Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-16
SERGE AND FLANNEL
COAT AND SKIRT SUITS IN STRIP
ED FABRICS.

It Is becoming more and more the custom
to arrange for the summer outfit SO far In
advance that in February and March wom-
en- are absorbed in those clothes even when
there Is no question of the southern trip
making such preparations essential. After
all, it is but a return to the old days when
the prudent housewife planned the family
wardrobe months ahead, employed the fam
lily seamstress and settled down to hand
work The oldtime village dressmaker, the
friend of the family, Is now rarely known,
but there is end of dressmakers and
seamstresses who work by the day and
who at the present moment are absorbed in
making the simple gowns of muslin and
wash materials that are included In every
outfit.
The tailor and department shops where
frocks are made offer especial inducements
during the between seasons. and there Is
great demand for the costumes of serge,
lightweight cloth, flannel and all fabrics
that can be utilized for the coat and skirt
costumes intended to be worn on cool days
in summer.
All white costmes are always smart, but
this year the striped ones are the fad.
White with a hair line of black or dark
blue, made with facings of black on collar
and cuffs, is a favorite pattern, and there
is an endless variety in the width of the
stripe. In dark colors the hair line of
darker or lighter shade is far smarter than
the shadow check or plaid of last year, and
the colors are most charming There are
not many long coats this season; the three
quarter length in the fitted cutaway de-
sign with rounded fronts is favorite
model, while the much shorter half-htting
pony coat is also popular.
Bands and straps OF the material are
used both on the skirts and coats, and
often the straps of the cloth are so cleverly
combined as to make the skirt appear as
though trimmed with braid. The gored
skirt is still in favor, while the circular
model, with pleats in front and back, Is
very smart also. One point is essential
that the skirts shall be wide enough to
flare we'll That can only be gained by the
pleatS, for there must not be any unneceS-
Sary fullneSs around the hips.
The modern skirt at first glance seems al
most too serious an undertaking for any
but finished dressmaker to attempt but a
closer inspection soon reveals the fact that
with good pattern to follow the task is
not so hard as it appears
White serge costumes are always effect
i've, and this spring will be more elaborate
than usual, for they are heavily braided,
often two kinds of this trimming being
used: the jackets are almost invariably
short. the longest hip length. and while ap-
quite sharply. White linen and all wash
materials are made with the short coats
also. and these last are extremely fancfful
in effect the plain linen and the embroid-
cred also being made on the same lines. 1t
is rather fad just now tC have a plain
linen skirt waist and jacket, the emily deco
ration being on the jacket, narrow fanci-
full binding on the lapels and the lower part
of the sleeves. The different varieties of
braid afford an excellent opportunity of
using as varied an effect as a pretty and att
tractive fancy elects, but the braided revers
are charming, and they are not difficult or
tedious, nor do they require any especial
cleverneSS.