Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-05-30
Spring Walking Costumes.

The street dress must be dark, short
and unObtrusive to make it suitable for
walking in different kinds of weather
and in a crowded thoroughfare. The
present STYLES of dress adapt themselves
to every requir irement of in and outdoor
life, and the best styles can therefore
be relied upon for a certain degree of
permanence. The Mathilde' walk
ing skirt, for example, is more fashion
able to-day than when first issued, and
will be good for year to come. The
4" Griseldan wslking-s skirt is another
excellent design for walking dresses,
and either of these may be used for
spring costumes with entire certainty
that they viii not be likely at present
to lose their popularity. With these
skirts, which require but moderate
amount of material, and are exactly
adapted to the ail-wool materials or the
pretty mixed fabrics of silk and wool,
may be employed the "Clementine" or
Pamela basques, the g Nelanie'' or
the /" Balsamo." The 'Melanie'' is
pretty and youthful, very stylish for a
combination of silk and wool, or wool
ana velvet.
The "princess" walking costume is
a still excellent model, and forms q
charming design for spring dresses for
street wear, in conjunction with long
Jacket or fichu draped and knotted at
the back. Ladies who wish it can re-
ViVe for house wear the French waist,
with its belt and simple skirt, trimmed
with two or three narrow flounces, and
cut so as to clear the ground. This is
really pretty dress, in delicate striped
or checked ginghams for medium=sized
slender women, and very convenient
for wear, with aprons of silk or muslin.
Charming spring suits are in prepa-
ration in gray and fawn shades and
small designs which quite cover the
surface. They are made short with
draped pOlonaise, or deep, close basque
and trimmed skin the fiounces being
kilt-plaited, or triple-box plated and
spaced between The sleeves are demi-
long and filed in with fine plaitings of
crepe lisse, and the garniture consists
of combination of blue and wine-cOl-
ored ribbons, arranged with more or
less profusiOn.7 Nothing can be more
picturesque to a street costume than
the straight mantelet, knotted in
front, to complete dress which is of
one solid color, or Of two shades of the
same color, with hat to match. The
fashionable shade of the season for
these complete costumes is no longer
the pale mastic, but deeper shade,
verging to cofee-color, and fawn 10
also considered very distinguished.
listers, as useful outdoor garments,
will hold their own for travelling and
riding clOaks, and are being made in
larger variety of materials than when
first introduced. In addition to the i'm
proved waterproof cloakings in dark
gray, navy-blue, brown and black, Ill
sters are made in Iong-haired mastic
cloths of different shades and furred
upon the inside; so that they are suita-
bic for the coolest weather, and as the
warm weather approaches will reap
pear IN mohair. alpaca, and in sum-
mer silk, and in all the gray shades of
linen.
More dressy garments partake still
Of the dOlman shape, although they
are cut very close to the form, and re-
mind one very much of the '' Visite''
of twenty years ago, of which they
might be called a graceful mOdifica-
ton. Unless the garment is cut in the
same material as the dress, there is
little variety in color or fabric. The
soft cameps-hair cloth has superseded
the drap d'ete, and the trimming Of
rich passementerie and erimped fringe,
which falls from the upper side, and has
no apparent heading, is the most used
and decidedly the most graceful of text
ures.-N. 2. Herald.