The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-28
lHarper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.
CHILpREN,s cosrI1NEs

1
Mother Hubbard cloaks and dresses of the
same name, with poke bonnets, are the caprice
of the moment for tiny girls from two to six
years OF age. These old-fashioned garments
make the little creatures look as If they had
Just stepped out of one of Kate Greenaway's 3
books, so quaint and picturesque are they.
The Mother Hubbard cloaks are pretty models
for the light wraps of soft woollens worn in Oh q
Spring, when heavy, wadded wraps are Lara
aside. They are. made of ladies' cloth.
camePs-hair. Biarritz cloth, or other
repped or diagonal goods in pale
sha'les of drab, olive or gray. and some.
times OF pale blue or white. The English
Cheviots are also used for this purpose, with
dark brown or drab for the prev .iliug colors,
lighted By dashes of red, blue or green. When
these cloths are not sufficiently heavy and sub
stantial-looking, they are lined with the striped
foulards now sold for such purposes in pretty
shades of blue, old gold, or red and white, for
2S or 80 cents yard. The cloaks are long
enough to.coneeal the entire dress beneath and
are made with straight yoke lining covering
the shoulders, ON which the cloth is shrred in
many horizontal rows. To this yoke the full
cloak is shirred, falling thence perfectly
straight in back and front, with or without be-
ing shirred at the.waist line in deep cluster
behind and before alike. The top of the full
cloak is first faced an inch and half deep
with colored Surah satin, then gathered in
three or four rows near the bottom of the Su-
rah and sewed in the gatli ring to the edge of
the yoke, leaving pretty faced ruffie erect
upon the yoke. Instead of shirring at the
waist line, many such cloaks are merely held
back by satin ribbon sewed in the seams un-
der the arms, and tied in the middle of the
back; this is just high enough up to givea
short-waisted, bunchy, old-fashioned look, aud
three bows of similar ribbon with long loops
are placed down the front of the garment, one
at the throat, the next at the short waist, and
the third near the hem which is around the
cloak. If the cloak falls open, it is we'll to put
"hy" for button-holes and buttons beneath
the front hens. The sleeves are gathered at
the wrists with faced ruffie and bow, and
may be fulled into the armhoe IL the child is
very slight, making the regular bishop sleeves.
Sometimes puff on the armhole is preferred.
Mother Hubbard dresses for small girls are
made just as the cloaks are, but are fastened
behind. The ordinary yoke slips are good
Suiu0 ioi ohooc, prOFiuou tuo yOko Is
shirred. Soft seazy fannels and pretty little
cashmere dresses are being made up in this
way, especially in pale blue, drab, and cream
white shades, and for later in the season ging-
hams and white soft muslins are similarly,
made Sashes are not worn with these dresses
and the shirring at the waist line is omitted
for very small girls; this shrring must not go
all the way around the waist in German peas
ant dress fashion but must be confined to a
single cluster in the back and front.
Poke bonnets to complete such a dress are
shown in all the various kinds of straw, and
even in white pique; in the latter material they
have full high crowns buttoned on to the wag-
On-top front, and these crowns may be OF mus
lin stiffiy starched, or of pique like the front,
according to the mothers taste. The rough
straws of soft qualities in cream white, gray
wear, while finer ones are of the open lace
straws in vogue for ladies. A large bow OF
ribbon loops on top, and strings to tie the bon
net under the Chin are the trimmings most
used for everyday pokes. More dressy ones
have white ostrich feathers and ivory satin
loops for trimmings. The broad fronts, almost
round above the forehead, are very popular.
and sometimes have cap-like face trimming
OF pleated lace inside. Other pokes are mar
row, and though close beside the ears, project
very far above the face in a way that makes
demure child look like a comical yet pretty
caricature. Larger girls also wear pokes of
rough straw in all the various notifications
displayed for ladies, but the favorite shape
shelves downward toward the forehead, is very
short on the sides, and is turned up abruptly
behind. A long ostrich feather, nearly sur
rounding the crown, is the trimming for the
incest pokes, while those for everyday wear