Nooks and Corners: being the companion volume to 'From Kitchen to Garret'Panton, J. E. (Jane Ellen)
General
Nooks and Corners: being the companion volume to 'From Kitchen to Garret'
Panton, J. E. (Jane Ellen)
Home economics
The tan jackets which have been so fashionable lately have in some
measure emancipated the girls from the tyranny of the black cape; but I
do wish all who dress at all would do so much more sensibly than they do
now, and would never buy a single thing without carefully reviewing
their wardrobe first, and then purchasing the addition equally
carefully, not because it is ‘lovely’ or the ‘height of the fashion,’
but because it suits the wearer, and above all suits what she already
possesses. She must never enter a shop without knowing first of all what
she really does require, and she must never allow herself to be talked
out of her own preconceived ideas; if she does she is sure to find
herself saddled with some utterly unwearable garment, and which,
moreover, matches nothing she already has in her possession. A girl
should be carefully taught what is likely to suit her, and she should,
moreover, be carefully instructed how to manage her wardrobe so that her
things may be in some measure _en suite_. For example, should she
possess a sealskin jacket, which she should if in any way possible--a
capital little coat costs about 12_l._ to 15_l._, and wears ten winters
comfortably, and can be used afterwards as linings--her winter morning
dress might be some soft brown cashmere; she could vary this by having
two or three soft silk handkerchiefs as waistcoats in the pretty
prevailing fashion of the day, and could have a dark brown, a deep
yellow, or a pale pink one. This dress would look well with the
sealskin, or with a tan jacket should the weather be too warm for the
former, and the hat should be brown or else dark blue with brown
feathers in; this would allow of the second dress being powder or
gendarme blue; this could be trimmed with bands of sealskin or soft
brown silk, and here would be every-day garments to don in October and
wear off and on until the first few warm days in May turn our thoughts
to new and lighter clothes. A best hat should always be in stock; but
this must harmonise with what she already has in the way of dresses.
These must be good; the two will then, with the help of a judicious
maid, come out again in the following autumn as very good every-day
dresses and dresses for wet Sundays, and all that will be required is an
afternoon party dress, which can also be worn on fine Sundays to church
and for afternoon wear, should Sunday callers be allowed and encouraged
in the manner I trust they are.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account