Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-16
CAPTIVATING SHIRT WAISTS
STIFF COLLARS ARE OUT AND
BISHOP SLEEVES ARE IN.
Tips on What VIII Be offered in
These observation-disclosures
ing Styles.

Written for The Evening Star
There is no genuine shirt waist weather
yet, but womanhood is evidently determined
to be equipped for the pleasant season
when it does come. Petticoated purchasers
now stand three deep about the counters
where the new cotton blouses are displayed.
Shirt manufacturers have learned to ca
ter to every taste by producing no less than
a dozen varieties of this invaluable gar
ment, ranging from the perfectly plain per-
Gale and duck to the most extravagantly
embroidered organdie and fancifully trim
med silk madras garments. There IS no
tendency to reinaugurate the use OF the
stiff white linen collar. Contrasting and
fanciful neckties hang cheek by jowl with
the shirts, and no woman can escape the
hint. Sleeves, as is only natural, are in
clined to the bishop shape. to wrist puffs
or double cuff effects and bosoms still
pouch a little and hang in soft fullness.
Last autumn, when the new flannel
waists were put on the counters, the wom-
en- who rushed in to buy turned away in
disgust, for the manufacturers had dar-
ingly tried to force q ught-fitt1ng shirt
The sacrificial sales of tight flannel shirt
waists now forced at the retail shops have
impressed the merchants with sense OF
their own helplessness in choosing the
mode, and among the percale and toll du
nord and brown batiste and colored French
| linen shirts not one basque-ike model Is
seen Pretty sailor blouses are evidently
going to play a part this spring, for doz-
ems of charming white and colored cotton
| examples are being bought up eagerly.
| sketch is given of a coarse steel blue linen
| blouse of this variety, opening over vest
| of finely tucked white linen and decorated
with big white cut pearl buttons.
| rival to this is the shirt of soft toll du
| nord, decorated with collar, GUNS, tlny
| woke and broad front band of exceedingly
| coarse cream linen lace edged with mar
| row cream linen braid and third noticea-
| bly, popular model is made of Bingham In
| blue. brown, red or green embroidered in
| dots of q contrasting color and made up
| with embroidered bands that echo the two
| coors in the material itself. The observant
| woman who visits the shirt waist counter
| cannot fail to be impressed with the pres
emf predominance of small tucks over
| gathers as a means of throwing just the
| desired fullness into shirts bosom.
One pretty body depicted here is COM
| pletelv tucked in groups of two on sleeves
| as we'll as bosom, and the cuffs and collar
! are stifly stitched and further decorated
with groups Of brilliant opalescent pearl
] buttons.
coored cotton shirts with their linen lace
garnishments, come to the exquisite i'm
ported blouses Of white lawn, as fine as
| fountain spray, frosted with the rarest
needleWork, and set on yOkes of the palest
| sky blue, aqua marine green and pastel
| rose organde. Yoke and body are put to-
| gether with beading, and then the needle
| worked sprays, petals and vines are picked
| in.
| Last season the handsomest of the heavier
| white shirts were linen, pique or fine naval
| drill embroidered In dots and sprays; this
J spring a rich white but perfectly pliable
| linen with almost a damask glaze on its
| surface is the proper goods 1t is heavily
| embroldered in a close and elaborate de-
! sign. between lines of the ridgy needle