Being well dressed is a matter of training, not one of money.  The books asks... are you one of the well-dressed girls at school? 

The purpose of book is to direct junior high school girls in their study of clothing problems.... giving information to make decisions wisely and dress in good taste through trained judgment. This book is intended to be used as a text for a basic course in design. Valuable today for re-creating fashions using the steps and tricks of the time for an authentic look.

This is a charming old book.  Study fashion history through this comprehensive, 501 page publication.

Clothes For Girls
Their Selection, Construction, and Care

By Elizabeth Todd
Professor of Home Economics Education
University of Georgia

With Illustrations By
Margaret Chynoweth and Helen McCullough

BOSTON
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY
1936

Dedicated to Junior High School Girls, Girls in 4-H Clothing Clubs, and Girl Scouts

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You will find sewing taught by using machines and patterns to make some garments such as pajamas, a school dress and an afternoon dress. This book is organized into units (chapters.)  Each unit is composed of several problems and each problem ends with the solution of a pupil's problem based on the study just made. Start at the fundaments if you cannot sew at all... and learn enough about dress design to choose patterns and fabrics which are really attractive, suited to each other, and becoming to you.

Have you learned to sew at home or in school? What can you do?
Have you studied clothing before? What garments have you made?  What garments do you want to make?
Do you always look your best? Do you keep yourself well groomed?
Do you always wear just the right cloths and the right accessories on every occasions?
Are your dresses correctly cut, well-made, and well-fitted?
Do you always wear becoming clothes and those which are well designed?
Do you get your money's worth of out the clothes you buy?

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Study topics such as: The appropriateness of clothes ~ How clothes are made ~ What "well-made" clothes are ~ How to choose garments that fit well ~ How to judge when clothes are becoming  ~ What materials are worth buying ~ How to maintain clothing ~ How to budget...

Learn skills such as: Making simple garments ~ Making needed changes in the ready-made clothes you buy ~ Make some of the clothes you cannot afford to buy ready-made ~ Keeping your clothes in repair.

You can learn the most important things about sewing: Using a thimble and needle ~ How to use patterns ~ How to make fundamental stitches and seams ~ How to put garments together ~ How to do simple fitting.

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 HOW TO MANAGE A SEWING MACHINE

 How to Control a Sewing Machine ~ How to Stitch Where You Wish ~ How to Thread a Machine ~ How to Stitch Cloth ~ How to Regulate Stitch Length and Tension ~ How to Keep a Machine in Good Condition ~ How to Overcome Simple Difficulties

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 HOW TO USE NEEDLE AND THIMBLE

The Running Stitch  ~ Slant Hemming  

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 MAKING SIMPLE GARMENTS 

 What to Make and How To Make It ~  What Patterns, Fabrics, and Findings to Get ~  How to Shop for Supplies ~  Getting Ready to Cut ~ Cutting Out the Garment ~ Planning How to Put it Together ~ Assembling the Garment ~ Judging the Finished Garment

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HOW TO LOOK WELL IN YOUR CLOTHES

Why and How to Have Good Posture ~ Why and How to Be Well Groomed ~ How to Keep Clothes Neat and Clean

Posture, grooming, and cleanliness form the foundation needed for successful dressing.

No matter how attractive or well-made her clothes may be, a girl  never looks "well-dressed" unless she carries herself well, is personally neat and clean, and wears clothes which are neat and clean.

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One Dress Which Served two Purposes (1) Parties (2) Remodeled for School

HOW TO DRESS APPROPRIATELY

Dress for Various Occasions ~ Dress According to Your Age and Figure ~ Correct Accessories ~ Dress for Season and Weather ~ Dress for Comfort and Safety ~ Dress According to Family Income

Appropriate clothes gives us self-confidence and help us to make good impressions on other people.

Learn by discovering what are considered the proper costumes for typical occasions, by critically watching what other girls wear, and by dressing correctly every day. Learn what to wear to ball games, to parties, to church, and for travel.

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Dress Designs Obscured by Designs in Fabrics

SELECTING FABRICS FOR DRESSES

Of What Are Dress Fabrics Made? ~ How are Fabrics Made? ~ Why do Dress Fabrics Differ in Price? ~ What Fabric Will You Select for Your Next Dress?

Many fabrics which look appropriate are not worth buying. Manufactures make some poor fabrics that look good and we may think we are buying good ones unless we know what to look for and how to test them.

