Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-12
WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL APRON

shoulders. and sometimes they were
made with inset shshes just Delow the
waist in back that tied in a quaint bow
at the back Obviously they had the
advantage OF saving Laundry bills and
keeping winter frOcks clean. The more
extravagant generation that followed
spurned such honeIy devices. and clad
its little girls in wash frocks the
whole year round.
Now clothes thrift has come back
into the scheme or things Moreover.
houses are not 30 warm and there is
need Of dressing our little girls IN
heavy fabrics In winter. Hence the
apron has returned and the shops are
showing delightful and mex ZpenBiye ISL
tie garments Of this gort-rnanv ~
them dubbed pinafores and thny ere
being readily bought Dy mothers 7ll1
realize that four or five of these 20
ments plus one or two woolen ~ other
heavy fabric frocks will see 4 child
through a term a. school Some ~ the
aprons are pure white. as we're those
that We used - wear but gnsnv Others
are made of G2ured calico such 90
suggest the days Il Our grandrnothers
These are more substantial than tb0se
~ pure white and have the advantsRa
~ being for the nonce extremely smar'
for every one knows that calico - st'li
a trump card IN the game ~ fashion.
Now obviously II you we're going IN
simply for serviceabilitv you would 10
as the French mothers do and make
your children's pinafores or aprons -
black Az a matter of fact, you know.
French children m expensive private
schools or in home school rooms where
they are taught by their own private
tutors often are thus equipped by their
parents who would think we we're abb
surdly extravaeant 70 provide our chill
dran with freshly laundered pinafores
even once 4 week one nesitates -
tnnk how seldom those French pima
fcres ara washed Of course that
would never Be our American idea
Even the poor mother n this country
feels that her first duty 70 her child y
to keep him fresh and clean There is
probably nothing Injurious about the
school room CRIME that accumulatss on
those black French pinafores, out i is
rather dreadful 70 think of IN connec-
rion with childhood nevertheless
However. the picture Of 2 group of
sturdy. weli-bred French school chill
dren with rather elaborate frocks on
covered over CyEnpAeAE4F "a WtDt ~+AN 1'-NUt y
lines II black cotton pinsfores Is pic
turesdue
The black cotton pinafore IL one Of
the new refugee garments made by
Red cross workers. Il is made cf black
satteen FOR girls and boys from four
10 fourteen and II very much Ike the
usual French pinafore in design. Il
has long sleeves and hangs from a
short yoke in front. the front being laid
III three wide box pleats The fullness
Is aeld in place oy a stitched oeit
slightly below the regulation waist line
and this fastens al the back. The back
also buttons at the yoke. Obviously II
Is one OF the garments sincerely wanted
hy the devastated French folk. or u
would not be in the list Of clothes TO
he made. but il "a a rather gloomy.
forlorn little garment for all tnat. as Il
lies Ia piles Of a hundred or 80 IN the
work rooms. And imagine a strapplng
American school boy consenting 70 be
butuoned into a skirted garment of that
sort Tor five or SIX school hours every
eay, But because the French 10Y con-
sents does not indicate that He is any
less boyish than our oWn LADS. K s
Simply a matter II getting Used - it.
The sturdy French farmer. you know.
wears q smock chat extends .n skirts
tJ his knees AMI sometimes below them
and no one thinks less p the many
French priest because ne wears his
cassock with almost trailing skirts
about the streets