Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-15
SART0RIAL HINTS.
By Elizabeth Lee.

This Is the season Of the year when the
replenishing Of the wardrobe is the SUI
preme thought in the mind of the aver
age woman.
The dry goods merchants tell US there
is practically no business done now in
the spring compared with that before the
auto era, but fancy the woman Of mod
crate means is still struggling with the
same old problem, though 1t must be
acknowledged the difficulties are lessened
for her every year. BY this I mean the
improvements seen along the line of
ready-made garments. Today it is quite
possible to buy gowns and wraps taste
fully and often artistically made Of ma
terials of good quality. the finish all one
can desire at price one would pay the
average dressmaker for making alone
There is only one drawback to this
satisfactory condition Of affairs, and that
Is, not all women are what is. known as
stock sizes, consequently there are a
very large number who cannot take ad-
vantage of the convenience offered them.
For 1t is a convenience to be able to put
on gown or a wrap and have 1t fit, if
not perfectly, then fairly well; also to
know exactly how one looks in 1t before
making the purchase. This is pleasure
the woman who is not of normal build
can never enjoy, and only those who
have been through it know what it is to
have new gown made Oh, the anxiety
and the worry until 1t is all over! Not
that the finish Of the gown means all
over by any means for some women
l remember once coming home from
the dressmaker's after fitting and meet
ing friend, to whom 1 told my errand.
Il always get fits" said, 'till my dress
ia done don't ~ ssVaI1 10 iod
II usually get them after the dress
comes home. / never seem to have the
power to protest and demand changes
as you do, SO. as a rule. the dress is
You fare better than most women"
Well, perhaps / do, but, indeed, by the
| time the dress is finished / have earned
every bit of satisfaction l have gained.
| l have often wondered why dressmakers
persist in carrying out their own ideas
| rather than those of their patrons OF
course, 1t is only right they should try to
show their skill by executing up-to-date
styles. their reputation demands it, but
| why not meet a patron half way?
| Now, from experience have found the
woman of average good taste 5 morally
knows what is becoming to her better
to improve upon the taste, because very
often one does not realize they are
| changing as getting older, fatter, thin
| ner. but it is safe to listen with respect
help more often than not. When we
| love our hat, gown, or wrap, as the case
may be, we always wear 1t with a better
| grace.
1t is often said: "A woman's clothes
| are the expression of her TASTE" but this
| is very far from being true, except In the
| case Of the very rich woman.
Quite often woman is clothed with the
| ideas Of her dressmaker, not because she
! approves of them, but she has no alter
| native. The money has been spent and
| there is no more Forthcoming. conse-
| quently she is compelled to wear what is
| often repulsive to her. Should her taste
| then be judged by her dress? She must
| either wear the dress and gain the repu-
tation of being i'll dressed, or she must
| add 1t to the row Of failures already
hanging in the closet.