Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-01
! and wsen there are figures and mixtures they
are so minute and well blended that they are in-

| the way Of summer silks and are In constant
! demand. because so widely available. black
/ SHrah lace trimmed. is one of the most useful
! OF summer dresses and \ white surah one of
! the prettcst aad most economical for evening
| wear. either In winter or summer. Then. for
/ Undertaking in the making of a lace dress. satin
J s.rah is far superior to cheap satin. and for
! handsome lining or for faeings it meets every
requirement. Inc delicate che1e silks have q
| more distinctive character and are more suita-
! Die for handsome summer visiting or dinner
dresses. when staying at country houses where
certain elegance in dress Is required: but away
from tie fashion and 81 e Of the watering places
| and TlansOns.a good black surah. well made and
| trimmed. and smooth gray or mouse cOlOred
| nun 5 yelling. with couple of washing dresses
! and one for travelling. can carry any one woman
| beautifully through the whole summer season.
! Ard this is Il reminder that only girls can seem
| to buy or possess aiStinctively summer dresses
| The majority of mddle-aged women seem to
use the summer and the country simply as
means of wearing out their old wiuter dresses
AL. the soft silks the foulards and the ponrees
maintain their prestige, the fUuiards having
permanent clientele among the very best class
and the pOngees, possessing an art reputation
which induces some ladies to sacrifice some
other coveted good to the acquisition of a GER
tain number Ofyerds Or complete costume Of
this always tempting. but usually disappointing
fabric. What to do with it after enc has got it
is tie questionable flat. characterless surface
presenting so few opportunities for effective
treatment. Embroidery! That seems to be the
principal il not the only resource but the colo1s
should be varied and blended with true oriental
feeling.
SUMNER OUTFIT
Ii IS always possible to base what Is to be
more or less on what has been. AMI this coniec-
tural basisis all tine foundation tor June fashions
written IN February. This year the auguries
are less potent even than usual. for arrivals
from the other side have been delayed by dis
asters to steamers, and merchants are obliged
to scatter the few samples they have received
TO the best possible advantage and make as
much as the can Ofthe "eft-overs" and ALWAYS
useful embroidery. lace and handkerchief coun-
tiers. OF novelties in design or in distir otivelv
summer fabrics there are as yet none with the
exception of thin wOolens and a few foulards,
some cottons and ottoman satines. The dones-
tic manufacturers vary but little from last
year; they are giving some lovely surahs
and pretty minute designs in lacc-like
nuns yelling. The little checked and
striped glace silk reappear, but will dis
appear with the production of newer summer
fabrics. In the meantime they are spread out in
melancholy and half apologize way in response
to the absurd demand for spring before spring
comes, and indeed afford an opportunity to the
thrifty who are not troubled 10y the strict letter
OF fashion for they are not marked APP as
novelty. and they are always cool and service
able. OF embroidered white materials there is
also surfeit, in patterns and by the yard: and
at the rate at which they are selling there will
be no lack of them in country boarding houses
and hotels next summer. The pattern dresses
contain four yards and q half of deep embroidery
and the same quantity of narrow as trimming
for the bodice or basque and sleeves The piece
embroidery costs from So to Sc or So per yard.
ordinary hneneSs. and this Is used to form the
basque and front of the skirt or side panels
lhese are Just as they were worn last year. and
as they will have to be Worn this in the very
nature of the case.
The satines show very large and bold de-
slgns-qute unwearable and not at all SO at
tractive as those that were produced two or
three years ago, the cXaggerations having be-
come monstrosities. Something better. it is
hoped, will develop itself later There are
some tulip designs which would look well In
curtains or in crazy quilt. and some ,IaIa-
messy patterns in gTdy-liuc and old-Duc and
white, that look at least fresh" but thcv are
too suggestive Of the china jar 10 be quite salts
factory. The wCo!!en Costumes show two
shades of one color. the bodice being the darker.
or plain combinat ons. with Invisible slrircs and
plaids: but these blue china patterns ere nod
10 make up the dress entire. and though they
look we'll enough IN plate vet YOU caagot i'm
agne g sane woman wearing one on the street
There are small patterns in ca:ntrcs fox esthetic
little girls. Wh;Ch show little pink Kate Greeu-
away heads looking out of blue or uiuk frames
with white vines trailing over them and kissing
hands to each other. only. stupidity instead o!
the boys and girls alternating anu facing each
other. they are IN separate rows. and there
FORE the girls seem to b. kissing their hands TO
girls ara the boys to boys which is mOi&. but
mOnOtOnOuS.
The only way to get up summer STYLES III Feb
rCary is to buy your materials the summer
previous. or select those that have Il Certain
hXed and standard quality and value and If
!2Gy Goes not acquire the reputation OF ALWAYS
displaying the --latest novelty in this way she
WILL in time. almost inevitably gain the d:siinc-
tion OF being the best dressed woman Of her
set.
For summer outfit at this season q lady
ought select camel's hair serge for use a
black or gray satin finished silk for churci. wear:
an electric blue surah trimmed with electric
beaded p&ssementerie; q tinted chene to he
trimmed with white lace. for summer dinner
dress; cream muslin trimmed with lace, with
stra"D Derry fou!ard over dress open in front SO
as to show the muslin front; fine India muslin
trimmed with real yallcncienncs or thread lace;
an embroidered DOngee: an embroidered nan-
sock; pOlOnaise in figured tapestry over silk
or velvet skirt for cool DAYS: q summer silk for
travelling 0Ousiue or foulaiCD: and q nun. veil
ing for convenience. That is eleven dresses and
wrapper would bring it up to one dozen which
may be selected any time durag the year-ariy-
time. excepting the tapestry cloth polonase,
during the Iast five years, and any time it may
be Venturet within the next five years. and will
stand comparison with any other OF the same
size during that time.
HOW To MAKE An OUTFIT
This, OF course, is the perplexing part Of the
matter. Spring designs have not been issued.
and can only be evolved out of the inner con-
sciousness Of whoever has the necessity forced
upon them. The professed fashion raker Sim
ply tries to be different" Drapery that was
long must be short. that was short must be long:
side picats must give way to box pleats. box
pleats to gathers. and back again through the
whole galnut. 'Drapery" is the pride. the de-
spair the ambition Of the modern woman
How does the skirt hang? is the drapery all
right! are the first and last questions in rerard
to a new dress. and if the wearer is assured that
lit is graceful she sails away content and
happy. She can Judge OF the cut and fit of
sleeves and bodice but she has not eyes in the
back OF her head, and her ''drapery" is. there
fore, at the mercy OF stitch, loop. fold or q
PIN. Skirts are not now torn out at the gathers
by en- unucky or heavy-focted individual. but
they are pulled apart, and the .'eiiect"-good.
bad o" Observation-Disclosures ut one Jerk.
IL Is singular that the average woman has so
few well-deiined preferences in regard to the
fashion OF her own clothes. She waits to be
told whether she shall wear her skirts long or
snort; her sleeves close or full; her bodice
straight or eiLasq,ce its neck high or low: her
skirts weighted with material enough to kill
lin time) the strongest man. Or so scant she
cannot climb door step unaided There Ia a
little advance. Thousands used to {. *: What
is fashionable In color and design" and bliDdIv
follow. Now, In asking such questions they
usually state their own good or lad points
and ask how they "A nlapt St, aud ,oi,r, -,