Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-27
THE RENAISSANCE IN DRESS.
Old Fashioned Ideas Coming Once More
10 the FrOnt-sprinG and summer
Maferials-Dajn:y Colors. New Fabrics
aad Novelties iva Oruam ea fafien-In-
expensive Spring Outfits.
Prom Our Own Correspondent


expensive Spring Outfits.
From Orr Own Correspondent
INV YORK. February 90.
The most noticeable thing in the early spring,
a. in the more elegant winter dresses, is the alb
sence 81 drapcry. The prett!est bali and even
In tpi!ettes nave been made with skirts
straight at the bacx-even when they were
shcrt-and the trains are always plain though
full. y long dancing dress is now seldom seen;
never upon young girl Married ladies wear
them sometimes; because dancing-with them
is more incidental; less of a business; and a
train emphasizes their married dignity. But
the short evening dresses have been unusually
short this season: ana very delicate in color and
material Fine white. water-bIue, yeIlOwish green
slei mink and flwn-b~Own have all been much
used in happy conjunction with other shades on
not too striking contrast. The of analfne
GScS and the fresh experiments made with
tnein pom; 10 illimitabie possibilities in the
way Ot color and combination. II Is impossible
even G3w TO make those underStand-whO live
away FROM the cCnter> and are NOT interested in
tic study and development of cOlor-the differ
eHcc between the resources III this respect Ol
yesterday and to-day. There a time when
tae strong. crude, primary cOlors were unIver-
siti$ employed ana the woman VINO wore oIue
would not toucn orange or red and rice reI-sG.
But the foundations of these old hard-sheil
notions have been broken up The soft and
Infinite diversity of modern tint and shade
adaUt themselves To every variety Of complex
bon and lend themselves to all sorts of cOmbi-
nations. To describe them would be simply to
give "A catalogue of epithetS which are only used
IL deScrib. color: because the modern vocabu-
Larry tails snort, has not kept pace with modern
development of resources, and does not
provide a nomenclature. THUS we have
"cGfs an tdtt, ''c{GiT de iRne,' "HltshrOom
shades. .terTG-cottG' 'GeIdG7-ie" sstratcberTy'
'-rsSedO. ..OIire'' and Il hundred InOre each one
divided mp again into groups OF tints and shad-
ing Benighted women still occasionally ask
-N hat cOlors can / wear to suit my complex
fon: quite unaware OF the revelations of ex-
auisite color which have come to US of late
years, and the ultimate adaptation of color,
Ike light, to all bodies and ali souls. The best
dressed women to-day are those who are quick
81 seizing and adapting modern ideas, who can
use the materials of which there is great and
comparatively inexpensive profusion-an orig
fnal way-and put their own labor into shaping
and making and decorating. If girls would
take the time they spend in making useless
into pretty embroidery for their own wearing,
and into acquiring the art of cutting and de-
signing their own clOthing-or even copying
the patterns already made TO their hands-they
could dress beautifully ON very little money.
SPRING MATERIALS
have been on exhibition Tor month past and
cloths and hannels in lovely lime and yellow
ish white tiuts-to be embroidered in silver or
with gold cord and fastened with chased but
tons SNAPPED like small cherries. Other wool
fabrics show open embroidered stripes lined
with "A coior-or other tone of the same color
woven into the groundw work: and many new
varieties Oi tapestry cloths are SEEM in which
the figure Is absolutely Hat and is woven s.in
and in with a mixed effect like marbled or
agdteIzed wood rather than any distinct pat
tern. tanVas reappears in many pretty and
suggestive patterns, some Open-wOrked, in
stripes: an imitation of drawn work used for
tidies and the like; others with alternate clus-
tereu ana einoroidered stripes or stripes woven
IN tapestry stitch The diagonal effects are new
and particularly pretty the thin albatrosS
cloth and nun ; yelling which show diamond
and other patterns without contrast OF coiors
while the lace patterns suggest many charming
possibilities To young women who possess skill
anu taste In the way of lines of color in ribbon
or velvet run in 10 form vests, tabiiers, panels
and the like. Basket effects in braid and cross
Dars vi the material lined with contrast are
NOT new, Out they were not general last season,
though very much admired this season. They
come IL woven patterns providing a result
almost equal To handwork.
