The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-03-13
HomemakerS' Column
Edited by Miss Mildred Barton, Home
Demonstration Agent for Garrett
County, Oakland.
Buying Cotton Shirts

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every customer should request before
purchasing cotton shirt.
These may be secured by examining
the shirt closely, by reading labels, by
asking questions, and insisting on
clear-cut answers from the sales
person or the buyer.
What Kind of Material?
Most shirts are made of cotton-the
finer shirtings for dress or business
wear, heavier shirtings for work
shirts. Best cottons for shirts are
those with a firm weave. Long floats
or loose or fuzzy threads indicate a
weak cloth.
Look on the label for shrinkage
facts Good quality shirts are pre-
shrunk in all parts. According to Fed
eral Trade Commission regulations
any cotton material marked "pre-
shrunk" and which will shrink further
should carry the statement, will not
shrink more than percent" To
keep their fit, shirts should be guar
anteed not to shrink more than per-
cent
When you buy a colored shirt, read
labels for facts about color-fastness.
Shirts should be fast to light, wash
ing and perspiration. A shirt labeled
"vat dyed" usually is fast color.
How It's Made
Check the following strategic parts
of the shirt. Take out pins if you have
to look at each part.
THE COLLAR - Get the right
height to suit the wearer. Collars are
made for long, average and short
necks. See that collar points are
sharp, evenly stitched, and lie flat as
possible A good feature you'll find on
some shirts is quilting" along the
neckband. This is several rows of ma
chine stitching to keep the neckband
from crumpling down on the neck
Interlining of the collar should be
fully shrunk as the outer material.
THE FRONT PLEAT-Here again
the shirt can be ironed flat and look
neat only if the interlining is pre-
shrunk to the same extent as the
outer cloth. Firm and securely stitch
ed buttonholes large enough to slip
over buttons easily should be in the
exact center of this pleat If there is
a design or pattern in the material,
this should be matched up along the
edge of the pleat.
Best buttons for business shirts are
of pearl, four-holed and sewed on Sc
curely. Pearl or composition buttons
are suitable for work shirts Avoid
Emetal buttons, because they will rust
as soon as the paint wears off. Also
Esteer clear of compressed paper but
tons, or unevenly shaped pearl but
tons.
THE SLEEVE - Make sure the
Isleeve is cut straight-that is, the
Ilengthwise thread of the material
Eruns parallel to the top creases of the
lsleeve. Any sleeve fullness should be
Iworked in neatly at the back of the
Icuff-either in pleats or gathers The
Iplacket in the sleeve needs to be long
Ienough so the cuff can be laid out flat
Ito iron.
| BACK-Make sure there is plenty
lof room in the back to allow free arm
faction. Backs of most shirts are cut
lin one piece. Good business shirts
khave a generous yoke, with a full-cut
Hover back Lower back fullness may
be eased on to the yoke so it is hardly
noticeable. Or it may be set in as
Spleats or gathers. These need to be
located over the shoulder blades-not
| in the exact center back The yoke of
lmost well-cut shirts is rounded higher
at the center back, which makes the
Hover back little longer in the CEN
tier to accommodate the natural
Grounding of shoulder muscles.
| SEAMS AND STITCHING-Look
tclosely at all seams, for poor stitch
ling is one of the easiest ways to de-
ktect poor workmanship. The stitching
ishould be close and even, with no
knots either on the right or wrong
lside. Work shirts should be triple
Istitched at the seams with from ~ to
TIC stitches to the inch. There should
be about 10 to 20 stitches per inch on
business shirts.