The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1902-10-25
JAPANESE COSTUMES.
There II Nothing More CbnrmYag1y
NeElige for Home Wear Than
the Kimon0.

Rightly made and rightly worn,
there is nothing more comfortable or
more luxurious looking in the way OF
. neglige than a kimono. But the
kimono should have the requisite width
of shoulder, the real long sleeves, the
whole dainty finish of the japanese
garment, to be thing of art. Just
how to give the inimitable touches
only the japanese themselves know,
says the New York Tribune.
A visitor from the far eastern coun-
try recently come to this part of the
world, equipped not only with use
full store of English, but with 20 or
more bewitching native costumes, has
been helping a new-made friend to
evolve one of the attractive garments
out of some queer blue and white Jap
anese materials. All japanese girls
IRE taught at home how to sew, by the
way. Naturally, She little japanese
woman took the lead. 1t must all be
done after a certain order-irst, the
two long pieces cut and sewed togeth-
er half way to form the back, then left
open for the front; next, slash must
be cut on each side where the seam
stops, to form the neck opening-just
so far; and tiny bamboo measuring
stick is brought into use for this and
other dimensions; then two narrow
strips must be added to the fronts,
Just how far up the little measure de-
termines, and sloped off toward the
neck; the sleeves, long and wide. set
on square to the shoulders are impera-
lively next, and the folding collar last
of all.
There are certain memorable "musts"
of finish about kimono. The sleeve
front corners must be made square
for child and rounded for woman.
The front edges of the hem at the
skirts bottom must be turned in at an
angle; the collar must be made to fold
by tying three tiny drawstringss When
worn the kimono fronts must be
crossed with the left side out, the two
inch wide belt or "kimo" must go
around the waist twice and be tied
IN q square knot, with short ends, in
front. and over this the more elaborate
girdle or "obi," with cushion-like
bow behind. Because, forsooth, all
this is as it was in the beginning.
To one who has struggled, who has
watched ones maid struggle, to pack
a summer wardrobe into even capa-
cious trunks there is something most
appealing about kimono wardrobe
and the small space it occupies. An
other "must:" Kimonos must always
be folded in one way, which produces
compact, fiat result, about the size
and shape of linen sheet fresh fold
ed from the laundry, and dozen or
more kmonos in fiat piles require
amazingly little space.
And the cost of these unique gar
ments? In Japan a charming silk
kimono, silk lined and beautifully
made, costs five or six yen, which
equals $3.50 or three dollars of our
money. Other kimonos, in linen, silk
and crepe, range in price from one
dollar to four dollars or five dollars,
crepe being usually the most expen-
sive.
Although the japanese visitor dress
es in conventional American costume
by day, she is only too glad to appear
mt the evening dinner in native cos
tune, as her hostess urges. at Is
so much more comfortable" the dark
eyed guest answers, in her childlike
voice. Her outside kimono is oftenest
soft gray or dull blue, striped silk or
pale green crepe, one and all lined with
deiicate-toned silk; but underneath
this rather sober outer garment are
worn two, three or four silk or crepe
kimonos, in exquisitely rich colors.
I'VE are proud to have very beautiful
our kimonos that do not show" the
soft voice explains, they do not show,
except for the bits of color which their
ample sleeves reveal at the wrists.
practical color and fabric-loying
American all this hidden beauty seems
an arrant waste.
The dainty little foreigner is in her
finest when she wears delicate pearl
gray silk outer kimono with her FAM
ily's crest inconspicuouly woven in
white at the neck and wrists; pale
heliotrope neckcloth, or "haneri," just
showing. sumptuous purple silk obj
around her waist and just suggestion
OF pale green and of white silk kimo-
nos worn underneath the gray. In
voice, manner and movements she is
gentle and winning; her little hands
and shapely wrists would be models
TOR an artist; she is daiutiness itself.