The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-09

The Geisha lingerie blouse has estab-
llshed mode and a vogue of Its own !;
and at the same time II has cleverly and
cunningly taken to Itself all of those fas
cinating features OF correct fashions that
were started to dignity and enhance the
costumes intended for formal occasions.
With the coming of summertime this
dainty addition to the wardrobe makes n
further bid for fashionable favor: and
quite In accord with the extravaganza of
the era, there is no linen too sheer for It,
no appliques too handsome and none of
the real laces which beautify lingerie is
considered too good or too costly to be
employed
All of those narrower webs, the kind
that are known both as bobbn and as pill
low laces are in the highest vogue. There
is something about some of those that
the machine made dentelle can never imi-
tate; and the real can be told In a mo-
ment and estimated as such.
And In this connection very amusing
story Is going the rounds OF the American
colony in London; Its humor can best be
appreciated by those who have mixed with
the so-called conservative and exclusive
set over there. An American girl of I'M
deniable charm, though somewhat slender
purse, was guest at a rather crowded
reception Of political significance. One
stately dowager inquired of another as to
the girls identity. The reply was charac-
teristic: "Oh yes. she's an American !;
but she's real lady, nevertheless. Why,
she can tell real lace from imitation the
other side OF the room -
And 1t is the real laces that the smart
girl is using upon her lingerie bouses. In
the Valenciennes the difference between
the real and the machine made production
is SO slight as to be almost indistinguisha-
BILE. So, here someone of the best of the
limitations is purchased, and the saving
effected In this goes towards the purchase
of the narrow Clunys, Maltese, Bruges,
Irish crochet, and others which proclaim
their cost In every stitch. These are used
In thousand and one different ways but
always in such fashion as to bring out the
beauty of the lace and the sheerDess OF the
linen which it decorates
That those dainty little corrections are
at their best when fashioned entirely by
hand goes without saying for the real
laces and machine work are not by any
means congruous. One clever girl recently
announced to her associates that all of
her handmade blouses We're being made
by foot, for she simply could not wait for
them to be sewn up by hand, and had in
structed her maid to make all of the nee
essary seams upon the machine running a
tiny lingerie beading in each and every
seam. AS she sapiently argued, when the
embroidery and the tucks were all done by
hand, the seams would not show how they
had been accomplished. and with the en-
ployment of the line beading all the effect
of handwork was there, and quite II little
time saved In their making, too.
The shops are showing the sheerest of
handkerchief linen blouses stamped for
embroidery; and fairy fingers have been
working ut their fashioning all during
Lent. AT the Lenten sewing classes this
work takes the precedence over all others,
and the girl who is not embroidering a
French blouse is hard at II making col
lar. cuff and belt sets In broderie anglaise,