The Colorado statesman., 1908-03-28
GIZAR7 WALKING GONIYS

In the earliest days of it's existence,
now some ten years ago, the blouse
seriously threatened the sovereignty
of the dressmaker. When we grew
more familiar with it and embraced
its easeful charms with enthusiasm,
we realized that, like every excellent
innovation, it had it's place, but that
its place was not everywhere, with
every skirt, or on every person, or for
every occasion. There is no doubt,
however, that its comfortable con-
venience and easy requirement have
exercised a baneful influence over the
fortunes of the little dressmaker."
The blouse is the garment of the
populace, the joy of the million, and,
II half the stories one hears be true,
it is at once the despair and support
of the submerged tenth, whose for
tunes, or misfortunes, by the way,
realize as being too deep for mere
trivial allusion.
The blouse is the heroine of my
story at the moment, and l at once
confess myself addicted to its delights,
though sternly refusing myself these
save in midsummer, when l permit
myself to revel in its attractiveness
without thought for the undoubted
fact that it is neither generally be-
coming to the figure, nor acceptable
to the connoisseur, unless made by
the hand of the expert, or elaborately
embroidered and of the finest fabrics.
There is luxury in blouse land as well
as an almost incredible possibility for
economy. Blouses | have seen bear
ing the kimono outline, which remains
much in fashion, with insertions of
lace of the Cluny order, alternating
with tuclls, the bodice portion of soft
lawn, at something less than six
shillings each. How it is done l do
not know, and should not like to ask.
But there is no doubt that blouses of
this description exist in the thou
sands, and the variety of others, less
ornate perhaps but no less attractive,
is practically endless.
The Parisians have taken, fancy
at the moment to the blouse of fine
ninon merely decorated with tucks
and little pearl buttons, and completed
with lawn collar and glace tie, ad
mirable examples of what the dwellers
in the land of the Stars and Stripes
call "the shirt waist" Another very
attractive model of a blouse which
combines the advantages of the blouse
and the shirt is of white pongee,
merely decked into large tucks hem
stitched. Then, again, the little striped
and spotted nuns yelling is made into
plain shirts which cost but a few
shillings.
The shot silk blouse has waned in
our affections, and chine silk blouses
have comparatively little patronage,
and the prodigal now turn their atten-
tion towards shirts of crepe de chine,
a capital material for the purpose, too,
since it washes well and hangs de-
lightfully.
| And lastly on the list of the blouse
popular comes the blouse of lawn,
of linen, and of crash. The industrious
amateur may buy blouse of crash
ready cut and traced with an embroid-
cry pattern, and work her dainty will
upon it, and achieve a result far in
excess of its initial price. The finer
cambric and linen lawn blouses may
also be bought traced to embroider
but they do not perhaps reward the
laborer since they are somewhat diff.
cult to work successfully. There are
two new underbodices in the market
specially designed to do the blouse
honor. Both are made of linen, both
are boned down the center of the
front, both cross at the back and