Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1918 — USE OF WOOL IN CLOTHES LIMITED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

USE OF WOOL IN CLOTHES LIMITED

New York. —Patriotic action is demanded of women in clothes as well as in food. There was an important meeting in New York which consolidated the co-operation of the trade with the commercial economy board, which has its headquarters In Washington. The government knew that it

This suit protects from the cold and conserves wool. The short skirt, which is of beige-colored wool, extends to the bust and is met by a deep yoke and sleeves of chiffon. The velveteen coat has collar and cuffs of peltry and huge pockets TTiade from pieces that were left from the skirt. was useless to Appeal to women to save wool in the building of their clothes, under the present commercial circumstances of clothes* selling. The great majority of women buy their clothes. They do not make them at home. They buy what they can get, and they do not know- the amount of material contained in a garment.' Therefore, the government made its appeal for co-operation in the conservation of wool to those who make and design women’s garments. At this meeting it was resolved and rules were formulated that no man or woman. in America would use over 4% yards of wool in any costume, and less, if possible.

The response to these rules was given not Only by the dressmakers, but by the manufacturers, the mil) people, the ready-to-wear department stores and private dressmakers. The decision was far-reaching. It is nowup to the women of America to carry out for the government a continued process of conservation in wool. It will not be a hardship. One will not have to face the chasms of doubt and despa‘ir that opened up with the conservation of food. The government does not want a standardized uniform for women, such as Uasts of unwise but well meaning women advisers have offered as a solution of the clothes question. All that the w-omen of the country are asked to do is not to mrfke a gown that has over 4% yards of wool in it, and it is the appeal of the government that a woman should refuse to buy from a tailor, and a retailer should refuse to buy from a manufacturer, garments that have been made in defiance of this urgent appeal. • Long Jackets to Go. The American tailors and manufacturers of ready-to-wear. clothing will cut out the long jacket for women when it is made of wool, no matter how light the weave; they will eliminate fullness in the skirt and cut it as short as decency will permit. Three and a half yards of wool is a good average measurement for the majority Of women, but the government will look kindly upon those retailers and dressmakers who must deal with large and stout customers, and even here it is believed that individuality of design and a plentiful use of other materials, rather than wool, will produce a gown of. charm and satisfaction.

The slim silhouette will be accepted between Hudson Bay and Palm Beach and then crosswise. The woman who cries out against a narrow skirt either because of tradition or an artistic perception of her figure needs, need not sit in the corner and wail and gnash her teeth. All- she has to do is to eliminate wool from her gown or suit combine the governmental measure of wool with another material. . Coming, as tbe reform does, the hour when spring and summer fashions are being conceived, the necessity for being careful with worsted material brings less hardship than if the reform had been launched last July. It is true that the great mpss of people who do riot live in the South and Southwest buy a vast quantity of lightweight worsted clothes for February, March and April; but they are quite

willing to have the worsted enlivened by chiffon, satin, silk or georgette crepe. , If the women of this country understand what is behind the new fashions, they will enter into the spirit of conservation with as much eagerness and zealous desire to do-right as they have in the saving of meat, wheat, sugar and cereals. As History Did It. These men on the commercial economy board need have qo fear of obstinacy or rebellion against their decree. The women of other days and other countries entered into the spirit of economy in clothes with as much eagerness as they entered into the extravagance of apparel. The whole thing is in giving women an emotional idea which they are to work out to completion and success among themselves. Obedience does not appeal to them, but co-operation through persuasion sends them into a flame of endeavor. It may be prophesied right here that there will be more novelty shown in clothes than there has been for several years or, possibly, ever before, It may not be shown by the women, but it will be expressed by the dressmakers.

One of the quick ways which has leaped into fashion for women to conserve wool for the army is the use of a short, slim separate Skirt with a cutaway coat of velveteen, heavily lined. Women who have such costumes declare that they will wear these skirts w-ith corslet blouses of soutached silk and satin in the spring, thereby saving cotton for the government. Hats made of worsted have already been replaced by those of satin and velvet. Entire coat suits made of worsted have narrow bias flounces mounted on a taffeta or satin foundation. The short Jacket which goes with these skirts is so heavily trimmed with fur and has such a wide waistcoat of satin or matelasse that it can be considered a bit camouflage. Much Peltry Used. One of the very smart gowns made for a bridal trousseau, which used up lessf than 4% yards of thin woolen material, had two bias flounces across a taffeta skirt with a deep hem of peltry, and a blouse of embroidered satin with wristlets of peltry, over which was a coatee of the wool with wide Chinese sleeves —the only bit of extravagance—edged with peltry and lined with colored satin. There was a sailor collar of peltry and a Japanese bow of satin pulled through two loops in the back of the coat, to flare from the waistline. There is another coat suit in which less than four yards of wool have been used. The skirt is narrow and slim and extends into a loose corslet effect over the waist to the bust. Above that is a chiffon yoke with long sleeves in the same color. The cut-

Woolen"suit that meets decree. The skirt has two flounces of wool Jaid on a silk lining which gets its depth by means of antnupf peltry. .The short coat shows a waistcoat apo sleeves of satin with a Japan««Jj6w pulled oddly through buttonholes at the back, to flare out from the waist. away top coat, which drops below the knees, is loosely hung from the shoulders and made of dull green velveteen witnfcn-immense/mpe collar of peltry jbbut the neck with a scarf of velveteen. As a bit of trickery, to show that the coat and skirt are intended to go together, odd bits of the wool that were left from the cutting of the skirt have been stretched across the hipline of the jacket in the form of loose pockets. These are brilliantly lined and held in place with a fur button. (Copyright, 1917, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.)