Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-01
FASHIONABLE FABRICS.
The Political Attributes OF . Piece OF
Cloth-N0velties In Byzantine.


The Poetical Attributes OF Piece Of
ClOth-NOvelties In Byzantine.
The study of fashion from the manu-.
facturer's standpoint is more interest.
ing than it possibly can be to the lady
who admires fabric simply because il
is odd or beautiful, and buys it to graf.
ify her feminine vanity. To her to be
becomingly or quantity attired is the
acme of ambition. The merchant in
making his selection of goods for a
season Is naturally Influenced by the
needs and taste of his known patrons
and he gets what he hopes will be
bought, venturing occasionally to in.
troduce striking novelty, at the risk
of having to sell it far below value.
Nor does the average merchant soar to
the enchanted realm of creative genius,
where the manufacturer is so often
carried by the enthusiastic designer Of
artistic cloths, who, if he is true ar.
fist, invests his various creations with
all manner of charms, giving them ap.
prOpriate names, reversing the olden
day fashion of calling a man after his
occupation and Interviewing in wefi
and warp most beautiful idealistic fan:
cies. 1t is by no means an easy task
to work out a poetical conception in
cloth, for to accomplish satisfactory
result the sympathy between the de-
signer and the loom expert or pattern
weaver, must be complete The intro
duction of the jacquard looms in this
country has led to the creation of a
great many handsome materials, but,
strange to say, only few of the ele-
giant and expensive figured fabrics are
classed among the art materials which
are noticeable in delicate tissues for
their dainty beauty, and in heavier
goods for their peculiar and exquisite
texture, as well as their susceptibility
of graceful arrangement in draperies.
One OF the newest fancies in fabrics
is the Byzantine, a singular texture
with evenly woven ground in one color,
covered but not hidden, with fine
moss in another tone or hue. In some
specimens there are heavy stripes of
the moss, with lighter surface effects.
and little later on goods with curious
designs, illustrated in moss. will be ex-
hibited, and it is said that those intend
ed for evening wear will have the moss
illuminated with cut beads. which will
create most charming effect in artificial
light. In these materials for day wear
is a specimen of goods with earth-col-
ored ground covered with moss in its
natural hue.
Something new, with embroidered
figure, for side band or border trim
ming is called Bordeur Eblis and new
robes of serge are braided and bor-
dered with wooden beads. Plain nuns
yelling are still popular; some are to
be made up with the yelling, which are
closely covered with squares of parti-
color wool boucle.
An eccentric writer describes the new
fabrics as having bobbins of wool,
punches of wool, splashes of raw silk
more chaotic than punches of wool, tlecks
and flakes and splashes and broadsides
of raw silk, in mixtures, stripes, stripes
on mixtures, checks, plaids. invisible
checks, invisible plaids. Figures are
mostly Obscured by irregular mixtures
of color and texture. There are checks
impossible to trace, but if examined
will enlarge into plaids, and again,
plaids dissolve into mixtures. Stripes
are apt to be bold, not solid, but in
clusters of heavy, disorderly lines, and
yet there are blocks of quiet plush, with
their colors and lines of division per-
fectly marked.
A model spring toilette is in moss
green plush and gold and green Eglan-
tine cloth. The skirt is of the plush; it
is made perfectly plain but rather full.
The draperies are of moss cloth; the
fullness is arranged in the new style,
and cris-cross folds and irregular plaits.
The pointed corsage of moss cloth has
folds of the material over the bust and
a plastron of green and gold beads.
Collar and cuffs are OF plush edged
with gold braid.
Another stylish toilette is in velvet
and the irregular silk and wool check
plaid goods. The skirt is of brown vel
vet, richly embroidered about the lower
edge in floral design. The vest, also
of velvet, is embroidered in similar de-
signs, but smaller in size than those of
the skirt. The over-drapery in the
back of the woolen-goods is arranged
in plaits, folds and loops. while at the
side the folds are carried down from
front center and upturned, or folded
over and joined into the side seam of
the back drapery. The jacket, ofplaited
fabric, is cut open to disclose embroid-
cred vest of velvet. The deep tab fronts
of jackets are upturned and secured to
jacket at waist line and the back is in
three box plaits. The cuffs and stand
ing collar are in the brown velvet. This
stylish dress can be reproduced in plain
and figured etamine, or in damasse and
surah, making the skirt of the figured
silk, also the vest, while the draperies
and jacket can be of PLAIN or self-cOl-
ored surah.-Philadelphia Times.