Evening star., 1933-10-22
Women Make Clothes at Home
Interest in Sewing Is
Revived, as Necessity
for Perfect Fit Comes
to Be Accepted by
: Wearer Silks and
Wooden Fabrics of
Today. 1@


Al home sewing? For II we are
wv to believe reports of the
metropolitan merchants who
keep such an attentive
finger on the pulse Of feminine fashion,
the home dressmaker and the sewing
basket are with us again.
The answer is not far to seek. This
letter from one o! our readers sums 1t
up in two sentences: Il have often
wondered why fashion columns never
advise on the purchase Of patterns and
materials. For quite time nave
found It more economical to make some
eof my clothes, thereby getting what I
like in . better quality than can af-
ford II ready made"
individuality end quality ut . price
are the goal sought by the woman who
makes her own clothes or superv1ses
their making. And the rules for sue
cessful dressmaking are simple. First,
choose 4 pattern that is suited to your
figure in line. appropriate for the oc-
caSionS for which you wish to wear 1t,
and adapted to the fabric In which you
are going to develop It. Then choose
your fabric with the greatest care and
not too much attention to price.
In the material used quality and in
dividuality Of the dress appear. and 1t
work upon material that is not Of first
quality Expert fitting and fine hand
work alike are wasted II the fabric Is
not good enough to hold its shape and
texture after a few wearings. There
are many imported fabrics from which
to choose, and there are American
manufacturers of silks and woolenS
whose names ale synonymous with
quality. Look for these names when
you 60 to purchase fabrics and you Will
find when the costume is finished that
you are amply repaid for your trouble
and any slight additional cost
THE woolen picture this season Is
more interesting than ever before.
Weaves are unusual and colors are r1ch
and varied. When you choose wool Tor
a dress. look at the new wool crepes.
some Of them in slightly croes-barred
effects, others with distinct diagonal
stripes-both matters of texture rather
than color These fabrics, with their
slightly harsh surfaces. wear beautifully
and are equally effective alone or IN
combination with silk or velvet.
For sports dresses there are any guam
tity of soft, hairy woolens in rich colors.
with a silvery frosted overtone lent by
the long hairs. There are loosely woven
plaids of soft angora-type wools ana
brilliantly plaided flannels and any
quantity of woolens Of the knitted
rather than woven type.
For more formal occasions, look at
the new suede finished wools Their
dull. deep piled surfaces lend the same
flattery to the skin that velvets do,
and combine with furs, especially the
longer haired varieties, exceptionally
well. Then there are smooth. black
wools. similar to old-fashioned popln,
and wool challes in quaint old-fash-
ioned patterns that combine excellently
well for trimming touches on plain
colored dresses Ilk
IN coat and suit fabrics, the choice
is equally wide. If you are going to
have both a utility coat and dressy
coat choose tweed for the former and
a suede finished fabric or broadcloth
for the latter
The tweeds this season have an un-
usually wide and attractive color range,
and there are hosts of them with soft
nubbly surfaces and very moSsy look
given by the unusual softness OF the
colors used In the suede finishes.
YOU will find the high colorings par
ticularly good. and more practical than
black; since they do not show dust so
quickly.
In the broadcloths. there is nothing
with greater elegance than black. but
YOU do not have to be content thus
season with the usual smooth. SILKY
surface of this fabric. There are
corded and twilled varieties which are
new and exciting. =,
If YOU want a practical coat for all
occasions. day after day, select one OF
the rough. harsh-surfaced woo!ens:
New ones this season have sort OF
fattened boucle effect that Is unsur-
passed for smartness and Tor wearing
Qualities. Cashmere in weave that
has almost imperceptible diagonal
stripes is another good choice. This Is
good in black and the flattened bouc!es
are eoellent in high colors and in the
more somber staples, black, brown ana
oxford gray.
CuKS show as wide a range OF sur
- face as do the wools. Failles and
benpalines are very smart for every
type of dress. Velvets we're never more
popular. Lyons varieties, crushed vel
vets and those lustrous bagheera types
share the spotlight. And there are
any number of sheer materials with
velvet brocaded motifs that are ex-
ceptionally interesting.
Metal threads are drawn through
heavy crepes and satins. and through
the heavy sheers. and other silks are
spangled all over with gold dots or
painted with gold stripes that give q
delightfully."- rich effect and that DO not
wear off Brocaded satins are In high
favor for the blouses that are worn
with dressy velvet suits.
Cotton is still with us-for velveteen
is being used for trimmings on sports
dresses, for jaunty berets and match,
ing scarfs, for gloves and belts. ana
for evening wraps and formal suits.
And a word about the immense I'M
portance of rayon yarns in the fabric .s
picture. They are combined Win
wools and with silks to create many
effects that were never dreamed OF BE-
fore. And another innovation in the
fabric world is the treatment OF many
materials 50 that they are entirely I'M
pervious to water-one emerges fresn
and unspotted from passing showers.