Evening star., 1920-02-15

X X X r
IF, therefore. the dressmaker, tho
tailor. the shopkeeper persuades a
woman to buy one thing good that win
last, all the qualities Of the mind must
be brought into play to find out
whether the argument is justified
That's the question up to every woman
this spring.
Suppose she pays a big price for
frock or suit, will that suit continue
to be In style sufficiently long to give
value for the money paid? There is no
dfessmaker on earth who will answer
that query. 1t must be decided by the
individual purchaser.
Again the woman must ask herself
whether the style may change. whether
the contour of clothes may undergo a
revolution. whether or not the material
In her suit or frock will be available
further usage. There again she is
in the dark.
She must remember that 1t is labor
that costs and that the labor of alter
ing a gown, no matter how sturdy the
fabric, is almost as costly as the pur-
seamstress does less work and asks
more money. including food, at the
highest price ever paid
1t appears that the whole choice of
frock today is 81 gamble. 1t may 20
out of style by June, 1t may not be
worth alteration, it may have to be
worn regardless of the fact that ones
friends are choosing different silhou-
cites.
On the other hand, if one goes
against the dressmaker's persuasive
arguments and buys something cheap.
built of material that will rub or
spot or wear thin, where is the ad-
vantage? The money Is lost.
One runs full tilt into this kind Of
talk when choosing a coat suit for
spring. Winter may not be over, but
in the heart Of every woman there stirs
a longing for something new. It is no
longer the custom to wear sackcloth
and ashes during Lent. The slight
cessation Of social gayety which occurs
during the forty days does not impei
one to wear old clothes, to look ones
worst or to keep on with heavy winter
fabrics.
There IL promise Of spring. OF
longer days. and of moro sunlight in
the very act of going into tho shops
and seeing the new clothes that are
spread out for those who are tired Of
the suit they bought in September, Of
the furs that have served two years.
To all Of these the dressmakers offer
coat suits to which IL taeged the word
economy. 1t may be bright new label
on an old article. but here is tho idea
as it is emphasized and enforced by
those who sell clothes: that one must
buy several costumes in one. In the
combination is a skirt, tunic and a
jacket. Tho tunio and skirt together
form a one-piece frock which can serve
in the afternoon for a lunch party or a
matinee. and this brilliant and costly
tunic can be replaced by others Of
lesser pretentions that viii serve for
the strenuous hours.
When one wants a complete coat
suit for the street, one adds the new
Jacket. If the day is cold il one wishes
to 60 into the country, then any kind
OF topcoat Of cloth or fur can serve.
In truth. there are so many alluring
promises made for the costume that ito
possessor should believe 1t could be
used for all the occasions of life OK.
cept a ball OF course. the price is
high when one wishes to buy SO much
at one time. but the argument is that
one pays for an entire wardrobe in
ono fell swoop. and that the rest Of
the season may be spent in merely
selecting pieces from the wardrobe and
assembling them into a complete Co.'S
tune.
The strongest emphasis Is laid upon
the peculiar adaptibility Of the Jacket
to various needs. Every one needs a
spring topcoat is the basis Of the
plea. fur coat is too heavy for April
an old coat does not put new frock
into the best light, frock without a
coat has its limitations and the popu-
larity Of separate skirts and tunics
makes long Jacket imperative. There
you are. Quite list Of arguments
brought in line for anything, don't you
think?
So far as the season has gone the
dressmakers have won out with these
arguments. Women like the proposal