1916—Tailored Skirts
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts & Sciences, by Mary Brooks Picken
Styles and Materials
DEVELOPMENT OF STYLES
1. The beginner has undoubtedly realized by this time that, in addition to teaching how to sew, these lessons on dressmaking and tailoring serve to make clear the building up of ideal garments in every practical possible style by combining materials in such a way as to bring out beautiful, harmonious lines. Further than this, their aim is to demonstrate gradually, as advancement is made, how one style is developed from another, so that no matter what the style may be, the knowledge gained of lines and their relation to individuals will enable the beginner to apply the styles of any season. Simply by grasping the manner in which changes are brought about and applying the examples given in the lessons, the beginner is enabled to develop her ability to create and thus evolve, adopt, and support any style that is practical, logical, graceful, and beautiful.
2. Not for one moment, though, must it be thought that the fashion magazines may be disregarded in connection with this study; rather, the advice contained in them should be carefully considered, for it can be truthfully stated that fashion magazines having a high standard of excellence contain valuable style suggestions that every woman should know about. It is really a woman's duty and privilege to please and charm those with whom she comes in contact. Even if she encounters no one but her home people—father, mother, sister, brother, husband, or children—she should make an effort to be neatly and becomingly dressed at all times. To be dressed in this way need not mean the expenditure of vast sums if the woman is willing to put forth the necessary efforts; yet, just as in exercising to keep thin, it cannot be accomplished without persistent effort. However, any woman can well afford to give time and attention to anything that is so vital to her happiness and success in life as are her clothes.
3. It is true that each season brings out new fashion tendencies, but each season's fashions evolve so gradually from the old to the new that the dividing line is invariably lost sight of. For example, in an assembly of modish women, a casual glance will reveal little difference between the costumes that are being worn and those which were worn at a similar gathering three months previous; yet close observation will show that a difference does exist.
Dame Fashion is very discreet in bringing about changes; indeed, she is so sly and modest in launching forth new styles and new ideas that the transition takes place almost without women being aware of any perceptible change. To illustrate this point, readers of fashion books are suddenly startled by a decree from Paris to the effect that skirts measuring yards and yards at the bottom are to be the style, whereas, at the time, milady's skirts measure only 1 1/2 or 1 3/4 yd. The cry goes out, "Oh! how can we endure those immense skirts," "O dear! I never can wear them again. Why are we so persecuted?" "Any one knows that straight lines are more becoming to the average woman." But, just the same, these women add 6 or 8 in. to the width of their next skirt and they continue to do this,, until by the time a season's wardrobe is completed their skirts / measure several yards at the bottom. So gradually has the change, been brought about, though, that the woman in question is hardly conscious that she herself has given support to the style that at first seemed so absurd and ridiculous.
4. The reverse of what has just been stated will be brought about in the same manner. Thus, some brave little fashion butterfly sallies forth in an extremely narrow skirt, one that perhaps, in line, closely resembles a sack; again goes up a wail from her more conservative sisters, decrying the fact that women insist on disgracing their sex by impossible fashions. Nevertheless, these very same women go through their wardrobe and silently and begrudgingly slice off a ripple or two from their skirts, all the time saying to themselves: "I shall never adopt or advocate such a freakish, horrid style, for I think it is absurd for a woman to go out dressed so that she can scarcely walk." But watch this woman, if she isn't a prude and is as bright as the average. By the time the narrow skirts have reached their zenith she has pulled in the width of her skirts until she is not conspicuous by their fulness; rather, by her cautious, gradual decreasing she has reached a practical modish width that is far more graceful and becoming than the very extreme style launched by the one who first wore it. Thus the average woman, not wishing to become conspicuous in dress by being the last to cast off old and out-of-date things nor the first to appear in the newest, extreme style, yet always desiring to make the best possible appearance, unconsciously practices the teachings of that sensible maxim: "Be not the first by whom the new is tried, nor yet the last to lay the old aside."
5. From what has just been said, the beginner should come to a quick understanding of style changes, and with the facts brought out fixed firmly in her mind there should be no reason for misinterpreting the manner in which full skirts and narrow skirts, tailored blouses and fancy blouses, and so on are here presented. Indeed, it should readily be grasped that the beginner is being prepared gradually to comprehend the changes brought about by Dame Fashion and to take advantage of them by actual application.
MATERIALS FOR SEPARATE SKIRTS
6. No woman's wardrobe is complete without at least one separate tailored skirt, and, of course, there is no particular harm in having a good variety on hand to permit of changes and to meet emergencies. There are times when no outer wearing apparel besides a tailored skirt and a shirtwaist seems appropriate to wear, and for persons who work in offices, shops, stores, factories, and similar places no better costume could be selected. For shopping expeditions, outings, and other purposes, women of every station find such skirts a great convenience.
