Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-27
Fashions Lean Toward White for August Wear, With

whose figure is stout and thick than the
costume which divides her into two parts
just above the waist line. True. the one
piece frock does this In a certain way,
but 1t has a belt or an irregular line at
the top OF the skirts that helps matters.
The choosing of clothes for different
climates is not difficult in summer be-
cause America maintains a steadily warm
climate from Nova Scotia to Santa Bar
bara.
The New England coast is cool. so are
the northwest country and the shores of
the great lakes in some places. but the
American women have wisely adopted the
idea of depending on wraps for warmth
, and not going in for warm gowns even
when summering in resorts that claim a
large percentage of cool days.
This is admirable system and it
need not add to the laundry bill. because
clothes are not necessarily light in color
when they are light in weight. However.
there Is A leaning toward white for Au-
gust wear. and every woman likes to have
as much of 1t in her vacation wardrobe
as she can. even though she yields to
the wish for color and adorns her white
frocks with sashes and cravats. to say
nothing Of colored stockings, hats and
parasols Even If one adopts only the two
latter means Of obtaining color in COM
bination with a white gown, fashion is
satisfied and the wearer Is usually more
attractive.
To begin at the beginning with white
clothes. one should have at least two II
not more white wash skirts made of duck
or linen and as many white blouses as
are needed for these skirts and for what
ever thin suits one has. No one can
lay down a law about white blouses
Each year fashion says they are going
out and each year the shops sell them
by the hundreds.
1t is not possible for the American
woman. under her present form Of Dress
ing and living. to do without the most
comfortable garment she has made her
own. She wears 1t better than the
woman of any other nation; she under
stands it's limitations and its POSSIBLE
tiles. she has found out how to make II
at home at small cost. and the shops
have learned to cater to her purse.
Unfortunately, the shops have learned
this last issue almost too we'll for moth
ing has SO aided toward bringing the
white shirt waist into dispute as the soil
ing Of it by, the thousands. made Of
coarse materials with bad machine stitch
ing.
When it became the fashion to trim
shirt waists the shops jumped into the
ninetyeight-cent quality with its masses
OF ugly embroidery and coarse lace.
There was always the fine white shirt
threw shadow over even it. Slowly
the fashions changed and good taste got
the upper hand. and the shops as we'll
as the women have seen how much bet
ter Ii Is to omit coarse trimming and sell
a plain white shirt waist which boasts
only of a few tucks to break its surface.
Fortunately for the laundress that va
grant fancy-a p'eated white linen skirt
quickly went the way of other full gar
ments and has not yet returned. 1t is
not dead. Fashions only slumber. Yet.
for while, we are rid Of it, and glad
to be SO. for it hadn't one point Of merit
Well dressed women refused to wear
il and they chung to the entirely plain
skirt. For many years it fiared at the
seams to give the courtyard width which
was considered correct for decades: now
1t has only two yards of width and Its
seams are cut In a straight line without
flare.
They are Tapped and stitched and the
fastening Is down the middle front II
usually extends the whole way so that
the skirt opens like an apron and is.
therefore. easier to launder. The but
tons are pearl cloth. The latter is pre-
ferred. but should be put on with pat
ent fasteners and taken off when the
skirt goes to the tub. This is the better
way to do with all buttons on wash
skirts. There is little trouble involved
and much saving of sewing and bad
ironing.
The white wash skirt continues to hang