The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-12-04
W. L. Austin, Merchandise Manager of Miller Rhoads Makes
Interesting Talk Before Home Economics Section of
Education Conference What the Woman
Who Buys Should Know About
Dress Materials"

| good quality material and makes over
her dress. BY the addition OF few
kouches f"new trimmings, she has a
pretty dress at a little cost and she
! is just as presentable as her ultra
stylish sister. The materials the
customer who wants quality. would
choose are: Velvets, satins, lans-
downes. peau de soies. gabardines.
These will bear making over and will
wear many seasons: retaining their
freshness. Serviceable materials for
sensible dresses.
The third woman must consider
price first. True she wants style and
she wants quality, but the cost price
to her means dent In her pocket
book. whatever she pays For her
best dress she will want messaline or
crepe de chine, for they are OF mod.
crate cost; will wear well and look
well so long as they are worn. For
the real serviceable dress. nothing
equals the French serge. Next 70
this is the silk poplin. Nine out Of
ten women who must count tho cost,
will buy French serge. and tho
other one OF the ten will select a silk
or wool poplin.
AS for the silk poplin. Ii Is we'll to
konw that 1t Is one Of the best wear
ing and best appearing fabrics you
can use. 1t always looks neat and
stays in pleat well. There are other
items of interest and information
that all women should know about
dress materials.
! In selecting materials for service.
it is we'll to stay within the range of
serges gabardines broadcloths, man
nish mixtures, and such kindred fab
! RIGS, rather than select diagonals or
| basket weaves. which are loosely
! doomed and will pull at the seams and
/ sag. The purchaser of dress mate
rails should know about the yarns
! from which different fabrics are made.
! Mohairs are made from the fleece
+ OF the Angora goat and most mohair
cloths are cotton warp. This makes
a durable combination which will wear
Well. shed dust well and is very lus-
trous
/ "Serges are made of hard twisted
worsted yarns Worsted yarn is spun
out and the long fibers combed and
twisted into hard string before weav-
! ing into cloth. Serges and kindred
/ fabrics woven from worsted yarns
will become sleek and shiny after
much wear.
/ "Broadcioths, etc. are made OF wool
en- yarns. These are soft and warm
and are only loosely twisted from
Sleeps wool The quality of fiannels
. hroadcloths. etc. depends upon the
quality of wool from which the cloth
Is made. Our finest broadcloshs are
made from Austrian yarns
New Material Used.
There Is new material used OF
| late years which has a sheen like silk
I and is called fiber silk. This is made
+ frnyYt ri 80 Al
tree and Is woven into hosiery. sweat
| ers. scarfs, etc.
! Very often 1t happens that a Gus
/ toner steps up to the counter wish
/ ing certain kind OF silk without be-
/ ing able to remember its name AS
] France is the oldest silk producing
| country OF the civili1ed world. most
| OF the names by which we distinguish
| the different weaves are French.
| ''Taffeta was originally merely the
name for a cehtainn weave. for which
the shortest description would be:
! .Qne-up ,-one-doKn. -MessalIHe- silk
| is soft satin finished material.
Satin duchesse Is the name used
| for a specially heavy finished satin
| SO Ia satin merveilleux, which means
wonderful satin.' and IL very similar
to tho duchesse.
| "Peau de cygne means simply skin
OF swan. II you look close you will
notice that It has a granny appearance,
just like the skin of your Sunday
chicken. Peau de cyEne Is a soft satin
finished silk
"Peau de Sole ('Skin Of s4lk')--A
skin manufactured OF silk. 80 called
because 1t Is mostly a heavy piece of
material which comes also double
faced
''Chiffon is a silk tissue Of plain
weave and soft finish. The word In
often used to indicate light weight
and soft finish. as chiffon velvet
| 'Fouiard-One understood this
name originally to mean silk I'M
ported from East India, with printed
Oriental figures, and was specially
used for scarfs. II Is now a popular
material for GUNNER dresses, and is
different from all above kinds. dyed
or printed after weaving.
Crepe de Chine-As we all know.
De Chine from China) tells US the
origin Of this class of goods. It IL
dyed or printed after weaving.
Coined Names For 6tlks
| There are numberless other coined
names for silks. but II would be al
] most impossible 10 try to explain
them. Most Of these are to he ciassed
In with above weavea, which are the
main ones.
when q woman stands before a
tempting window Of silks, each piece
bearing a card giving the number Of
yards required Tor = dress and the
total cost Of that quantity. she con-
siders how she can manage her
the anpeal Of thu merchandise b