Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-09-02
Some Fashion Fancies.

Everything that Is novel, striking,
picturesque and becoming Is permitted.
provided it is not incongruous.
The loveliest imported costumes are
made Of cream silk muslin over scft
cream silk or satin, with trimmings of
satin and plated lace or fringe and en-
broidery upon tulle or silk net. They
ost, but French costumes always do
cost, and they are not esthetic." They
are too elaborate and conventional for
that, but they are excessively rich and
MISUNDERSTANDING, and there are
occasions when this Is necessary. Dresses
OF this description are not made with a
straight bodice. but with glove-ftting
basques, which are followed In upon
the hips, or with overdresses consisting
of casaquins draoed away from the front
and forming fiat side paniers.
A feature of the elegant toilets are the
multitudinous fiounces. or rather narrow
rufies, which cover the skirts In front
and below the drapery. Some are
gathered, but the most delicate are laid
in the finest of plaits, and the supreme
touch Is TO put small waves Of exquisite
muslin or filmy crepe lisse over Others
Of silk or satin until the effect of foam is
produced.
A dress that made n sensation at the
Newport casino lately was of silk net,
fine mesh, embroidered with straw over
straw-colored satin. Straw embroidered
fichus had been seen before. but never
an entire dress. and this was most ar
tistically executed il wheat ears, oats
and grasses with the finest Of split straw.
Such embroidery cannot be bought. and
1t was, indeed. the fact that the wearer
had accomplished the work herself. She
had seen n small piece of such embroid-
cry worn by friend, and her ambition
was excited TO possess dress Of it.
ShiTing has become so common thht
II Is no longer distinctive; still II Is
effective. All the recent dresses, OF
whatever material, are made with
shirrcd backs. short apron fronts, and
alI-round bodices. The skirt hangs
straight at the bS>S, and the shirring
consists Of from Ave TO seven rows be-
low the line of the belt.
The latest style of overdress is the
"smock frock. and 1t Is copied after the
garment worn by the English carter, or
team-driver. Such man does not sit
on or in his wagon, but be drives bis
load. walking beside his horses, crack
ing his whip, and wearing "smoek
frock." winter and summer, over his
corduroys. This frock is neither more
nor less than what would be called
straight "pinafore II worn by child,
with the fullness gathered in, and
shirred down front and back into
rather narrow limits, leaving plain
spaces at the sides. The sleeves are
shirred from the top down in the same
way for several inches. but in a coarse
fashion, and the new overdresses stric 3
follow copy, except that the shirring
gauging It i called In England--is
more neatly done than In the carter's
fTocks. The carriers also wear them
loose-the young ladies add a belt.
gather the slightly full sleeve into a
broad band which descends half WAY
upon the arm. and edge with lace. The
prettiest are made of soft twillei Corah
silk, cream white or robins egg blue.
and when the frock il cut rather long
and placed over skirt trimmed with
many tiny gathered rufiies upon slen-
der. graceful form. singular transfer
nation IL effected, and the carter's
homely frock becomes part OF one Of
the sweetest and subtlest things In art
or nature.-Nsso Yors Graphic.