A CHAT ON LINGERIE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 December 1907, Page 3

A CHAT ON LINGERIE.

Tho woman who is clevor with her needle can secure tho most exquisite lingerie , for about a quarter of what it costs her loss able sister. Tho fashion for embroidery on the material offers a further opportunity to tho home worker for economising and getting beautiful ollccts. It is truo that the ultra smart liavo somewhat discredited this form of trimming oMato, and go in for multifarious insertions of (mo laco instead. But thero is nothing daintier than embroidered nainsook in imitation of tho Old English designs, and not oven the commonest productions with patterns carelessly oversewn with coarso thread can wean my affection from the exquisite embroideries against which theso hasp imitations havo prejudiced somo minds. Tho first consideration, however, this question of underwear is the right material. Somo pcoplo aro going back . to, linen, of either Irish or French manufacture, not, however, tho solid variety patronised by our grandmothers, but an exquisitely fine kind. This keeps beautifully v.hito'in tho washing, gets up oxtremely well, and is deliriously cool to wear. On tho other hand, it is a material do luxe, for it dosts 4s. 6d. tho yard. A cheaper quality is to be had at, 2s. 9d. r. yard, but it is very loosely woven ami not worthy of serious attention for a moment. For those of slenderer means thero is a oboico of French batiste, nainsook; and madapolan. Tho latter I find from personal expericnco to bo eminently satisfactory. It, is reasonably fine, and wears admirably. For schoolgirls' wear, whoso wardrobes generally also need replenishing just now,' there is, of course, nothing to equal tho celebrated Horrockscs' longcloths. To return to trimmings, the choico'bccomcs each season more varied, and ono may uso anything from tho supplest imitation Valenciennes to tho most exquisite Irish crochet, which ono firm is employing as a. speciality for underwear. A. laco which has found great favour of lato is Cluny. Some of tho narrow edgings, arc charming, and as it is, of..course, a hand-made lace coming from tho country that its name indicates, it wears , extraordinarily well. The special novelty of

tho season takes tho form of narrow filet laco insertions and edgings which aro most clfcctivo, though one feels a. littlo surprised to seo this distinctly dross loco appearing, rather unsuitably, on undcrlincn. Never before liavo such thousands of yards of lace, been used in tho servico of Madamo lo Mode, and despito its many rivals Valenciennes is sce.n in nioro infinite abundanco than any other variety. Tho Manchester manufacturers of this dainty edging aro booked in atlvanco for several years with orders for Home use and, for tho Americans, whoso market this is. Ono advantage Valenciennes ha_s ovor ovary other mako of laco is that it is essentially becoming. Somo of the very narrow edgings aro now almost indistinguishable from the real. It is worth while to. remember in choosing tho trimming for a camisole, for instance, that a number of rows of very narrow width insertion will cost no more,' but liavo a far better effcct than a fow rows of a wider width. . . ' 1 Somo of tho prettiest camisoles aro made almost entirely of insertions of lace with tho intervening spaces of material embroidered by hand, and the littlo puffed sleeves that are used look very pretty under somitransparont laco blouses. All under-garments, by tho by, nro threaded as profusely as ever with ribbons; and it is well to remember those useful littlo ribbon runners now to bo bought to pass tho ribbon through its slots.