The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-07-28
MODERN UNDERWEAR.
vorite Material for Winter
Wear.


The tendency of modern times is to
simplify the underwear without max
ing any radical changes in shape, says
the New York Tribune. The first gar
mcnt worn by fashionable woman is
q vest of ribbed silk or wool or cotton,
according to weather, and also some
what according to the purse and taste.
Pure silk is nearly or equally as warm
as wool and is not irritating to a SEN
sitive skin, as wool often is. 1t has
been the fashion for the last quarter of
. century to advocate the use of an
animal fabric for the garments worn
next to the skin. Silk underwear fills
this requirement as well as wool, and
1t has been so much reduced in price of
late years that it is no longer an exclu-
sive luxury, but is within the reach
OF almost everyone. In summer stout
persons who suffer from heat use
shirts Of Isle thread. At least three
grades of underwear should be used
for different seasons-heavy shirts and
drawers and stockings of wool or silk
for winter, medium weight wool shirts,
muslin drawers and cotton stockings
for fall and spring, and cotton or Isle
thread shirts and stockings and mus
hn drawers for summer weather. Per-
sons OF delicate physique or those who
suffer from sudden changes in the
weather which are incident to the eli
mate should wear wool shirts and draw
ers all the year around if il is not dis
agreeable to them. No cast iron rules
can be laid down in this matter. Any
one who needs wool Undertaking will
not find it uncomfortable. The puri-
tanical doctrine which ignores the
feeling and taste in clothing ard food
is now condemned by common sense
and modern medicine. Frequent BATH
ing and frequent changes of the cloth
ing worn directly next the skin helps
to keep the skin in a state of health
which keeps the body warm. Stout
persons generally wear knit underwear,
which clings to the figure. Over this
the corsets are worn, and over them
stout women wear a closely fitting
corset cover, dispensing with the
chemise. Women of slight physique
often use combination garment in
place of chemise over the corset. This
is like chemise at the top, fitted in at
the waist, and ends in . short petit
ceat trimmed around the bottom.
The garment is fitted SO as to give Is
little fullness as possible around, The
waist and on the hips. 1t is made of
some sheer light cambria or nainsook,
so as to give as little extra bulk to the
figure as possible. Only women of very
slight build wear the old-fashioned
chemise. 1t is then cut so as to leave
~ little bulk as possible at the waist
and hips and is always worn over the
corset.
There has been no special change in
the cut of night gowns in the last
dozen years. The gown should be
ample enough for comfort in sleeping,
but the oid-fashioned yoke night gown
10 entirely out of style. The shapes
which are full at the back and are
either sack shaped in front or fall
slightly full from the band are most
popular. The gown is cut rather high
for winter, with long sleeves, but for
summer the neck is often cut square
or v shaped and the sleeves reach
merely TO the elbow.
Underskirts of white muslin are gen.
orally made up for the year at the time
of the January sewing. For this pur-
pose choose a rather heavy sheer lawn,
which takes the starch without rat
ting better than heavy muslin, or a
cambria. A quality of Victoria lawn
which generally sells at 12h cents, or
as cheap as a good muslin, is preferred
in making white cotton understands.
Choose sheer cambria or light mus
lin for gowns. Use a firm, heavy cam
brio, English nainsook or linen for cor
set covers fitted to the figure. For
those that are not fitted to the figure,
and for chemises choose sheer French
nainsook, or the lightest cambria you
can find. Use firm, strong muslin or
cambria for drawers. Shrink all cot
tons intended for underwear and sew
them with rather loose machine
stitch so as to allow room for the
shrinking of the seams when they are
washed.