You will have no apron big enough to cover it, and you will almost surely spill things on it. If you're the cook, you will be wise to have a dress which you can wash. In summer that's easy. In winter it is too, if you select a pure silk, for instance. You must also be sure to provide yourself with fine, big aprons to cover as much of your party dress as possible. A butler's apron, which you should have in the house for your husband anyway, is good. Smocks are even better, unless you find them too hot; but cute little aprons are almost no use at all. The point of wearing them is ob­viously to make you look charming to your guests while cooking. Your guests won't see you cooking anyway, and practicality is more impor­tant than charm for your working coverall.

how about slacks?
Here is a really important question for today's hostess: is it proper to wear slacks to a dinner party in your own house? Mrs. Grundy would faint at the thought, but despite that, if you look well in slacks, like to wear them and are your own cook, you wear them when you give a dinner for six or less. But not just any old slacks. They must be beauti­fully pressed and spotlessly clean. And the same holds true for the blouse you wear with them. In summer they will probably be light­weight gabardine, linen, or sharkskin. In winter they may be wool. If you are not your own cook, you may still wear slacks if they greatly be­come you, but they will be of much more elegant material than those you wear when cooking-velvet, for instance, or satin. They will be as simply and beautifully cut as the flannel or wool ones. With these elegant slacks you may wear a simple, long-sleeved blouse with em broidery or a plain silk one. You may also wear some heavy jewelry with this costume, but not too much of it.

slacks at luncheon?
Oddly enough, perhaps, I would say that, though it's quite all right to wear slacks at dinner under certain circumstances, ladies will prob­ably seldom wear them at luncheon. If you have just a couple of good friends for luncheon in the most informal circumstances possible, wear slacks by all means if you want to and if it's customary in your neigh­borhood. But ordinarily, when one entertains at luncheon, it is more hostess-like, more courteous to the guests, if one wears a simple, pretty dress: cotton or silk in summer; wool or silk in winter.