The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-16

AA ORE elaboration than has
 been seen for several seasons
 is being put on children's - - frocks this summer. Ruff1es are responsible for this. It is ruffie- year, if ever there was one, and when ruffies attack grown-up frocks, they break out in very fever on small att tire. Ruffles, ruffles and ruffies has the party frock for little girl, these days, many gay ruffles on the skirt clear to the sash-line; and more ruff fes on the waist around neck and sleeve and sometimes running across back and front above the sash-line. When developed in organdie or in lowered lawn, these little frocks are especially dainty and feminine. Ruff ies. parasol, and a big sashbow- what more could a pretty little maid demand to be irresistible?
 In striking contrast to the frilled organdie frocks are straight-up-and- down frocks of piaue and linen with belt far below the natural waistline and little skirts fiaring out below, so short that they reveal the knee. Wee girls of five to seven wear their petti- coats almost grotesquely short, and the same very abbreviated skirts are often noted on lanky little girls of seven to ten-when mammas wish to keep them as juvenile as possible. At seven, the small girls froeks should touch her knee; at eleven they should drop just over it: at thirteen or four teen they should be half-way between knee and top of buttoned boot; at six teen--or even at fifteen if the girl is tall and well-grown, skirts should reach the boot-top. This is of course, at present, the adult length.
 But to go back to Ave years, where we started:
 A New Middyfied Romper.
 The romper has still no rival An ma- ternal opinion, as a play garment for tiny people. It is so easy to launder and gives such freedom to little limbs Girls and boys alike live in rompers through most of the day in the priv acy of the home garden, and one sees the romper even at the beach or on the grounds of summer hotels of a less fashionable sort. The middy ronper pictured, though intended for boy or girl, specially pleases the small boy with its sailor-like suggestion in the collar and knotted tie The model pictured is of white galatea with bands of rose pink at collar and belt and a pink ribbon tie. The hat to match has smart buttoned band of the pink ealatea.
 For very little girls the smock and bloonner combination is cunning, and practical also, for play hours. The smock simply cut on kimona lines, with fullness smocked in across front and back, falls about four inches short of the knee, full bloomers to match showing below. These smocks are made of linen or of colored cham bray with the shocking done in silk, In self tone. A very pretty little smock of this sort If of pin-checked green and white gingham with shocking in green silk. A broad -brimmed play hat of burnt straw has band and streamers of green ribbon.
 Tor the older girl, of seven to ten, or thereabout, there are play dresses, also made over bloomers, though the latter are not as obvious as in mere Juvenile models. A beach dress for a girl of eight Is of natural colored linen crash. with loose blouse and short. circular skirt, the skirt button ing all the way down at the front, like the blouse and attaching itself to the blouse by a single stitched seam in- stead of belt. Elbow sleeves with cuffs and . wide, black silk necktie knotted under the turned back collar, finish this comfortable play dress which because Of it's simplicity and the combination of tan linen and black silk tie. has much smartness. The stout little girl looks best in a long waisted frock with box pleats at front and back to give length of line. and she should wear her belt as loose as possible and carefully adjusted, neither too high nor too low.
 The embroidered pique frock pie