The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-28

NOR variety of shapes and mate
 ria1s, for profusion of flowers
 and ribbons and feathers, for luxuriance and simplicity com bined. I do not remember a summer hat season comparable to this. Advices from Paris indicate that the early fall will see marked change in style, but this summer we have had a period of undecided style, if we may use such m expression. If woman preferred . big hat, she might have one; if she preferred small one, she was equally in style. To be sure, the big hats, the so-called @peach-baskets," swere York during the early summer, but women who sought distinction in garb very carly abandoned these extreme and unbecoming creations.
 1t is, as you realize, always advisable to abstain from extremes h every de tail of dressing, particularly if your purse does not allow of your having feature of your costume is this more advisable than in the item of hats. If you must content yourself with two hats, endezvor to have them in the pre- vai1ing mode, but not so noticeable that your friends will recognize you by your headgear. Refined and successful dress ing is not the garbing spoken of in the MY SA@~'k<S - SeJ @A.A~. xA*sst 1sts
 am showing you in this page a number of hats exhibited by fashionable New York and Paris n1ilGners. They are all straws and range from the ribbon, through a modified flower hat, up to the most expensive Paris crea- don-the bottom photograph of the Rroup-a large black straw with masses of ostrich feathers and plumes.
 As necessary an article of dressing, however, is the shirt-waist, once the util- fly gaxb of the woman who worked in for sriitAhle occasions for the rich as well as for the se1f-supporting. Every woman should have number of these garments in her wardrobe, and for the woman who Hkes'to occupy herself with occasional sewing, am giving some useful suggestions for the making of the newest shirt-waists.
 The Latest shirt-w.ist
 It would seem that the designers must sometimes reach the end of invention. and be unable to devise any further variation of tuck and plait, whereby to diversity the tai1ored shirtwaist. The more decorative gar ment the lingerie waist; so-called-by reason of insettings of lace and embroid- cry, offers fewer obstacles to originality, but the tailored waist, demanding sim plicity and severity of line, can command no Such assistance.
 There is one feature available, how eyef, 1n the varied effects affoGded by the different methods of closing. The sim p1est is the plain box-plait, buttoning through the center with moderately larGe pearl buttons. The edges are stitched, and many of this seasons mod els show narrow, p1aited fril1 at each edge, though the new detachable frills are frequently made with buttonhoies in the central band, through which they may be attached to the same pearl but j tons that close the waist.
 Dez-Rlait oiosins
 The method of forming the box-p1ait at the shirt-waist closing differs from the making of an ordinary box-plait. It is necessary to dispose of the raw edge turned under at the front and to make neat inside finish, combining the two operations in as 1abor-saving a method as possible. This is one of the cases where tirne-and- -labor-saving plan is ccumendable; there are, unfortunate 1y, some others that are less desirable.
 An adequate and neat finish on the Inner, concealed side, as well as on the outer, is what constitutes good crafts n,anship, no matter to what branch oi the Arts 1t may be applied. There is certainly no more womanly arf than that of the needle, and, though unnecessary fussiness should be avoided, slip-shod methods of saving trouble are always deplorzble