114 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



town woman are interested in having becoming clothes. That is a fea- 

 ture that we know they are interested in, and so we try to show them 

 clothes and designs that are becoming to different types of women. 

 Through the use of living models which were used we were able to show 

 points on thrift and better buying, as well as design and style. Also it is 

 very interesting to country children to give a fashion review, for it gives 

 the mothers pointers on the better garments, the selection of garments 

 for school and Sunday wear. It also covers the apparel for high school 

 children. High school girls are usually harder to clothe than at any other 

 age, because they know more about it than we do, and sometimes we are 

 not keeping pace with our high school daughters, and it is very instructive 

 to give a program covering high school dress during the specialist week. 



Clothing specialists from 33 states in the Union met in Ames two weeks 

 ago and during that time we put on a style show ballet, which we called 

 the High School Girl's Clothes-line. It was a distinct success, and can be 

 gotten by writing to Miss Katherine McKee at Ames. It is demonstrated 

 by living models that step onto the stage and go through certain poses. 



Then, we are able to carry on the work by means of posters and also 

 the program for business women. That is, the school teacher, the shop 

 girls and stenographers, and girls in various lines of occupation. Then 

 we have matrons' programs, which is of vital importance. This is a pro- 

 gram that we always attempt to give on the largest attended day. In 

 this Style Show we try to have matrons of all kinds, matrons young, 

 matrons old, matrons slender, and matrons stout. We try to have styles 

 for all ages and for all lines and figures. 



The garment construction programs are of great importance the last 

 few years, because ready-to-wear garments have been so tremendously ex- 

 pensive. Because of that a great many people have become interested in 

 making their own garments and are anxious to know just as much about 

 clothing construction as they are able to obtain. 



You have perhaps thought that people coming to the fair would not take 

 the time to stop and get instruction along the lines I am mentioning, but 

 If you have space and seats where they can sit down and listen, they will 

 Bit and listen for hours, and then afterwards talk it over. 



Another thing we do is to demonstrate the making of a dress form. We 

 have a matron stand, and with the use of adhesive paper, such as is used 

 in the stores for wrapping bundles, we are able to make a dress form 

 which is the exact duplicate of the person upon which it is made, and it is 

 then finished up with shellac and mounted. 



Then we show pattern work and the building of dresses, the finishing, 

 and those things that the woman of the house is so very much inter- 

 ested in. 



Then the subject of hats and shoes is also taken up. The selection of 

 hats for various times and places is gone into. We are sometimes led to 

 believe that men do not require mirrors in dressing, but I have noticed 

 In going Into men's apparel shops that men spend as much time trying 

 on different styles of hats before a mirror as women do. The matter of 

 hats, for a woman, is a vital thing, and we assist them in choosing those 

 styles which are particularly adaptable to their requirements. 



