Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-10-04
NO. 233.
Children's 1Esthetic Dresses, and
Couture.

In children's fashions, at least, the esthet-
ic is thoroughly triumphant. These styles
are especially suited to the fair, baby faces
lovely with infantile grace. All the late
hours of dancing, the times of enui and pet
ty worries about worthless things, which have
written their record in heavy lines and crows
feet on older faces, have as vet made no i'm
preston on the child-face. Children natural
ly pose as for picture, and the plainest gar
ments worn by them become picturesque and
aesthetic.
The newest dresses are in quaint Mother
Hubbard shapes, and are worn by children of
two wears and upwards. They arc made of
white cambrics, or nansooks, OF of soft, light
wools which shirr and hang prettily. For
plain wool dresses the skirt is simply
hemmed and yoke, or more often shirred
on to a plain yoke. A quaint little coat
sleeve with puff, wide sash of the material
is tied around the waist, now low down ON
the hips as vas formerly seen. BY older
children, frequently, no sash is worn, the
waist being outlined by a band Of shirring.
No more lovely picture can be painted by an
artist than that of a golden-haired baby of
three or four in plain, blue dress of this
stvle, her hair hanging in waves over her
shoulders and cut in square bang, in Puritan
style. across the forehead, q deep collar and
broad cuffs Of rich lace forming the perfect
relief to her quaint little gown. Dresses of
white muslin, which should be worn till the
child is two years old, are often finished with
insertions and edgings o. Carricumacross or
duchesse embroidery. The duchesse work is
the same AS that of the Carrickmacross, ex-
cept that the latter Stimulates the rich ara
besques of Irish lace, while the former is
wrought in the leaf and flower designs of old
duchesse point.
White dresses for older children are made
in this style. with the addition of shirring at
the waist line. which is covered by a sash of
cashmere wool in any stylish, bright color, or
by a sash of surah silk. These sashes are
not broad ribbons, but are made of piece
goods doubled and sewed together, or single
and hemmed at the sides. Long and short
baby y-dresses are beginning to be made with
plain hens, with yokes which are round
square or heart-shaped, or even these little
dresses are made in Mother Hubbard style.
The handsomest of these are Of nansoOk
trimmed with duchesse embroidery ard in
sertions, and edgings of Maltese lace.
Some of the handsomest French costumes
imported for children over two years Of age
are formed of long strait coats in some light
gay -colored wool, draped with a sash at the
back, and turned back in front in revers To
disclose a vest of watercd silk in contrasting
| color like the sash. A coat of grey cloth is
draped at the back with brown sash and
opens in front over a moirc vest of brown
silk. All the rich fabrics imported for their
mammas, even the heavy ploughed and fgur-
ed pushes. are reproduced for children in
trimmings and quaint little coats.
Chidren's hair is no longer cut in a Van
dyke to surround the face, but in a simple,
plain bang across the forehead. The rest of
the hair is drawn straight back and falls in
natui al looking waves; it can be braided in
two braids once a week, which will make it
wavy enough for the style. II is well known
that crimping the hair too often is very inju-
rious. A narrow ribbon is passed entirely
around the head to keep the hair in place,
and tied in a bow at the left side.