The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-16
FIRST SCHOOL fROCKS
ALREADY THOUGHT MUST BE TAKEN
FOR CHILDREN's OUTFITS.
Best fashions for Little Girls Are Al
ways Simple, and This Season
Especially So.
correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.

school days loom up in the near future and
wise mothers are already making prcpara-
tons therefore. Happily styles for young
folk change less often and less radically
than do those of their elders. Guimpes for
the younger girls, simple blouses and the
like are perennial. while serge, cashmere,
drap d'ete and the like are always worn.
For the very first days of study summer
dresses are the ones most needed. but very
shortly cool days must be expected and
with them comes the demand for heavier
clothing.
Plaids always make a feature of autumn.
They can be relied upon as surely as the
coming of the season itself and this year we
are to have a variety of lovely rough
camel's-hairs and the like as we'll in mixed
colors that are charming for the older girls.
Blues, green's, grays, browns and tans may
all be looked for and there are TO be some
new shades that are fascinating in the
extreme. Rhone and b~alteque are among the
variations in blue, dark leaf and sage green
in that desirable color and such peculiarly
named gradations as c%uirasse. fer forge
among the grays, and viche or doe among
the tans. For the little girls the brighter
colors always are best. The older, more
mature contingent is charming in grays,
browns and tans touched with color. Deep
rich red will be much worn in bits and is
exquisite on any of these neutral back
grounds Splendid yellows are also to be
worn and used as collar and cuff facings
or similar accessories light up a brunette
maiden as nothing else ever quite does. One
of the newest shades, known as Egyptian,
suggests the familiar burnt orange yet has
an individuality of its own and is a de-
light.
GUIMPES AND SAILOR SUITS.
To begin with the younger students. moth
ing offered is more desirable than the pref
ty blouse dresses and the simple little sailor
suits. Guimpes are always lovely and
childlike. Among the frocks planned should
always be some of that sort. but there is
a sturdy quality found in these blouse and
sailor models that commends them to moth
ers of economic mind. AS charming a lit
tie dress as any girl of twelve need desire
is made with a slightly bloused waist,
which includes a round yoke and becoming
bertha, and a three-piece skirt with two
circular frillS. The model which was shown
me is of plaid, with the yoke Of tucked red
silk and trimming of black velvet ribbon.
The plaid a bright one. not over aggressive.
and the bands of black tend to render il
still more quiet. The same design is charm
ing in cashmere or any plain material with
yoke of lace for afternoon wear. With the
children, as with their elders, material,
combination and trimming as often make
the difference between simple and dressy
than cut or style. This little model is
capable of being quite suited to occasions
of dress. while as described il is ideal for
school wear. Others again are In sailor
style, either with the familiar comfortable
blouse or pretty little jacket, and are es-
sentially simple. A really delightful dress
for school is Of blue serge made with a
full blouse that buttons down the front
z n iGa fl1TnnNTn nnllnH I N OnnAro affAaf
1t Is not new. As l began by saying, GER
tain standbys for children's wear always
remain, but there are touches of novelty
nevertheless. This particular frock. for ex-
ample, can be left without the collar if
preferred, and finished only with one of the
standing sort, and each front is tucked at
the shoulders TO yoke depth. so making the
blouse fuller and more graceful than al
ways has been the case. An exceedingly
pretty sailor suit with an open jacket is Of
dark red mercerized drap d'ete. and is
trimmed with bands of black and white
braid and worn with a shield of cream
white. The shade of red is a peculiarly
happy selection and unites with the black
and white to make a most satisfactory
effect.
For the mothers who prefer the guimpe
to every other style of dress there are love
ly things that are quite sufficiently simple
TO meet the most exacung taste. 1t is well
known that the smartest women demand
the simplest frocks for their little girl, that
children of parents who take the highest
social rank wear frocks that are free of
oil luSS. HtSC Sulllpt UGSStS are CIldIIH-
ing yet involve no undue trimming. AS a
rule the bertha makes the distinctive fea-
ture and berthas suit all childish figures to
perfection. Many mothers keep guimpe
dresses in use until the girl reaches four
teen. In these days when women of all
ages wear guimpes with certain styles of
dress thai means a continuous use with
out any break, but In the case of the child
the rule always holds good, whereas fash
ions for grown folk change with every wind
that blows. Pretty models for the smaller
girls are made with gored skirts. full waists
and berthas that are fitted without fullness
and cut in odd shapes. For those who pre-
fer, or whose mammas prefer, the dresses
that do not include the dainty white &C
cessories are the Gibson" dresses. in ad-
dition to the many variations found In the
blouse suits, and the frocks made with
round Jokes that give a suggestion of the
guimpe without it's perishability.
SHIRTWAISTS NOT FOR ALL.
S~hirtwaists are made and sold for girls
from ten years of age. but personally 1
think twelve too young. There is a style
that is suggestive of the blouse that is
pretty and becoming, but the regulation
style is too old and does not suit girls of ten
and twelve nearly so well as do other
things.
The older schoolgirls, those who have en-
tered their teens, are offered a wide range
of choice. Some of the p~rettiest advance
costumes shown take the form of jacket
suits and are TO be worn with ShirtwaiStS
of various sorts. Etons, blouses. loose Nor
folks and loose coats all are in style. To
my eye the blouses and the Norfolks are
the most girlish at the same time that they
are smart. A really lovely suit is of soft
gray cheviot and Is made with a blouse
showing turnover collar and cuffs, both
Of which are of deep rich red velvet. Grays
are to be much worn. Treated in this way
they become youthful as well as chic. The
Norfolk suits promise to become a fad.
The coats are quite long, half loose and
belted. Skirts are, for the most part, plain
and much fared or laid in vertical plaits.
Box plaits suit the coats TO a nicely and
are much seen in the latest suits. but the
plain hared skirt has a distinct style and
is essentially smart when well made. An
exceedingly attractive school suit for a girl
of fourteen is of the 'mannish" cheViot in
tans and browns, with threads OF red, and
is made with a Norfolk and plain skirt with
pipings of red. Plain cloth bands on mix
lures. too, are much used and are far bet
ter than silk for the hard usage of school.
An exceedingly pretty dress for a girl of
twelve is made with a much-gOred skirt
and a double-breasted blouse that opens to
reveal a white chemisette and is finished
with a big collar. The material is plaid, in
greens and blues, with lines of red, and the
bands are of dark red smOoth-faced cloth.
The shirtwaists worn with the jacket
suits are of cotton cheviot. heavy linen and
the like. of albatross, waist cloth, taffeta
and French flannel, but there is predicted
an unprecedented use Of the washable
waists the winter through. Bit by bit we
ora lea rOfng that houses heated 10 a sum-