Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 121, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 May 1915 — BEST TO COMPROMISE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BEST TO COMPROMISE

DURATION OF FULL SKIRT STYLE IS UNCERTAIN. Wisest Course I* to Have Them Made of Moderate Width With a Leaning Toward Fullness—Altering Last Year's Gowns. In going over the season’s wardrobe it is the best to stake one’s chances on the wide skirt staying with us until July or August. There are dressmakers who are prophets, and who say that we shall probably wear the full skirt for two or three yfears at least. There are others who say it will be out of fashion by midsummer. The only way to be even partly safe is to compromise on moderate width with a leaning toward fullness. If your last summer skirts' had long tunics, the remedy is easy. That truism has been repeated over and again for two months. The added fact that the new skirts, both plaited and circular, have wide bands of a different fabric and sometimes of a different color at the hem, gives one even more hope for successful alteration. Plaiting is in high demand and the knife-plaited tunic, therefore, which was considered as an unfashionable garment, can be made into a skirt by the addition of a deep band. It may be of satin if the skirt is of cloth, or cloth if the skirt is of silk. No one objects to these combinations nowadays. Then there is the question of the long sleeve to be answered. Suppose the gowns of last year, also the coats, had three-quarter sleeves —what then? Fortunately, fashion has brought about the use of double sleeves. The upper part is opaque, the lower part transparent; therefore one can add chiffon or muslin, net or lace to a short sleeve and bring it down to the wrist. These lower sleeves are very often full as well as transparent, and they are finished at the wrist with a velvet bracelet and a narrow ruffle. All these details are good to remem-

ber when you are up against the task of altering sleeves. There has come about an odd combination of,, fabrics in the last month which allows a plaited skirt to be attached to a straight, long-waisted, beltless blouse of another fabric. This idea is very helpful to the woman who is altering clothes. Take, for instance, a white serge

at the back from wrist half way to elbow with blue and red silk cords through white embroidered eyelets, and there was a turnover collar of white embroidered linen. As strong as the belt and normal waist line seemed to be among the majority of gowns, there is also a very fashionable frock that calls for a straight line from shoulder to hem. It is slim until it reaches the hips, where the side plaiting begins to spring out and give it a flare. These frocks have low hip pieces formed of embroidery or machine cording to break the long lines down the body. They are especially effective in white linen trimmed with pale yellow and in pongee and shantung. (Copyright, 1915, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)

Matching Parasol and Frock —Blue and White Striped Chiffon With Parasol to Match.