The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-12-21
ECONOMY IN DRESS.
Care of the Wardrobe Goes Far To-
ward Reducing the Cost
of Clothing.

1t does not always follow that the
we!l-dressed woman eXpends an I'M
usual amount of money upon her
robe. The chances are that she spends
less than her more poo-ly-dressed
neighbor. The difference is that the
one makes the subject of dress a study
while the other does not. One we'll
dressed woman who has plenty of
money at her disposal, remarked
proudly: Il spend less on dress than
any of my sisters" When asked how
such "a thing could be, for she really
dressed better than they, she re-
piled: 81 don't buy the first thing
happen to see." This was her way of
saying that she made selection only
after having made an examination of
the different varieties of goods which
the market afforded, or in other words
that she gave the same intelligent con-
sideration to the subject of dress that
she would do to any other with which
she might have to deal
What one wears is and should be re-
garded as being in a measure an index
OK ones character. The quiet, mod
est woman does not choose f1ashy col
ors for street wear, nor does the pru-
dent one put her entire outlay upon
one gown which can be worn only
upon rare occasions and for which she
has no accessories. The thoughtful
woman does not deem it at all neces-
sary to have bonnet for every dress
when she can, by careful planning,
manage to have one that will be suit
able to wear with each of her several
gowns. To obtain the best results one
should decide at the beginning of the
season just what sum shall be set aside
for dress and the seasons outfit be
planned accordingly. The study and
forethough which is thus necessarily
given to the subject will often enable
the woman of slender purse to dress
in better taste than her more favored
sister, who buys anything to suit her
fancy at the moment.
The care given ones wardrobe is an
important item to be considered if one
would succeed in dressing we'll on q
little. One woman with whom | am
acquainted IL DIISlll anu l0telllI6II, ST.
perior in many ways, yet, although she
spends considerable for dress general
ly presents a more or less dowdv ap-
pearance. After a few months wear
her dresses, which are often handsome
to begin with, are burst at the seams
and so spotted as to be almost unpre-
sentable. When she goes out to spend
the afternoon she takes no pains to
change her dress on returning home
but wears it to work about the house
the rest of the day, and it is only
short time till the gown is too shabby
to wear from home. Another woman.
who adopts the opposite plan, always
has in her wardrobe a generous supply
of pretty gowns. The secret was ex-
planned by one of her intimate friends,
who said: Mrs. Blank does not buy
any more than anyone else, but she Sc
lects the best material, takes good care
of what she gets, and has her dresses
made over every year. The old ones
help to save the new ones, so that she
has always supply These two
cases are doubtless extreme ones, but
they illustrate the fact that every wom-
an can, if she choose, dress neatly and
becomingly, though she expend but a
small sum of money for dress.-House.
keeper.