Evening star., 1926-10-17
BY MARY MARSHALL

" HE wool from sheep, the fibers
OF fax, the cocOons Of silk
moths. the soft covering Of
Il the seeds of the cotton plant
these for centuries have pro-
vtded us with the material for our
clothes. Skins Of animals. even more
primitive material for clothes, are as
widely used as ever.
So far AZ the actual substance OF
our raiment goes. we have advanced
but little. The torch of modern
sr'auce has not been able to throw
any additional light on the matter OF
materials for our clothes. Trimmings
and adornments are made of the same
substa noes that were used thousands
OF years ago-bright and glittering
stones, iridescent shells from the sea.
cleaning metals, the gay plumage OF
birds. skins Of snakes. furs OF beasts.
II is not in the materials them.
selves but in the use of them that we
stand so far in advance Of people OF
otner ages, and every year some new
and really marvellous methods of i'm.
proving on these oldtime materials
is evolved. But even with all our skill
In this matter we have probably
achieved nothing more remarkable
than the invention Of velvet, or satin.
or brocade. or lace.
The best we can do Is to follow
along in the paths blazed by the mas.
ter weavers and spfnners OF ages
past. bringing modern machinery and
our knowledge of science to hear In
making these materials more beauti.
full and more interesting every year.
The most important fact is that
these materials are now more plent1-
full and cheaper. Materials and trim
mingS that once were worn only by
queens and women Of great wealth
are now worn by all. The poorest
working girl wears silks and veIvets
and satins. metal trimmings, feathers
and furs that would once have been
the envy of empress.s.
You may have heard that wOOlen
materials are going to he fashionable
for Winter-fa Shionable and very i'm
portant. This statement is ba sed. Of
course. on the fact that the leading
dressmakers have used wooden mate
rials in extremely interesting ways
for many frocks. and many OF the
new wooden materials lend themselves
to almost every sort of manipulation.
However, there are women who
never wear wooden frocks. They wear
woolen coats and woolen two piece
suits and possibly a wooden skirt with
a silk jumper. but they have no use
for the allwool frock or the wool
Jumper The widespread possession
larity Of the fur-ined wool coat
make 1t possible for women to wear
frocks of thin silks all Winter long.
American steam heating Is another
factor that contributes to the vogue
for the lightweight. thin frock in this
country.
1t is important that makers OF
woolen materials have adapted these
to the requirements Of the present
pnrAA haf v,lch ia hric0 tweed
and broadcloth are now almost as
pliable as silk crepe.
Tweeds take first place among ma
terals chosen for daytime and sports
coats. Two-pieCe suits and street
frocks are also made OF the finer.
thinner tweeds. This Is a fabric OF
great antiquity. The word is a Scotch
form of twill helped by natural
association with the river Tweed"
which runs through a region where
the fabric is made. Twill in turn de-
noted a Material woven with a double
thread. and has the same source as
our word twice Among the colOrs
most in favor for tweeds are beige,
Patou red Chanel blue, gray.
One thing that has made possible
the continued and revived interest in
tweeds is, Of course, that the mate
rIals are finer and more interesting
than ever before. There Is nothing
about these fabrics to remind us of
the dull-colored material which a GER
tain sedate class Of English women
used to select for their travel clothes
a material considered especially de- |
sirable because it did not show the
dust. being so drab and neutral in
tone. did not need pressing. and was
Of endless wearing quality. These
new tweeds are soft and lOvely-so
lovely that they are sometimes chosen
for evening wraps trimmed with ex
quisite fur collars.
Flannel Is a wooden material which
Ia often spoken OF in descriptions Of
smart clothes for Winter. A genera