Fashion has decreed that black and white costumes shall be given a distinct preference this coming season. And yet, in doing this, it cannot be said that fashion is original, for there are a number of women who, because they like the combination, or because they find it becoming, or because they have worn mourning for so many years that they dislike to assume colors again, adhere to the combination of black and white. In materials there is, of course, a very wide range; there is the smooth, glossy satin, the rich, heavy silk, the clinging, soft cloths, and for the summer time, the pretty cottons. Satin is given the preference for the early spring gown, that is, for the gown intended for visiting or to wear to places of amusement. In citing a method for making a satin gown I wish to say that the same design is available for a heavy silk one.