HOME TOPICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14932, 4 March 1912, Page 4

HOME TOPICS.

LITTLE HELPS IN CARING FOR

THE WARDROBE.

The wardrobe that is properly caved for, brushed, mended, and folded, will not only last as long again as the one that is allowed to take its own way to the rag bag, but will give the wearer an air of being well groomed, even though the garments have not cost the maximum amount of money.

To begin with, ready-made garments should never be worn until they have been carefully looked over. Buttons, hooks and eyes, should bo securely fastened with a few extra stitches; buttonholes that are too large or too small should be made right• all thread ends should be fastened and snipped off; scams, hems, etc., should be looked over, and where the machine has skipped stitches the needle must bo used; wherever raw edges appear they must be made neat and trim with needle and fine thread.

Whatever method of fastening skirt and shirt waist together you affect, it should be attended to before wearing oven once, for there is nothing that looks so slovenly as a waist and skirt parting company in the back. A man once told a girl ho asked to marry him that ho was first attracted to her by her neat and trim appearance on shipboard. Your skirt and waist were never divorced and your shoes were never run over."

Speaking of 6hoes, take the advice of an experienced woman who declared that frequent visits to the shoemaker— tho dentisthad done more to turn her out a well-groomed woman than any other thing. One should havo trees for every pair of boots and shoes, if possible; if not, do the next best thing and stuff them out with paper when not in uso. Standing in a row on a low fihelf in the closet is the best way to keep them in shape; if this bo not convenient keep th'em in shoe boxes, away from the dust. Do not keep them in shoe bags that hang on a door or wall, as this crumples tho soft leather. Never put away a pair of shoes without brushing off the dust and dirt. Unless you have been walking in tho mud you will onlv need a soft felt rubber to keep them clean. In brushing be 6uro to removo the dust that, gathers between the buttons and on the tongue of laced shoes. It is well not to wear the same pair of shoes day after day if it can be avoided; both feet and shoes need a change and rest.

Beaded and embroidered dancing slippers should be kept in boxes, with a piece of tissue paper between so the beads will not rub the leather or satin, and that the embroidery may not be. soiled. White canvas, kid or buckskin shoes must be cleaned every wearing with one of the man;,* preparations sold for tho purpose. Do not think becanso you have to clean them anyway you may as well get them, soiled a 'little more. This is a mistake; a. very dirty shoe never looks so good a colour, though the cleaning be ever so thorough. Keep a supply of laces and buttons on hand, for you may need them any moment. If patent buttons are put on when the boots are new they will nearly always last as long as the shoes. For black boots be sure to find a blacking that will not injure the leather, and with the very best it is well to have them occasionally "blacked by a professional cleaner, as men's shoes are blacked. Bonnets and hats require special care ; one or two soft brushes are needed and should be used'every time the hat is worn. If you have not a hat trunk a special box is needed for each hat. If a hat has been worn in damp weather the crown should be fitted with tissue paper to keep tho shape, and it shonld not be put away until dryIf there are feather trimmings it is well to hold the hat before the fire or *n*er the heater to bring back the curl. Furs and feather boas should be well shaken before putting away, and, if damp, dried thoroughly, or they will smell musty. Coats and heavier shirt waists should have each one a hanger to keep the shape ; there arc hangers that have a place for the skirt as well as the coat. The skirt to a tailored' suit should not be worn in the house any more than is absolutely necessr.ry, for it soon gets " kneed " and otherwise out of shape, giving the wearer a very slovenly appear If frequent visits to the tailor for pressing are not convenient it can be done at homo with a bit of extra trouble.

Be careful to clean all the spots with naphtha, ammonia, or other cleaning fluid, then press on the wrong side with a damp cloth and very hot iron, using the iron until the cloth is' quite dry. If there are plaits they must be well basted and pressed on the wrong side. Stockings and dress shields should be changed and washed daily. Gloves should be kept in a long, narrow box, so they may lie at length and not bo rolled. In mending them be very careful to use thread or silk of the exact shade; a glove outfit includes all fashionable shades. Wash white ones before they become too soiled and they will keep their colour better.

Veils need a great deal of care. Do not. fold them flat, but lay them loose in drawer or box, and if damp stretch them over a pillow to dry. This will keep them nnwrinlded and preserve the stiffness. Some girls use a flat piece of card-' board and wind their veils on that, others roll them loosely together. No matter how you do it, keep them flat-, straight, and in shape. Before sending clothes to the laundry look them over carefully and darn every broken thread, for if you do not you will find a hole of considerable sizo when it comes back to you. Missing buttons, hooks and eyes, tapes, etc., are better done when, the clothes are clean. It is well to" have all yonr underwear marked, even though you may live at home rnd your washing is not sent out. Even when visiting stockings and handkerchiefs have a way of being exchanged, and the best way of claiming lost articles is to have the same mark on every garment. There are woven coloured initials of various sizes which can bo sewed on in inconspicuous places and serve admirably as a means of identification. THE SCHOOLBOY'S WARDROBE. Boys are, as everyone knows, Napoleons of hole-making, and giants in the matter of staining their tweeds and rubbing their homespuns threadbare. Before discarding a pair of knickerbockers which have been rubbed almost to a hole at the knee, a possible alternative- is that of covering the thin part with an invisible darn. By unpicking one of the seams or cutting away a little "of the material under the lining at the top, it is often possible to secure sufficient for darning. The stuff must be unravelled, and the threads used to darn the hole, working, of course, on the right side of the tweed. Though it may be passible to obtain but two-inch lengths, a clever darner will insert the needle first, and then, after threading it, draw it through, leaving the- beginnings and ends of the wool free. These are neatly cut off when the darn, is finished.

Sponging with ammonia and water is the best method of cleaning a rough tweed or homespun suit or cloth, irrespective of spots or stains. There is a great deal of surface dirt on school suite which can be removed by sponging in this way with a piece of coarse flannel, the garment being laid on a" flat surface and gone over evenly. Marks of candle grease may be removed by placing a piece of blotting paper over the stain and passing a hot iron ovjr the top. Stains caused by greasy foods can often be removed by rubbing them with either damp fuller's earth or soap. Pockets are among the first parts of a suit to show signs of wear and tear, and in any case a good scrub with a brush and soap and water are necessary to remove the general feeling of stickiness where the jacket of the small boy is concerned. To renew a worn pocket a good plan is that of making a fresh one of chamois leather, facing it with a little of the lining of the coat. ,

If you axe suffering from biliousness, constipation, indigestion, or chronic headache invest in a box of Chamberlain's Tablets today. They will cure you.