Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08
ABOUT HANDKERCHIEFs.
No Limit to the Money Which Can BE
Spent on Them.

NO Limit to the Money Which Can BE
Spent on Them.
From the New York Times.
Said the linen man: There is no limit
to the amount of money which can be spent
in handkerchiefs. One may pay 10 cents
for handkerchief or $780, The latter will
be lace-trimmed handkerchief, in duchess
or point de Venice, done In floral designs or
scrolls.
"a lace handkerchief seems inexpensive
at the highest price when one thinks of
the immense amount of work In 1t. A wo-
man may work from six months to a year
on the lace on one of these handkerchiefs.
Not working steadily. to be sure, for the
lacemaking is SO trying to the eyes that it
Is not possible, after a time, for the work.
ers to apply themselves to 1t constantly.
Then the linen, which Is used for the
center of the handkerchief, is as fine as
cobweb, and has been made, very likely,
in dark cellar to keep the fine threads
moist and prevent their breaking. Most Of
the finest linen comes from Ireland, but
many of the fine handkerchiefs come from
Switzerland
Very beautiful handkerchefs in hand
embroidery come, showing eXquisitely beau
t1ful work; they cost as much as $50
Something which is interesting in handker-
chiefs is the work of the Armenian women
which is comparatively new here. They
chiefs work it on the linen after it has
been hemstitched, pretty, neat little de-
sign of lace, never elaborate, but charac-
teristic These handkerchief will cost 81,
81, 50, 81 and So, according to the work in
the lace
"Handkerchefs which are absolutely
plain, without handwork of any kind ex-
cept the hemstitching. will range from 10
cents to $50 dozen. The most expensive of
the plain, sheer linen handkerchiefs Of the
same quality will cost $50 a dozen. Hand
kerchiefs at this price cannot be said to be
popular, but there are few people who
make a practice of buying them. These are
not always the people with the most mon
ey' for millionaires are not always willing
10 pay large prices for simple things, even
II OF the finest quality.
'Colored handkerchiefs are not in vogue
now. The hens of all handkerchefs are
somewhat wider than they have been. On
the hnest mems handkerehiefs the width
or the hem will average about half an inch.
They vary from an eighth to half an inch
on other handkerchiefs.
Excellent handkerchiefs of good quality
come at prices which range from % cents
to 81 apiece. They are perfectly plain, with
not even small initial Initials are put on
to order.
ut is considered better taste to have
ones hand5erchiefs embroidered to order
than to buy them ready marked. The finest
or embroidery can be done in this country
AS fine as that done in France-which is
saying great deal.
ON all kinds of linen the embroidery
which a woman who is particular will have
used in marking will average 20 per cent of
the price of the goods. This is in simple
work. too AS rule the initials are put on
thes.handkerchiefs in simple block letters,
or they may be in old English or in script.
Or there will be monogram and the mi
tials may be entwined in the script.
1T Is fad with some persons to have
the facsimile of their autographs upon
handkerchiefs. Men do this more often
than women. The designs in embroideries
are. as rule, exceedingly simple