The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-22
Review Of Fashions.

people as tDeY SnOulQ be clOUneu. BAR
barians may demand only the skins of
beasts, it is true, but the difference be-
tween barbarism and culture suggests
the black dress-coat, the bridal toilet,
and for English women the ostrich
feather, which Queen Victoria has re-
Gently declared indispensable to the
presentation costume worn at royal re-
ceptions. American history, however,
suggests that Independence in dress is
but consistent with other American
characteristics, and that here it should
be only necessary for women to be self
helpful, refined, and judicious. So
guarded, it probably will never be i'm
perative for whole nation of women
to make themselves hideous in order to
sustain the rigors of court etiquette,
nor for warriors to retire from the
front in ignominy because they are not
properly costumed. The kind of indie
pendence that women here enjoy is
that which comes by privilege. If the
princesse dress is too narrow, straight,
or in any way unbecoming, no decree
of fashion confines the choice, but the
basque and overskirt, polonaise, or any
stimulation of either or both, provided
the effect is satisfactory, makes a suf1i-
cient pledge to fashion.
At this season of the year, novelty as
well as abundance and variety in de-
signs are essential to those who attend
personally to their summer outfits.
And, too, materials are too handsome
this season to be lightly or carelessly
considered, and trimmings require
greater exercise ofjudgment than ever
For those who have always adhered to
polonaises, there is qualification in the
fact that some of the richest imported
dresses, and innumerable toilets made
here, show the long polonaise with
basque or cut-away front, which ends
at the back in extended centers and
side-forms, thus making a complete
princesse drapery. A polonaise of this
kind, with the addition of skirt trim
ming placed upon the cambria and
joined to the upper dress, makes as
stylish a princesse dress as could be de-
sired. Check silks and lightweight
black silks for summer wearing are
made in this manner, as also are hand
some cashmeres and less expensive
beiges. Low-priced silks contribute
the skirt-trimmings, and better quail
ty is used for the sleeves, collar, etc.
The excessive wear and tear to which
the word q" Breton has been subjected
has caused the retirement of many
handsome designs which deserve to be
retained, for the long, straight, or
graduated centers, and backs CORE
spending, are still in use and much adj
mired. Such model is popular for
combination purposes, and is seen in a
navy-blue silk, mixed with blue and
corn-color wooden armure, or makes up
a stylish costume of dark green silk and
summer bourette of similar color,
which has blendings of cardinal red,
gold, and white.
For inexpensive woolens, with the
entire suit of one material, or for linen,
bingham, and the dressy striped
batistes so richly trimmed for summer,
polonaises are as popular as any other
form of overdress. Several novelties
III ready made costumes recently eX-
hibited show the polonaise shorter than
this design has been for long time,
the skirt worn beneath being trimmed
with wide kilt-pleats, with a band of
the camel s-hair tissue or India cash
mere of the polonaise placed upon the
bottom of the pleating.
Black silk princesse dresses for water
ing places are combinations of light
half-lustrous silk, with the brocades
which have very small figures in high
colOrs. Beautiful princesse morning
dresses are made with the Vatican
pleat at the back, extending either
from the neck down, or from yoke.
These dresses are of white lawn or
nainsook, and the trimmings are rich
needle-work embroideries or Torchon
laces. Pompadour squares and scarf
draperies remain in favor as finishing
points for princesse dresses in general.
The use of thin materials, as well as
the introduction of kilt-pleated skirts,
has revived the demand for overskirts.
Grenadine and bourette fabrics, COM
bined with silk, as they are very gem
orally this season, require fullness,
more or less, and opportunities for
trimming One design, which makes
an effective appearance when plain and
figured materials are mixed, has a
pleated lengthwise width at the right
side, with plain panel added at the
left, and a center which is always of
the most snowy material used. The
back has full, low drapery confined
by band and fancy buckle Another
model has long square front, with a
gore to represent a narrow graduated
panel at the left side, the right side
having higher drapery completed by
a snowy bow.
The maker of handsome summer
toilets can do no better as to over
skirts than to return to the graceful
styles that have already been submitted
to popular taste. There are no models
superior to the straight square or
rounded fronts, or the double or single
diagonal apron, or the design with a
plain lengthwise center with shirred
widths upon the sides. All such over
skirts made last season require only to
be drawn closer to the figure, if posi-
BILE, the pockets removed, and the loop
ings at the back let down so that the
drapery pleats produced by tapes or
elastic bands fall very low. The plain
fronts of overskirts are trimmed length
wise, or straight across, or diagonally,
as fancy may incline. They are also
cut open in diamond shapes, and side
pleatinp is placed underneath: the