The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-04-24
Homemakers' Column
Edited by Miss Mildred Barton, Home
Demonstration Agent for Garrett
County, Oakland.
Look For Quality" Material In A
Cotton Dress

It's along about now that fore
sighted women are getting summer
wardrobes in shape. Sewing machines
are umming-there's a waiting line
at pattern counters-and ready made
cottons are being featured in dress
departments.
This summer probably will see more
cotton dresses being worn than ever
before. For cotton, always a popular
summer fabric, has been even more in
demand in the past few years. Cotton
materials are coming out in a greater
variety of colors and patterns. And
special finishes are applied nowadays
to change and improve the natural
quality of many cottons.
Miss Clarice Scott, Clothing Special
list of the Bureau of Home Economics
gives here some of the marks of
quality to look for in piece of cotton
goods or ready made cotton dress.
The main thing to remember is that
your cotton dress is going to be
washed time and time again. You want
it to make that trip through the tub
and off the ironing board each time
none the. worse for the wear. You
want it to be easy to take care of, be
comfortable, and becoming.
SO first of all, look for facts about
shrinkage. Many a fashionable well
fitting dress has changed to ward
robe problem child simply because it
shrank after the first washing. A
residual shrinkage of not more than
l or percent gives you assurance
that the dress will not shrink enough
to alter its fit. Shrinkage facts will
be marked on the bolt end of a piece
of yard goods. If you buy yard goods
not marked definitely as to how much
it will shrink, wash it first before
making it up.
Readymade dresses are coming
more and more to have definite shrink
age facts on printed tags. If they
haven't, you can be pretty sure they
will shrink somewhat. Buying a size
larger to take care of expected
shrinkage or buying dresses with
seams that can be let out in case the
dress shrinks is not good policy. For
even after alterations, the fit will not
be the same-not to mention how
ime-consuming and expensive are
the alterations.
Colors that run the gamut of the
rainbow are dyed into cottons Of all
kinds. Make sure this color is tubfast
and sunfast.
Look for this information on the
end of the bolt from which you buy
yard goods. On, readymades, look for
printed tags with definite information.
Verbal statements are no protection.
Look on tags, too, to find facts
about crease-resistance These crease
resistant finishes lessen wrinkling,
help the garments keep their shape
and stay clean longer. If you are pay
ing extra for such finish, make sure
the material has been subjected to a
special process that makes it perma-
nently creaSe-resiStant.
Tags and labels help you check the
hidden qualities of cotton-but learn
to judge other qualities of the cotton
yourself by looks and feel.
Any cotton wears better if made
from smooth yarns that will not fuzz
1t should be firm both ways of the ma
terial, so a dress made from it won't
stretch out of shape. Hold material up
to the light to see the actual weave
And rub it to see if there is sizing or
other surface finish that may wash