The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-27
A Woman May Be Well Dressed
on One New Costume
a Year.
AUTHORITY TELLS HOW
Belle Armstrong Whitney, Paris
Fashion Expert, Explains That
Careful Buying ls Secret.


declares that one new costume
season will keep a woman
well-dressed.
Ten thousand dollars q year has
been widely quoted as n society
woman's estimate OF tho minimum
dress allowance of a woman with
social demands. And most fashion
advice extant 10 gagged on the same
golden scale, with q Kaleidoscope
succession OF styles that pass In q
minute and wardrobes OF proportions
new every season.
But Mrs. whitney. who represents
the nth degree of Partisan elegance In
her fashion shows, and who knows
the latest styles to their last detail.
estimates that three typical costumes
make a whole wardrobe and quotes
Worth OF Paris, who says there In no
reason a well.chosen gown should
not be worn three or four seasons.
She points to the simple styles of
the Greeks, Persians, Egyptians and
others that have outlived the cen
turtles, and flaunts the plans and
specifications OF new millennium
9f dress triumphantly abroad In the
bookshops OF the land in her "what
that prudent husbands and romantic
hut poor young men may buy IL for
"a Christmas gift and mark the chap
ter on Economy"
Says Mrs. whitney: "It IL possible
to be well-dressed with but three
~. A twopiece tailored suit.
20. a day.dress for house wear.
%. An evening gown and cloak.
This classification, like all gener.
alizstions, is susceptible of variation
In details.
Til. Proxra- Elastic.
Like all assumptions OF fixed con.
dillon for any great number OF PEG.
pie, II IL to be viewed In broad
sense. Surely, no one who reads this
needs TO be told that conditions alter
cases. The woman who goes out
daily to teach school or 20 business,
needs one type OF tailored suit-thc
walking skirt and Jacket type. The
woman who lives ON a big ranch and
rides on horseback each day requires
for her outsofdoor costume a riding
habit.
Tho woman who dimes at tho most
fashionable hotel Of the day In New
York requires n different typo OF
evening dress from that required for
the church social In the village. The
style or home dress demanded by so
ciety for the hostess giving n debu.
tante tea In big city, IL different
from the house dress needed by the
home mother who does her own
cooking,
We'll Dressed AZ All Times.
But tho general classification re.
mains. 4 woman can be well.dressed
for any occasion IL she has AN ap.
PIRATE outdoor costume. one approprl.
ate indoor costume for day wear, and
smother for evening wear away from
home.
Most Of M do not begin n new sea.
sons wardrobe with AN empty closet.
there are usually some clothes on
hand. often there are too many
clothes ON hand, Very many women
whose social life does not In any way
depend ON clothes, none the less
make the mistakes OF buying several
inferior costumes instead OF one that
"a poor choice OF any kinds Of dress
ar suit Is one made of poor fabric.
or made In n style 80 conspicuous that
the following season II viii be 'out
ar fashion,, or 50 indifferently con
structed that IL does not iii or Is with.
ont grace OF line and charm OF color.
Purchase With Care.
1.-THE purchase OF even one good suit
or dress, or coat. In a season. keeps
very well dressed, indeed. the woman
who has but moderate social require.
ments. But this one purchase should
be made with discrimination, II
should be carefully adjusted tn the
Mesrerk particular circumstances.
Very much too often, women buy dup
ltcates of what other women are
buying without any other rhyme or
reason for the buying,
81 believe that We should buy our
"a all A Ia n
the ones On which the wear and tear
fall hardest, Garments that are 10
be worn only now and then are OF
much less importance. The suit, coat.
day ought TO be so good In material
and so we'll made that they can en-
dure steady use and keep on looking
well.
How 20 Buy Clothes.
"very many garments are just as
appropriate for Sundays and holidays
as they are for every day. But not
all clothes that are good enough for
church and visiting are good enough
To work In. Many fabrics and colors,
handsome enough In themselves, are
too delicate for all weathers and con
slant wear. I never buy a light suit
unless i have dark one.
"When j buy ono new article 1 try
TO select something that looks Well
with what ! have on hand. For In.
stance, II ] have gray furs I don't
buy a brown dress, but choose black
or blue or gray, 10 that next winter
they will look we'll together. IL l
had a brown hat l would not select
a gray dress TO be worn with IL. but
a brown one.
"Some articles of dress that are
not cNtraNHgant In themselves are
not so economical as others. For in
stance, low shoes cost no more than
high ones. But IL costs more for
stockings to wear with low shoes.
Light'colOred tops TO boots look smart
when they are new, but are a dis
tressing confession OF bad taste and
poverty when dirty.
Price Not the Measure.
"Price Is not by any means the
measure OF good clothes. Some ma
terials that are very expensive and
really elegant, such as rich velvet and
beautiful feathers, are so fragile that
they can only be recommended for
elaborate wardrobes for occasional
wear.
LAS my business makes II necessary
for me to visit stores all over the
world, you might think that like TO
shop about for my own things But
I hau ~. al. 20