The San Francisco call., 1907-03-24


HERE IS nothing that locks
quite so untidy and is q surer
sign OF careiessness about the
details OF dress than the skirt
and shirt waist that DO not meet prop
erIy. As a matter OF fact you can
gauge a woman's neatness In other
realms than those OF dress just by the
way she manages this dividing line at
the waist You can tell whether there
Is any sense OF order In her makeup
by the way her belt does or does not
cover the pins or other fastenings she
uses 20 anchor her blouse. IL Is rot
an unusual thing TO hear a man remark
that certain woman would be alto
gether 10 his liking II the safety pins
did not always show below her belt
This is an unpsrdonsble sartorial sin IN
his eyes and one that women, too. can
not overlook in others when It is such
q simple matter to hide fastenings and
present a neat and trim appearance.
The question arises. then. why IL Il
that ~ keeping the shirt waist and
skirt together Sc an easy matter so
many women fail 60 DO it9 And the
answer is that the majority lack In
ventive faculties and cannot devise
schemes for themselves. OF else they
think that 80 long as the unsightly
discrepancy does not offend their eyes.
being fn the back. It really does not
matter so very much anyway. The
latter class is utterly hopeless and
words as well as IDEAS would be
wasted on them. But the others who
scheme for moortng the shirt waist and
keeping Il there will be Eled TO profit
by suggestions given by several women
who have no dihiculty whatever IN
svoiding thts unsightly parting.
The Nineteen Pins
In one OF London's fashionable hotels
ing & short time ago q countrywoTnan
OF ours who was the very essence OF
nestness IN dress and whose shirt
waists were the envy OF every other
woman in the hotel Not only were
they perfection as 10 cut and 1T, but
they were always put on IN exactly the
right way; there was never q wrinkle
they stayed where they were put.
Finally an English woman was present
Cd 70 the trira-looking American, and
after q few pleasantries the English
woman said. pre1scing her remark with
an apology, Mrs. Blank. Will you tell
me how you keep your shirt waist down
around the belt 80 perfectly2" And
Mrs. Blanks answer came unhesitat-
ingiy why, yes. OF course. use sust
nineteen pins" The English woman
gasped. The result was admirable. but
think Of the work entai1ed IN putting
On such a quantity OF pins every time
you donned a blousei But the fact
that the American woman always
looked msculate anc there were no
Earring defects IN her costume was
considered an all sufficient return for
the extra FIVE minutes IL took her 10
dress. And then she had the safisfac-
tion OF knowing that there was never
any danger or her skirt and shirt
waist parting.
Tor the sake OF those who have
time FOR this method of keeping the
shirt waist in place there are photo
graphic illustrations reproduced here
with, showing exactly how the nine
teen pine-there may be a few more or
less than that number-are used In
the first place. one should lay "a a
supply OF belt pins in black and white.
These come in assorted sizes, but the
most useful are about two inches long,
are OF fine steel and have round heads
about the size OF q dried pea. Start
in front and put q pin there. fastening
the shirt waist 70 the corset steel Run
the point OF the pin straight up. This
VIII keep the wsist-from pulling UP,
as II cannot move the fraction OF an
inch when fastened so. Then begin
with the array OF pins and fasten the
shirt waist 20 the corset wherever IL
shows a wrinkle or sign OF looseness
This method is particularly liked by
women who are inclined TO stoutness
and 70 whom q bulginess is unbecom-
ing. Slender figures can stand blous-
ing without being sights.
one pin should be put in at each
side OF the back through the casing
10 the corset steels there. Then the
seam at the side under the arm should
be snnootheo out and held down, after
which 81 is merely g matter OF adjust
ing the pins 10 suit the ribs OF the
corset. OF course, at FIRST one will
find it a BIT difflcult TO get the pins
arranged so that they DO not pull and
draw but after a few attempts one
gets the hang OF II and IT is quite
simple. The trouble with having the
waists made on tight belts attached
IA that very often the waists shrink
and the belt shows above the outside
purpose and can be adjusted 20 suit
steel pins are q trife dangerous. 90 it
may be az well 70 give q word OF warn
ing on the careful use OF them. They
break easily and do so frequently when
you try 70 thrust them through q par
Gculariy thick part OF the corset. 80