WHY AVERAGE “BARGAINS” ARE NOT AN ECONOMY FOR YOU
Shun bargains of miscellaneous materials. Unless you are offered a type of material that will slenderize, don’t buy it. And never stint your dresses by using remnants. Your dresses should never have an extra inch visible but likewise they should never in the least appear as though they were stinted in cutting. And that means that you must always have plenty of hems and facings and bias sleeves or bands if you want them. Stingy, scrimpy hems on big folks’ skirts are a “give away.” Always buy enough material for at least a 3½–inch hem, and more if fashion allows.
It is pitiable to see a big man humiliated and equally so to see a large woman in cheap flimsy fabric. Save up your pennies and look out for remnants if you must, but don’t buy cheap materials. The better materials, too, are an incentive for more careful planning, and as a result you have a more likeable, wearable dress.