"I have a dress to make for my daughter, twenty-one years old. I have selected a light blue linen like the enclosed sample. Do you think this would be pretty made with a Norfolk blouse, or would you advise something more dressy? I can do hand embroidery very nicely and thought I might embroider this in white."-Mrs. B. G.
Yes, I think blue linen, like your sample, will make your daughter a very pretty dress. The Norfolk and Middy blouse is a very popular style, and will develop well in this material. Make the collar and cuffs of white linen.

"I have a perfectly good black taffeta silk waist, and, as I am going on quite a long trip, please let me know if it would be in good taste to get enough taffeta to finish out and make a one-piece suit. Is taffeta used for travelling dresses and will the one-piece suit be appropriate?"-Mrs. M. L. W.
I think your idea of getting enough black taffeta to cut a skirt to go with your black silk waist is a very good one. The one-piece suits in taffeta are in good style and very comfortable, and also easy to get into in travelling.

"I am writing to ask you what would b suitable for a widow, fifty-two years old, to wear on a visit to a friend in the far West. My husband died last July. As I am going to spend a month with my friend, and want to look well dressed, without having to spend too much, will you please tell me what I ought to get?"-Mrs. I. C.
In preparing for your visit to your first consideration of course, is your travelling suit. This must trim and stylish. Get a good quality of black serge. For your best dress have black crepe de chine, trimmed with black moiré silk. The skirt has a drapery which is very stylish and may be made with or without the train. You will need one or two dresses for general wear. Black taffeta and black lawn are suitable materials while it is still warm weather. A separate skirt of cloth or serge, with two or three shirt waists of black wash silk, will complete your outfit and be all you will need for even a more extended visit than you have planned.

"I have a new voile skirt, brown, made by a new pattern. It is over brown silk. But it is too plain-looking, just hemmed. I want to trim it with inch-wide folds of brown satin, six or eight of them, in rows around the bottom. The sewing woman who made it does not think that would be stylish. What would you do about it, if it were yours?"-Mrs. A. E.
I think if it were my skirt I should take the dressmaker's advice and leave off the sating folds. From your description it must be pretty, and the folds and bands around the bottom of the skirt are not worn now.

"I am a very large woman, one hundred and eighty pounds, dark eyes, grey hair, pale complexion, and sixty-five years old. I want a dress for afternoon teas. What shall I get and how shall I have it made?"-Mrs. C. E.
I think grey would be a very becoming color to you. If you want so expensive a dress, get grey crepe de chine and trim it with white lace. Bordered materials, if made in the right way, so as to give you long lines, would be suitable and becoming. An inexpensive costume for the purpose you mention could be made of bordered foulard. Get a foulard with grey ground and have the colored bordered in subdued tones. A surplice waist, with the border running from shoulders to waist, with the border running down the front, would make you a very becoming dress.

"I have an old-style, natural color rajah silk dress, and wish to make from it a waist and peplum. What pattern is suitable and what material for a skirt to wear with it?"-Mrs. H. L. K.
I would suggest pattern No, 5418. Material of a similar shade and quality is easily purchasable at any large dry goods house. By making the skirt of this silk you will thus have a complete costume smart enough for church or any afternoon affair, tea or reception.

This article was taken from a 1913 issue of McCall's Magazine and was a question and answer colum by Margaret Whitney.