Oxford Democrat., 1903-12-08

These very expensive cotton waists are
in cheviot, in cotton canvas, and in very
thick weight and are as warm as wool.
Many are, to use colloquialism, "as
heavy as board"
The great virtue of these waists is that
they will wash. Made of stuff that will
not shrink nor fade, and which will not
lose its texture in the tub, they can be
cast into the water every week and scrub
bed with abandon. On being taken out
they are pressed and when the process ID
completed they look, if not like new, al
least very nearly as good.
THE NEW TUB WAISTS.
In the tubbable shirt waists can be
counted the heavy new, mercerized stuffs
with wonderful glory of finish; and
there can be mentioned the glazed white
cottons, with brocaded figures, which
cannot be told from brocaded satin at 6
distance.
The cotton canvases come in all colort
and are really wonderful in the perfection
of their weave. They are loveliest II
Gobelin and in wood brown, and ir
Indian red. But, for that matter, they
look we'll in any shade. They look very
soft, but when taken in the hand, they
will be found as heavy as the stoutest
wool.
The fact that Jack Frost arrives II
winter, bringing with him the nipping
days, has hitherto kept women from
wearing the wash shirt waist in Decem
Der. But, with the advent of the heaviest
cotton fabrics, this objection has beer
waved aside. And they who could moi
think of putting on the washable fabrics
in winter time are now reveling in them
Perhaps the prevailing tendency te
mannishness in woman's attire has lee
the winter girl to copy her brother II
this respect: eff John wears washa
BILE shirt in the winter time, why MOI
Mary?" asks the winter girl. And
failing to answer the question, she ha:
wrought out satisfactory solution.
Perhaps when the truth is told, thu
tubbable waist is more welcome in tht
winter time than in the summer. II
the winter a heavy coat is worn and it IL
certainly jarring to a woman's feeling'
to put on a heavy cloak over nice waist
There is always the thought that th'
waist is being crushed into nOthingnes!
and its trimmings ground into ribbons
The wash waist, on the other hand
being palmer in it's construction anC
Stouter in its constitution, suffers moth
ing from the crushing and comes out a,
fine as ever after days wear under tht
fur coat.
ALL WAISTS ARE BLOUSE.
And still further argument in favor
of the wash waist is its prettiness for Il
is certainly made upon the prettiest plan
In its shape it leaves nothing at all to bt
desired, for thin girls or fat; and in its
style it is more than excellent.
Both the thin woman and the fat
woman can wear waist that is very full
upon the bust and to secure this fullnes,
there are plaits laid upon the shoulder
to widen later into Gibsonian front
Or there are box plaits which give thu
fullness at the bust where it is mos
needed.
All waists, thin and thick, have tht
full blouse effect directly over the belt IL
the middle of the front. But this pOucf
instead of being wide and heavy is mar
row and rather pointed so that the figure
is not visibly thickened thereby.
Sleeves are made in all sorts of way:
but perhaps the prettiest is the debu
tantes sleeve which shows a fullness a.
far as the elbow, where it is met by 9
very deep cuff which extends down tt
the knuckles. This cuff must be un
buttoned to admit of the hand slipping
through.
Another sleeve just as pretty and more
in favor, is the sleeve which is the gen
uine shirt waist sleeve with narrow cuff
The cuff fastens with a long point
which laps over and is caught with 9
little button or with hook.
MISS RoosEvELT's LUNCHEON WAISTS
Miss Alice Roosevelt is reveling ir
pretty shirt waists this fall for each time
she appears in public she wears one
She chooses them for luncheons, morn
ing calls, and o'clock teas. They are
in every shade that can be imagined with
a preference for the tans, the browns
the deep reds, aud all the shadow tones
One waist was marvel in prettiness
being in an Indian red canvas worked by
hand down each side of the front. The
design chosen was the conventional
chrysanthemum which was carried out
in rose colors with the stems in green.
Surely this gave an opportunity for
very nice exhibit of handiwOrk and the
woman who is handy with the needle
could do great deal in the way of en-.
broidering her shirt waist fronts.
Another wash waist, worn recently al
a girls luncheon in Washington, showed
bands of narrow canvas, put on as strap
pings, down each side of the front, each
band is stitched with machine stitching
upon each edge.
A great many of the tubbable waists
are trimmed with brass buttons, which
are removed for the tubs sake. And
the putting on of the buttons Is one OF
the self-appointed tasks of the winter
girl.
They are taking the old white waists
of last summer and are working them
down each side with great pattern in
dark red, either big diamond pattern,
or Greek scroll. Then, down the front,
they are setting brass military buttons,
thus giving the finishing winter touch to
the waist which is to be worn until
Christmas and afterward.
Still another luncheon waist, also worn
by Washington girl, was trimmed with
simulated box plaits, very narrow and
running from the shoulder seam right
down to the belt. The waist was but
toned invisibly under wide box plsit; /;
and upon this plait were groups of brass
buttons, in little rows of three each.
If you are going to give shirt waist
for Christmas present it is essential
that it be one that has the touch Of
your own hand upon It. The personal
thought Is thus expressed and, antici-
pating this, there come the most beau
tiful waists, of very heavy quality, with
a large pattern stamped upon the front.
This can be worked by hand in silks or
in wash cottons, until the waist Is Q
work of art as we'll a. of utility.
The wash waist goes beautifully with
all the separate skirts, and the fact that
it comes in all colors makes it one Of tho
most desirable dress adjuncts of the sea-
son.
The open canvas materials, while they
look very thin, come heavily lined, or so
that they are worn over heavy lining.
They are, for the most part, In cream
color; and the nature of their weave is
such that they admit of the most
elaborate needlework. Roses, Armenian
patterns, and Assyriau designs can al be
worked in the criss Cross mesh Of this
cream oolored canvas. as.-Suuday Times.