Separate tailored skirts are highly satisfactory for the reason that they may be kept fresh by laundering or by pressing, depending on the material used in their construction; and so far as service is concerned they excel draped or shirred skirts, because material that will tailor well will stand rough, hard usage.
7. Fabrics for separate skirts should be fairly light in weight, even when the skirts are worn for the sake of warmth. The surface of the material should be reasonably smooth in order to shed dust and dirt easily, and as the material itself is usually subject to more or less cleaning, it should be such that it will not lose its color or shape perceptibly. Firm, even woolen or all-cotton fabrics nearly fulfil these conditions. The voiles are lightest, but they are not durable enough for constant wear. Henrietta and cashmere are very light and wear well, but they become shiny with wear. Broadcloth, panama, covert, and wool taffeta are suitable materials for separate skirts, and serge of good French quality is a highly satisfactory fabric, because it is light in weight, wears well and evenly, and may be cleaned by ordinary washing and cleaning or it may be redyed. Hair goods, such as alpaca, or mixed hair goods, such as brilliantine or sicilienne, are the best materials to shed dust and dirt and are also light in weight; but skirts made of these fabrics are not always so attractive as those made of the softer weaves, especially when they are worn with separate blouses.
8. Skirts of cream color in serge, nun's veiling, basket cloth, albatross, and panama are worn on many occasions, but the delicate color of these materials makes such skirts expensive for constant use. Many persons think that pure-white woolen materials are best when new, as they will become cream-colored with cleaning and wear. However, it is often advisable to buy cream-colored woolens in the beginning for the reason that the wool itself is naturally cream-colored, being made so by the oil used in carding and spinning, and when this oil is entirely removed, as is the case when the cloth is fully bleached, the material loses much of its beauty and often becomes hard and difficult to handle in tailoring; whereas, in the cream color, the material is soft and presses and sponges easily. A good quality of cream-colored, all-wool cloth does not become yellow with age if it is properly cleaned; rather, it grows more beautiful by frequent cleaning and pressing. Another point to consider in connection with the selection of material that must be cleaned often is the weave. It is advisable to get material of fairly loose weave and to sponge and shrink it thoroughly before making it up, for, as a rule, the material has a tendency to tighten up or grow more firm with every cleaning, regardless of how thoroughly the work is done.
9. Linen skirts, either bleached or natural, are cool, light, and easily laundered, but they wrinkle to such an extent that many women avoid them on this account. Cotton skirts of duck, linen, poplin, Bedford cord, and pique can be constantly laundered without harm. Of these materials, the duck and the pique are the heaviest, and as they do not muss easily they are a little more satisfactory than the others. Duck in dark colors, denim, and khaki are valuable or outing and rough wear.
SKIRT WAIST LINES
10. Dame Fashion governs almost entirely the finish of a skirt around the waist line. When belts are in style, the skirt is finished at the regular waist line with a band that must be covered with a belt; then, again, the skirt is finished with a raised waist line. For medium figures and short-waisted figures, the skirt that requires a belt is very satisfactory, yet the skirt with a raised waist line seems to be more universally used; at any rate, it remains in favor for longer periods of time than does the skirt whose waist line is finished with a band, chiefly because it may be successfully worn by any woman. To get the best effect, a skirt having a raised waist line must be made to suit the figure for which it is intended; therefore, in planning such a garment, it will be well to note just how such a waist line should be regulated.
11. For the short-waisted figure, the extension should be made only 3/4 to 1 in. above the waist line of the skirt, and with it should be used a stay belt that is not more than 1 to 1 1/2 in. wide. It would seem that the raised waist line is not suitable for such a figure, yet if the skirt is finished as mentioned it can be worn with good effect.
For the short-skirt figure, the waist part should be shortened and the skirt made to appear just as long as possible in order to balance the figure and give additional height. It is almost universally agreed that a high-waistline princesse skirt that fits in slightly to the curves of the body above and below the waist line is the most becoming of all skirts to the short, stout woman, because it tends to straighten and lengthen the lines of the figure and thus make it appear much smaller.
For the long-waisted figure, the waist should be made to appear shorter. This can be done by making the extension greater above the waist line than below it and using a 2- to 4-in. stay belt.
For the long-skirt figure, the skirt should be made to fit over an inside belt so fitted that its top comes 1/4 to 1/2 in. above the normal waist line. This plan is contrary to the general opinion that a belt must be worn by the long-skirt figure; yet it must be admitted that a short extension above the waist makes a separate belt unnecessary. Such a skirt will have a plain, neat finish, and it will not have a tendency to appear longer than it really is.
For the medium figure, the extension of the skirt above the waist line may be made to suit the taste of the wearer, as well as the fashion of the moment, for it is such a figure on which nearly all styles are becoming.
