El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-28
Silk Saves
Woman
Money

QUEEN ELIZABETH wore the first
pair o. silk hose ever mauufac-
tured and. so history reports, was
so pleased with their beauty and lux
urious comfort that she would never
afterwsrd wear anything else.
There seems to be no record avail
able Of the individual who first wore
stlken underclOthes, however. It is
likely that the magnificent ward
robes Of the Queen Of Sheba. Cleo
patras Helen OF Troy and other beau
THU women were All OF silks or
other rich materials. They were ex-
ceptions- Today every woman wears
EN-.
The present nation wide feminine
love for silk underclothes and stock
ings is Of comparatively recent de-
Nelopment and indicates a much more
extensive Standardization Of modes
than is usually conceded by those to
whom pink silk underwear indicates
only extravsgant frivolity and per-
haps moral degeneracy.
While styles do not vary from one
extreme TO another in under things
as they do in more visible garments,
il IS Interesting to note the style
tendencies as evidenced by popular
demand and also speculate IS to what
such tendencies denote.
Is An Economy.
Ten years ago. silk underwear was
practically unthOught Of. Even silk
hose, though often 2 treasured part
OF the wardrobe OF many people were
rot generally IN use, and were worn.
when at all for best" by actresses
CT society leaders.
It is since 1918. that silk under
wear has come into general use,
strangely enough, on the face Of it,
during the period Of the great war
and the reconstruction era. when
most 7nrr11a rHa1n honest q far--rrf= 20
curtail their expenditures and be sin
Cer6ly economical.
In other words, silk underwear
ts genuine economy, and IL f.
for THIS reason, and not primar-
ilT because Of its beauty and
comfort that II has superseded
the other kinds for all classes Of
women.
The stenoErapher or teacher at $50
or S55 week and the salesWoman at
SIS or SO. the school girl who checks
on fathers account or the debutauts
on generous allowance-a1 Of them
buy wear and approve OF silk under
wear with such unEnistakable en-
phasls that II Is almost impossible
for muslins. linens or other cotton
materials to ever regain their lost
vogue
SIX Needs Care.
True. there IS a steady and con
tinued demand for the -uuslins,'- as
they are technically called in the
shops silk underwear requires more
work for one trip to an ordinary
landry ruins them and comparatively
few women are in a position TO have
them laundered by hand. unless they
do them personally. So many per
sons buy plain muslin underwear in
order that Il may be sent to the laun-
dry and survive its wear and tear.
Then there IS that class OF persons,
usually-With all due respect-ruiddle
aged and elderly women. whose minds {
refuse 70 compass the fact that one
rlay still be virtuous and enveloDed I
in silks, 50 thev sternly reject tinted.
siIzen THINGS for the more old fash
toned nuslins OF undouhted respect
ability and permanent wearing quail
ftfes
Asa matter % fact. silk underwear,
while the initial expense Is consider
ably more than that Of even the best
cotton or linen outwears the latter
by 100 Dsr cent. IL the proper care
IS taken IN laundering.
Pale pink T. and viii be. according
20 undouhted authorities. The most in
demand and this in spite Of sporadic
attempts 20 bring forth a new shade
for q change. Orchid pale lareu- /
der tint-and nale shades Of blue and
Yellow, are holding their own- al
though they have never attained 70
any great popularity. hut white silk !
- little IN demand. probably because /
its shining and VIRGIN beauty IS ruined !
BY the first washing and. instead OF Z
a SNOWY. shimmerinR white. It -
CONES z yusterless and unattracfive I
yellow The pink may fade somewhat /
but never lose its daintiness so long 4
as Il lasts.
Prieesf Not So Bad.
Prlcesz one may buy 2 silk under
garment for as low as s195, though 4
the quality Is. Of course. very infer
for- Very Eoos garments In silk mas 4
be obtained IT from IS up apiece, and 1
hers IN FL Paso. the prices do not (
become 50 outra Eeous as one might I
think FOR instance. the highest
priced silk Dfe~e At ore exclusive shop
Is $3.50. while night robes OF the
same quality cost $50 or $50. Pa
fauss Of elaborate design are often
used IN place OF neeligee and cone
IN emhroiderad and rich materials for
rs high as SIS a suit.
Among army neop1e. there Is a dis
finct vogue for the hand embroidered
Filipino underwear OF fine nainsook.
made entirely by hand and daintily
are most reasonably priced beoeuse
there IS no import duty to sucn gar
ments. as there is to the French hand
embroidered ones
But TIRE sturdy heavy froo1r Old
Fashioned ruF~lin Underi-arnie1t
with fits high meek and long
sleeves and voIuIuinaus folds, dec
GRATED with quantities OF en-
broidery or bur5 crochefed i17ceD
Is thing Of the pHEf-aud deep
siEha OF FEff-f Enred its de1urture-
Z IS not only ugly; Il was cunner-
some and uncomfortable and bug
bear as far as laundering was con-
cerned
The Bride Then and Nov-
The brides OF 1905 or earlier VIII
remember their trosseaus Of dozens
% each, representing months OF ar
duous labor. and comnare them IN
fsvorably with the things OF today's
nride-to-be. who goes to the shop and
purchases dainty. tinted, siiEen gar
ments at prices 10 times that Of their
pioneer sisters but worth il from the
viewpoint OF almost any woman
And II IS proved by the dozens
u -mlddle elnss1 deFoteea from
the rank and fife Of working vTo-
men, That silk underwear not only
Eratifies the feminine love for
beauty and luxury but actually e.
less expensive. T1ore genuinely
economical-in these days Of
steam laundrfea and hard water
ard washing porrders-than is