Rough dots, knots and irregular lines and
bars appear on tweeds and cheviots, which are
anyways In vogue tor jackets, ulsters and the
Ike; and the bouche effects have even been
transferred to cottons; which seems a good deal
like running a thing into the ground" But
sashlonaDle cottons are not like Old-fashioned
cottons; they are not made semi-weekiy
washing When they need renovation they
are given away or thrown aside.
Upright plating, stripes, tueks and embroid-
cry are the main features of spring dress
are simple masses OF fine tucking; with SOFT
punk lining and vests. The bonnets are fawn
color to match; with sprays of pink trailing
arootus. These Costumes are not imported and
are not expensive: they were designed and
made at home; which will account for the ex-
qoisite work put upon them.
THE EMBROIDERED DRESSES
In patterns are quite a feature of the seasons
amportations- The finest, dis play delicate col
oring and marvellous effects in bead work en-
brOidery, simpler wool costumes have fronts
0Pptiqled and outlined with beads-of glass or
wCod-the latter no longer res tricted 10 natural
colors, but dyed to match any color or shade
Leather color is. however a very favorite shade:
and upon this. the carved rosary beads cpnsti,
tute u most effective means of decoration This
year they seem likely TO be run for all they are
worth, as they occupy an important place in
oteiier OF the dressmaker. Silk canvas with
oPen-work effects, has quite taken the place OF
the Old styles of grenadne but both are ex-
pensive ii made over silk and for the major
lily OF ladies, surah answers a much better pur-
pose as II costs less is cool and does not require
SAX Inning; or any lining at all, except where a
foundation is needed. Very pretty new surahs
are covered with minute embroidered or
woven dots in lighter color than the
ground Pearl or cream upon black, with
pain black for combination, matching the
ground shade. These are cool and refined
styles for elderly ladies or ladies of quiet tastes:
Tor whom black lace bonnet and mantel
would complete a charming summer outfit.
Figured materials are not, however, as a rule,
accompanied by plain fabrics for a combina-
ilon this season: The figured stuffs are more
often used for the entire dress. Especially is
tins the case with figured sdtines and cOttons
o. other kinds in stripes and flower designs
you canno; match the shade; even When both
are black or brown; much less when selected
from the vast held of stone color biscuit color.
e'T", tan ana The rest The differences SO
minute--growing out of sub-diyi sion OF shades
That u Is only 10y comparing, one discovers
OLD FASHIONED IDEAS
seem TO prevail more and more. There is re-
NlN%i OF the useful beige materials of figured
de laine, OF spotted, checked and embroidered
nusllns, of folded neckerchiefs tucked in the
bodice OF the dress. of full sleeves tied in above
the elbow, OF braces a form OF trimming
Tor oasques and bOdices, of figured cottons silks
ana woOis made into gowns" while the "crosS-
over bodice, the straight skirt, the belted-in
waists, the little Eclu, the long mits, the
Drawn bonnet-ali OF which have been more
ol iess 10 vogue for years-pronise to be among
tne leading summer ideas. 1t Is :. ideas which
are Just now the rage. The most effective toilet
worn at a recent magnificent entertainment
was Oh rlch white SATIN Francois, trimmed with
eiack lox and strings of pearls. A walking
otess, on Tia contrary, shows a leather corsiet
apparently studded with nails an accom-
panlinent 10 clotn costume matching in color
O.lk velvet bodfces-beaver brown and COPPER
eolor-are high style, with skirts of white tuiie
the bodice edged with dark Roman pearls but
showing no lace next the skin.
Low NECKS.
OF late the low bodice has been restored to
almost Its old supremacy in evening toilets Ii
Is becoming as absolutely "full dress for
ladies' as the "swallow-taiI" coat for gentlemen:
and the majority are cut "round," which was
al very well when the shoulders sloped OFT
80,