Selection and Care of Clothing Page: 4
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Farmers' Bulletin 1089.
it should produce a favorable impression of the wearer's individu-
ality, and be suitable to the occasion upon which it is worn. The
clothing problem for the individual or the family is how best to obtain
this result with the money and the time that can be spent.
It is sometimes assumed that men and boys do not need to under-
stand the details of the clothing problem, but the normal man or
boy is just as much concerned with presenting a good appearance as
his mother, wife, or sister. He chooses at least part of his clothing,
and may even himself have the responsibility of keeping it in order.
Boys as well as girls should therefore be taught how to select and
care for their wardrobes.
A SPENDING PLAN FOR CLOTHING.
The systematic handling of expenses is an essential of thrift, in
personal and family affairs as well as in the conduct of business.
The person who does the family buying should know how the por-
tion of the income devoted to household and personal needs is being
spent and whether just returns are obtained from the expenditures.
The first thing to do is to make a spending plan, or budget, and in it
to set down the amounts to be devoted to rent, food, clothing, and
the other items of expenditure. The part of the budget considered
here is the apportionment for clothing (underclothing, outer clothing,
accessories, and necessary care, repairs, and cleaning).
The total allowance for clothing will depend upon the amount of the
income and the business and social demands upon individuals in the
family. The average allowance for a family is between one-sixth
and one-fourth of the income. The apportionment of this allowance
among the members of the family will vary from time to time accord-
ing to their needs. Of the total clothing allowance 70 per cent might
be needed for outer clothing, such as coats, suits, dresses, shoes, etc.,
and 20 per cent for underclothing, while 5 per cent might be allowed
for accessories, and 5 per cent for cleaning and repairs.
It is best to make such a budget for a period of at least a year,
and some persons prefer to make clothing budgets for two or three
years, because certain articles, such as raincoats, topcoats, and furs,
may not be purchased oftener than that.
In making a budget, it is helpful to estimate how much money was
used the year before for the different items of expenditure. If no
accounts have been kept, this can be done roughly from memory or
from back bills and check stubs. Persons who use budgets soon
know the cost of the different items, and after a few years of record
keeping do not need to work out everything on paper. In fact, the
point of using a budget is to find where the income should and actu-
ally does go, and whether this information is in the head, in a book,
or on filing cards is of minor importance.
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Baldt, Laura I. (Laura Irene). Selection and Care of Clothing, pamphlet, 1920; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc97230/m1/4/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.