The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-07-15
DRESSMAKING AS AN ART.
CANVAS DRESSES NOT POP.
ULAR IN THIS COUNTRY
= COOL COLORS.
QUAINT DRESSING OF CHILDREN
MEDIAVAL FROCKS-''GRANN
BONNETS -"wITCH" HATS.
From our own Correspondent.

From our own Correspondent
New YORK, July g
1t is not easy to forecast, in fabric or
design, that which will be likely to be-
come popular "rage" in the country.
Every season there are styles and de-
signs that take" and others that die a
natural death. The canvass materials
were IN great force abroad last year; and
they cover the counters of the great dry
goods houses in New York at the present
moment; but they are not very generally
bought or sold. They form part of the
wardrobe of the dressy young or married
lady, who can afford a variety of hand
some costumes, but they are looked at,
admired and left by the thrifty matron
who has to provide for herself and
daughters.
Canvass dresses, in seasonable styles,
are expensive; they must be made over
silk; and the trimming part, which con-
sists of stripes, if velvet or plush, in rich,
contrasting colors, is usually supplement-
ed by a vest or revers of silk velvet in the
deepest shade of the stripe. This, and
the silk lining, brings the cost of materi-
ais alone up to high figure; and when to
this, the usual fifteen to twenty
dollars for making is added, the
outlay is more than is required
for silk, and it is not silk dress after
all. This is an unanswerable position
with many women. If they are to have a
nice dress and pay good price, it
must be silk and show that 1t is silk.
Abroad, a canvass dress, such as l have
mentioned, would be considered sufficient
ly elegant for dinner" or for "best,"
by the wives of well-to-do merchants and
professional men, and more distinguished
than plain silk, while the cost to them
would be reduced to probably half, by the
lessened cost of materials and labor.
1t is always problem with us to find
suitable lining for wooden fabrics woven
with an open mesh. The value of them
does not Justify the cost which we put
upon silk. Ia Europe, silky Innings, light
i'll texture, yet twilled and durable, have
been brought to perfection; while they
add little to the cost of the dress. But
with us-as yet-goOd, silk lining costs
more than silk faced satin" or "velvet''
outside; because the first is all silk; the
second and third, two-thirds cotton. The
final difficulty with the canvas materials is
uuO LudhluSs L uC bUIlDOo IT,
quire artistic manipulations and are the
despair of commonplace worker. In
fact, dress-making has already become an
art which demands genius and offers its
rewards to the possessors.
THE SUMMER SILK.
The character of the summer silk of to-
day has quite changed from that of a
few years ago. Then the single materials
were still in use. Dresses were not over
laid or made double as now; nor so gen
orally combined to form the trimming.
The "summer silk" in small check or
hair-stripe, was standard fabric; very
light in weight, very much ruffled las was
the fashion in those days. and the ruffies
often bound with color to give bright
ness and character. Summer silks OF
this kind have disappeared, or are dis.
played at very much reduced prices. Su,
rahs have taken their place, foulards are
revived and soft China silks; the latter
for the wear of children and young girls
and also as foundation for the black OF
cream lace dresses which have quite taken
the place of grenadines.
The fashion of OVERLAPPING and cOmbin-
ing has stimulated inventive genius in
the manufacture of light silk, wooden, and
even cotton fabrics; and an infinite num-
Der of lovely, transparent tissues are
shown for covering or combining OF
making up alone, which are inexpensive
except for the cost of making. For
trimming and combining with nuns veil
ing and other thin woods, there is new,
soft, "frosted" silk, with dull, corrugated
surface, which has, however, rich effect.
1t is displayed in cream, mauve, amber
pale salmon, pink and yellow; and is used
like Crepe de Chine for full vest and dra-
peries. Combinations of this kind are
very pretty for young girls
and if they can make them up
themselves, the cost is slight. But mar.
ried ladies find them of little service, and
prefer for summer dress occasions two
toilettes-one of black lace, and one OF
cream lace, over twilled foulard or China
silk, made SO that they can be adapted to
different purposes. Two dresses of this
kind, cleverly constructed, will not cost
more, if as much, as one oldfashioned
grenadine of good quality, made over silk,
and trimmed as formerly, with lace or
fringe, or both. The secret is in this: In
"pjece" lace is used, except upon the
sleeves, and here trimming lace is not
necessary. Piece lace, founcing and thin
lace like tissues, are now produced at very
low rates-from 20 cents for Madras mus
lin, to 70 cents for imitation Chantilly or
Spanish lace. Seven yards will "drape" a
dress, ten of foulard or thin surah, at
go to 20 cents per yard, will make the
underdress, and less will be required if a
yard and half of better quality, or of
satin, is employed for narrow knife
pleating around the bottom. Thus, fif-
teen dollars will purchase the materials
for dress which, when tastefully made,
looks as if it cost seventy-fve to hun
dred dollars-and often does in the hands
of an expensive dressmaker.
ARTISTIC DREss-MAKING.
The most promising field there is at
present for girls who possess any artistic
faculty, any gift for the needle, is dress
making as an occupation. 1t has quite
oboppad its asnects and methOdS within