Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1914 — Spring Dress of Taffeta for Ten Dollars [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Spring Dress of Taffeta for Ten Dollars

SINCE fashions for spring place much emphasis on short, easy-fitting jackets and on draped and overskirt effects, flounces, ruchings and all sorts of furbelows in trimming, the way of the home dressmaker is made easy. The bugbear of fitting the form is done away with. Clothes are loosely adjusted and may be successfully cut from patterns and made at home. There is an unlimited variety in drapery to choose from, and fashionable fabrics keep pace with designs in the matter of variety. First among the materials for spring, taffeta lends itself to the flouncings, ruchings and ruffles and draperies that are features of new skirts, and especially well to the short jackets and full wraps that will do service for outdoor wear during the coihing summer. The taffeta gown shown here is made of plain king’s blue taffeta, with overskirt of crossbar taffeta in blue and white. The fullness in the overskirt is laid in Inverted box plaits to a depth of six inches below the waist. The lower part of the overskirt is turned under and sewed to the underskirt. The stiffness of the silk makes it stand away from the figure, in the “minaret” style which survives from the passing season. The small jacket is cut with kimono sleeves and laid in two deep plaits over the shoulders. It is shorter in the back than in front and flares away from the waist line. There is a turnover collar and cuffs, with points turned back to the sleeves. The set-on belt suggests a short basque. It is extended beyond the waist or coat to the left side, where it fastens under the bust line with hook and eyes The underskirt fastens at the left side with a little drapery arranged by means of plaits let in to an overlap-

ping seam. It is a little less than two yards wide. A similar arrangement of the overdrapery shows the overskirt hemmed at the lower edge and falling free. Another pretty arrangement is made by trimming the lower edge in points and binding them with narrow bias strips of the silk. The overdrapery is more graceful when it slopes downward toward the back. The break between the upper and lower skirt is also softened in many cases by a ruffle about eight inches wide set on to the underskirt just under the edge of the overskirt. Yard-wide taffeta cuts to better advantage and hangs easily for dresses of this description. In this width it is easy to calculate the amount of goods required. For the underskirt one must have twice Its length plus seven inches. The seven-inch allowance provides for a three-inch hem with a half-inch turned in at the top. The average figure will require two yards and a half at the most. The same amount must be allowed for the bodice, making five yards of the plain mar terial. * ."7* Of the crossbar a little less than three yards will make the overdress the belt, collar and cuffs. Nothing further is required except the silk thread for stitching, a yard of crinoline for supporting the cuffs, belt and collar, and the hooks and eyes. These findings and a paper pattern will cost not over 50 cents. > Allowing a price of one dollar a yard for the taffeta, eight yards will cost eight dollars. The silk and findings, therefore, amount to lessjthan ten dollars. The materials for tie white voile blouse, worn under the jacket, will about use up an allowance of ten dollars.