BUYING ACCESSORIES

Jewellery - Choose jewellery that is versatile and that won't tarnish.

Purses - Handles should be securely attached. Any fasteners or zippers should be reliable and easy to open and close. The lining should be firm and securely attached.

Hats - Check to see that the hat is well-sewn and, if the hat is fabric, that the seams are finished. Any joins in straw hats should be secure. Any pompoms or other decorative attachments should be secure. Decorative detail, such as topstitching, should be straight and even.

Gloves - Fingertips should reach the end of the glove fingers, and the glove crotch should fit down to the base of the fingers. Buy gloves suitable to their intended use (e.g., leather vs. synthetic, lined vs. unlined). Joins should be secure; any topstitching should be straight and even.

Scarves - Check to see that the scarf is on grain and, if the scarf is supposed to be square, that it is square. Hems should be narrow and even with small hand or machine stitches. On knitted or crocheted scarves, the ends of the yarns should be securely fastened. A row of stitching at the edges of a fringed scarf will help to prevent fraying. Scarves made from washable fabric are most convenient.

Shoes and Boots - Test the fit of the shoes or boots by standing up and walking around in them - it is best to try on shoes after you have been on your feet awhile (e.g. at the end of the day). there should be about 1.2 cm between the end of your longest toe and the end of the shoe, and there should not be any pressure from the top. In open toe and heel shoes, neither the toe nor the heel should extend beyond the sole. The heel should be snug without gaping, slipping or pinching. Boot height and heel height may depend upon what you want to wear with them.

Belts - Should be flexible enough so they won't crack or bend. Metal rivets and decorative features should be secure, as should buckles and prongs. Buy belts that can be worn with a number of garment. Topstitching should be straight and even.

Source: Saskatchewan 4-H Council