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MAKING AND FITTING DRESSES

What Pattern Should You Use? ~ Does Your pattern Need Alternating in Any Way? ~ Why and How to Write a Working plan ~ What to Do Before the First Fitting ~ How to Judge the Fit of a Dress ~ What to Do at the First Fitting~ Preparing for the Second Fitting ~ The Second Fitting ~ Before the Final Fitting ~ The Final Fitting ~ Finishing and Pressing the Dress ~ Scoring the Dress

It is more difficult to make dresses than pajamas because dresses need careful fitting and neater finishing. If you are wise, you will make your work as easy as possible by choosing a simple pattern and a plain fabric which does not ravel.

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Dress Designs Made Effective by Striped Fabrics

HOW TO JUDGE COLOR AND DESIGN IN CLOTHES

What Colors are Becoming to You? ~ Which Color Combinations are Beautiful? ~ Which Designs are Beautiful?

In speaking about beauty and becomingness in clothes you need to use expressions such as dull colors, receding colors, and warm colors.

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MAKING AN AFTERNOON DRESS

What Make of Pattern Suits You Best? ~ How Will You Make Your Dress?

Each pattern company makes patterns from certain measurements and proportions which it considers best. No two companies make patterns of one size which are exactly alike. If you can find one maker of pattern fits you better than another, you will be wise to use that make and so avoid much pattern alteration or much "fitting" of garments.

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Slips of Various Types

BUYING READY-MADE GARMENTS

What is a Good Slip? ~ How to Judge Hosiery Value ~ How to Judge Shoes ~ How to Judge Knit Undergarments ~ How Should Ready-Made Garments be Labeled?

Are you wondering what kind of a slip to wear under your new afternoon dress? Have you one which needs remodeling? Do you know what to look for if you go to buy one ready-made?

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SPENDING MONEY FOR CLOTHES

How Many Garments of Each Kind Do You Need? ~ How Much Money Can You Spend For Clothes Next Year? ~ How Can Your Allowance Be Managed to Meet Your Needs?

A study of this unit will explain how clothes money can be sell spent, and it will show you how to manage the money you have to spend for clothing.

If you plan your clothing purchases ahead of time, you can have more clothes and more satisfactory clothes than if you do not plan carefully.

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REMODELING AND REMAKING DRESSES

How Should Each Be Changed? ~ How Can Simple Remodeling Be Done? ~ How to Remake a Dress

Having decided which of your dresses are not entirely beautiful or becoming or fashionable, you probably wish to remodel or remake those which are not entirely satisfactory.

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APPENDIX - Stitches and Seams

Blanket Stitch ~ Over-Handling Stitch ~ Running-Overcasting ~Slip Stitch ~ Vertical Hemming ~ Pinning and Basting Seams ~ Repinning and Rebasting Seams After Fitting ~ Stitching Seams ~ Plain Seam ~ Pressing Plain Seam ~ Binding Plain Seam ~ Fell Seam ~ Lap Seam

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APPENDIX - Other Construction Processes

Basting Together a Gathered Edge and a Straight Edge ~ How to Cut and Piece Bias Strips ~ Bindings ~ Binding a Placket Opening ~ Sewing on Buttons ~ Placing and Cutting Buttonholes ~ Bound Buttonholes ~ Sewing on Continuous Cuffs or Bands ~ Stitched Darts ~ Edge Finishes ~ Putting in Elastic ~ Facings ~ Preparing a Straight Hem ~ Hemming a Bias Edge ~ Mitering the Corner of a Hem ~ To Piece a Figured Fabric ~ Turning a Hem at a Sharp Corner ~ Hook and Eyes and How to Sew Them ~ Making Plaits ~ Making a Set-in Pocket ~ Snap s and How to Sew Them On ~ How to Shrink the Tope of a Wool Sleeve ~ To Make a Plaited Skirt ~

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APPENDIX - Pattern Study and Alteration

How to Alter Patterns ~ Shorten... Lengthen... Widen ~ Working Plan for Making a Butterick Apron... Pajamas...Dress

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APPENDIX - Fitting Directions

How to Mark Grain Lines with Bastings ~ How to Locate the Armscye ~ Corrections for Misfits

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APPENDIX - Other Helps

General Rules for Work in the Clothing Laboratory

Learn how to cut and baste a holder (and finish with blanket stitches or by machine) ~ How to Make a Head Band ~ Instructions for Making a Butcher's Apron without a Pattern ~ How to Straighten the End of a Cloth ~ To Pull Cloth Straight ~ Directions for Shrinking Cotton Fabric ~ Proportions of the Ideal Figure for Girls

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

Very nice book!  Very interesting material!

 

1936 Dressmaking~Sewing~Pattern~Alteration Book