1938-01-27 — Page 2

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THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 27, 1988,

Dressing Within An Income

When The Business Girl Buys Her Wardrobe

Clothes bear an impor- tant relation to jobs. They are sometimes the motive power by means of which young women manage to pull them- elves out of unsatisfac- tory circumstances onto a high road leading to

success.

I am not claiming that clothes can substitute for training, intelli- gence and good manners, but I do believe that training, intelligence and good manners will fail, in many cases, to bring the success they deserve if they are expected to win against the handicap of bad dres- sing.

Let us suppose that this is her difficult winter, her left-overs in- cluding no coat and little beside trifles, and that she has listed her requirements as follows:

One autumn-weight

suit

The trip to purchase one's outfit should be the third step in the pro- cess of accumulating what one needs. The first step is to decide what proportion of one's salary can be

spent for dress. Shelter and food one must have first of all, and one cannot escape sundries, such as soap and postage stamps. The girl who must look well at her job needs to spend from fifteen to twenty per cent of her income on her clothes. Unless she can sew, either making some of her frocks nerseit or adding details to those Two evening dresses that are ready made, she is likely to be crowded up to the twenty per cent standard. These amounts are intended to cover accessories, and the cleaning and repairing of garments, but not beauty parlour services.

a

warm

One winter coat

Three office dresses

Upper Row, Left-Three- Piece Sait of Herringbone Tweed, With Fitted Jacket in Cardigan Style and Boxy Top- coat With Vent in Back. Toque of Wool Fabric, Stitched. Matched Calf Bag and Gloves. Right-Tommy Tucker" Dress Developed in Wool Jersey, Wool-and-Rayon Plaid, Rayon Faille or Rayon Printed Chal- lis, in Wide Colour Ranges. Lower, Left--Double-Breasted Reefer of Herringbone Tweed With J-Shaped Pockets and Tucked Sleeves. Centre-Tai- Tored Dress for Immediate Wear in Light-Weight Woollen. Right-Frock of Botany Flan- nel in Chinese Rug Blue..

Three-piece suits are high style; tal bands of

narrow ribbon and

ing and trimming on bodices.

or a three-piece suit and in view of the fact that their flat bows, are all used for detail-

units are divisable and the coat is appropriate for wear with all the other daytime units in the ward- robe, they often turn out to be the best possible purchase.

A set of accessories

Beginning With the Coat

Dresses A Basic Need

One-and two-piece dresses

are

Date dresses are made of crush- resistant transparent rayon. Hori- zontal

rows of silk fringe and "gold" necklaces and buckles add to the importance of the bodice.

In selecting an outfit, it is im-

She had better begin her pur- the basic need of office workers. Portant to establish a basic colour

chases with her outdoor garments, for they will be her major expense... Well-cut and interestingly detailed coats of tweeds, both monotone and flecked, woollens in several weaves, and fleeces, all in the season's most popular silhouettes, the coat cut in princess style, the fitted reefer, and that new model which is square

mix- to be used, in its various tones and shades, for all the major garments, for this will permit the economy of getting along with one set of ac- cessories. Coloured accents can give variety.

Wools and wool-and-rayon tures are leading materials, Home spun types, shepherd checks, plaid -tweeds, jerseys, novelties

are all popular. Such frocks are tailored, but with that dressmaker softness which characterises contemporary tailored styles. Skirts are straight, pleated or gored. Many sleeves are

"Try this way of mending a torn

Making an Inventory

The second step should be to ex amine what remains from the past season, for one always hopes it will not be necessary to build from the ground up. Winter garments are the most expensive that one's budget and hangs straight from broad "bracelet length," that is, they end sheet. Smear a little white of egg incurs and the total allotted annual shoulders to hemline are all cor- midway between elbow and wrist. on the wrong side of the sheet, Bum must be distributed with this rect. They are nicely, though not Others are long and a few, for im- place over it a piece of the sam

- elaborately detailed with pleats, mediate wear, are short. Pleated material and press with a hot iron. inview. The survival of coat greatly eases the problem. yoke effects and panels. Shoulders "action" backs are recommended It is almost invisible mending.” Even a pair of sound goloshes or a are moderate, sleeves straight.

for typists. Jewel studs; composi- dogs' tion buttons carved into heads or other appealing forms; carved leather buttons; baby Smart little classic suits in early python crushed belts, zipper clos- fall weight of tweeds, men's suit ings (sometimes straight down the ings, wool novelties and shetland, back), creating lines of colour in dark, neutral and high colours matched by pipinge efsewhere, are also useful,

high, curved slot pockets; horizon-

pair of gloves releases an appreci- able amount for other needed items. In order, therefore, to acquire the most attractive wardrobe possible for the amount one cares to spend, "haves" must be listed on the credit side of a memorandum sheet and "haye-nota” on the debit side.

Two Piece And Three-Plece

Sults

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