The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-03-13
MARCH FASHIONS.

MARCH FASHIONS.
The success of American ideas in
dress and fashion, as in other practical
details Of modern life, is due to the fact
that out of mass of fashions the best
features have been taken and combined
with what experience has shown to be
the best methods Of uniting the modern
exigencies in regard to clothing. Street
dresses must follow certain we'll defined
rules in order not to be conspicuous or
attract undue attention. The short
woman can wear her skirts demi- trained
and untrimmed. The plump woman can
display her figure to advantage in
princess dress, and the medium, slender
figure indulge in delicate stripes and
fabrics, speckled or dotted by Il figure.
The large woman, tall in proportion,
should never wear anything but solid
fabrics--black Or neutral in tint, and
unbroken by line or dash-but she may
revel in trimmed skirts, provided they
are draped low, and by adding few
loops of crimson or gold satin ribbon to
the folds at the back, where they merge
into the train, will shorten her perspec-
tive and sufficiently reduce her line Of
length to make it harmonic with the
line of beauty.
All the soft materials in cotton, wool
or silk-and the two first have been so
greatly improved that they are now
equal in appearance. and more sympa-
thetlc to the touch than the last-adapt
themselves to the graceful designs of the
present day, designs which ladies ought
to prize and cling to as long as possible,
for they will not be fully appreciated un-
til they permit them to be superseded by
something far less desirable, and whose
stealthy approaches my be seen in the
efforts to revive the panier, the short
apron and the grotesQue conceits of Paris
during the 1irst consulate.
SPRING WALKING COSTUMES.
The street dress must be dark, short
aud unobtrusive to make it suitable for
walking in different kinds of weather and
in crowded thoroughfare. The present
styles OF dress adapt themselves to every
requirement of in and out door life, and
the best styles can therefore be relied
upon for a certain decree of permanence,
The "Mathilde" walking skirt, for ex.
ample is more fashionable to-day than
when first issued and will be good for a
year to come. The "Griselda' walking
skirt Is another excellent design for walk
ing dresses. and either of these may be
used for spring costumes with entire
certainty that they will not be likely at
present to lose their popularity. With
these skirts, which require but moder-
ate amount of material, and are exactly
adapted to the all wool materials, or the
pretty mixed fabrics of silk and
wool, may be employed the "Clementine'
Or "Pamela' basques, the "Melanie" OF
the "Balsamo." The "Me!anic' is pretty
and youthful, very stylish for comb
nation of silk and WOO, and velvet.
The ''princess" walking costume is a
still excellent model, and forms charm
ing desig n for spring dresses for street
wear, in conjunction with long jacket
or tichu draped and knotted at the back
Ladies who wish it can revive for house
wear the French waist, with its belt and
simple skirt, trimmed with two Or three
narrow nounces. and cut 50 as to Gle r
the ground. This is really pretty dress,
in delicate striped or checked ginghams
TOR the medium sized slender woman, and
very convenient for wear with aprons of
silk or muslin.
Charming spring suits are in prepara-
| ton in gray and fawn shades and small
designs which quite cover the surface.
They are made short with a draped polo
naise or deep, close basque and trimmed
skirt, the hounces being kilt-plaited or
| triple box-plaited and spaced between.
The sleeves are demi. long and filled in
with fine plaitings of crepe iisse, and the
garniture consists of com bination of
blue and wine. colored ribbons, arranged
with more or less profusion Nothing
can be more picturesque to a street cos
tune than tue straight mantalet, knotted
in front, to complete dress which is of
one solid color o. 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 a deeper shade, verging to
coffee color. and fawn is also considered
very distinguished.
! ULsTERs
| These useful outdoor garments will
hold their own for travelling and riding
cloaks, and are being made in larger
variety Of materials than when first intro
duced. In addition to the improved
waterproof cloakings in dark gray, navy
blue, brown and black, ulsters are made
III long-haired mastic cloths of different
shades ana furred upon the inside, so that
they are suitable tor the coolest weather,
and as the warm weather approaches will
reappear in mohair, ALPACA and in sum-
mer silk and all the gray shades Of linen.
More dressy garments partake of the
dolman shape, although they are cut very
close to the form and remlned one very
much Of the "visite' of twenty years ago,
of which they might be called graceful
modification. Unless the garment is cut
in the same material as the dress, there is
little variety in color or fabric. The soft
camels hair cloth has superseded the
drap d'ete, and the trimming of rich
passementerie and crimped fringe, which
falls from the upper side and has no ap-
parent heading, is tue most used and de-
cidcdIy the most graceful Of textures.
| NOVELTIES OF THE SEASON.
''Lace shoes" IRE of satin, over which
appears to be lace. The designs of ap-
pliquc and guipure are carefully initiated
and superposed to all appearance on the
main fabric. The shoe is finished with
the smallest heel yet worn. 1t is barrow
and so high that it requires practice to
venture upon it. Some desi GINS of these
shoes initiate velvet with overlying lace
Some ladies having worn shoes upou
| which was set lace the fancy was taken
up, and hence this really beautiful shoe.
"Do you pray to be restored to the
Holy Land2' we once said to a young
Jew. "Prayv' replied he, "no; why
should pray for what do not want3 /
prefer New York or Paris to Jerusalem"