
| ago.
| Prices Are Moderate Now.
Shirt waists are much more reasonable
| than they usually are at this season of the
| year. 1t would have to be quick and very
| moderate priced seamstress or dressmaker
| who could make them as cheaply as one
can buy them. OF course If one wishes
the imported cottons 1t pays to have the
| waists made at home. for the minute the
| magic word imported" is annexed to any-
thing to be bought in a shop the price rises
a as II maslelans wand had touched it.
tie to home manufacture NOWADAYS. Per
maps the time may come when American
women: Hike their English sisters, will make
| It point to patronize home industries II
is to be hoped at least
The cuffs of this years shirt waist are
rounded at the corners. like those on mems
shirts for every one wears the 6unobhail
| links nowadays, and rounded corners look
best with this sort of cuff button. The
cuffs are not more than three and a half
| inches deep at the very outside
Whites VIII Lend Again.
All signs point to another white season
White shirt waists are made I'D in every
conceivable shape, material and style. and
It is from these waists that the danger
which menaces the future of the shirt
waist lies. Sheer, thin. white cottons are
so dainty that one is tempted to trim tta,,,
and fashion them into elaborate garments
Now. elaborate white gowns are ALI very
well. But elaborate shirt waists of sny
color or material are not good form ana
the wearers of white are spelling the shirt
waist idea In their overzeaiousness for
something new. One can buy tucked ma.