, 1888-05-31
PRACTICAL DRESS.

Il cannot be- too often Impressed upon
the Young women OF to-day that tasteful
dress simply means the knowing how 10
do it. II IL not matter OF cost, except Ms
the possession OF money enables one to or
der from the shop or from expensive mod-
; jstes. But the results In either case are
usually far from satisfactory. In the nrst
instance. the styles are conventional, the
workmanship inferior; in the second, the
thing is apt to be overdone; yet there Is
nothing to represent the amount OF money
expended. Soch individuals have no con-
ception Of the satisfaction to be obtained
from producing = really good thing At
small cost; the pleasure derived from
hearing your friends say. where oiu
YOU find that lovely bonnet2 II must be
French, and have cost at least $50" when
you know the materials cost less than nve'
and your own clover Fingers put ~ toxesner
Or, you have made your nist appearance
In Q new spring costume. and meet irienu
In tho warm and worn garments OF thS
previous winter. "How nice you look, !"
she remarked enviously. Who Is your
dressmaker2 have boen waiting Tour
weeks for the chance to have 2 dress maue, ,
and when II came home could not wear
It. DO tell me who made yours? Perhaps
you will say jokingly, as . friend OF mine
dOes: "Oh, . newly imported madame,
who does not wish 20 have her name
known, because she works for nothing and
feeds herself, and she would have TOO many
customers."
Such a trersure Of . MADAME" recently
made q "tea-gown." Tea gowna are the
raRo now. and many young women woulu
like one who did not have one because
they think them ont Of the question TOR
this tea. gown IL not right; her husband isa
working man, and she can only have her
pretty things by making them herself He
likes, however, above all things, to see her
in them, and is immensely proud OF the
fact that, although she gets herself up In
home In the evening, her clothes really cost
her less than some Of her neiahbors, who
lood--well, dowdy. This pretty little Mifs
came of.a bright New England family Her
mother had ''faculty"- that tells the whole
story. She can embroider; she can make
pretty lace with which she trims her un-
derwear; but she does not run much to
''store" trimmings; she depends more upon
color and contrast Of material. Her tea
gown is made Of thin woOl-whst Ii called
"chale," though II Is really only a very
light kind Of old.fashioned wool deiaine.
The cost was 20 cents per yard, and 1t re-
quired ten yards Of figured and three of
plain for under sleeves and full-front: The
pattern was o pinkery- -brOwnery, all over
design on a cream ground; the plain part
pale, shrimp pink. The gown was cut In
the princesse form, with wattead back,
plain material. The figured sleeves were
long, open and pointed; the plain sleeves
underneath, gathered full at the wrists,
where Ne fulness left q tiny doubled
ruffie. This Is the revival OF fashion OF
about 30 years ago, and was adopted by
this little lady; partly because 1t Is grace
full, partly because 1t covers and gives size
70 her arms and increased breadth TO her
shoulders, for she Is thin. The cost Of her
gown was Just - so; and 1t took the leisure
Of three days; that is, the time left from
her housework.
erly constructed that you cannot tell
whether IL Ii an ulster or q costume, or
both and do not know that she would
want me to tell exactly how much 1t cost.
1t 10 . dark smoke shade of wool and has
three little capes, faced up with silk, and
edged with heavy silk cord to match. Her
straw hat matches the dress in color and Is
trimmed with a striped and shaded ribbon,
the dark gray color changing to tawny
orange. The brim is laced with gathered
surah silk Of the gray shade, and the feath-
srs are gray also. Observe how simple the
drapery is of this dress, and bow well it
looksUit 'hs lines nnbroken oy trim
and you mag be sure she catches any new
idea and adopts 1t quicker than light
Ming" That 10 the way she gets the credit
Of being an expensive and fashionable
dresser; when il reality she is economical.
The latest in the way of a bodice Is the
"honey-comb," or, as 1t is known in Eng,
land. the 'smocked" bodice. IL Is cut full
and fitted at the neck by creasing cross
wise and catching the folds together, so as
to form small diamond pattern. A sur
rah silk bodice of this kind may be mado
very handsome by accentuating the points
with small jet or pearl beads. But the
everyday bodice may be made from thin
nynol anttnn zpnhvr- linen nOnRee. and
IL the honeycombing Is not understood
the shaping a. the neck and wrists may be
effected by shirring. or without cord.
The terra Gotta" costume looks costly,
does II not? But that is the charm of 1t,
to look like $75, and really cost about ~ 80,
1t is not "tepnis" dress, though the
wearer holds tennis racket in her hand.
She ha, found 1t, imagine, and is taking
II to some one, for she Is looking toward
the open door. Her 'expensive" gown Is
Of terra Gotta cotton zephyr, and 1t is trim:
med with an effective kind OF "antique"
lace, cream colored, purchased as remn-
ants ct yards) for 55 cents. II is placed as
a fat border across the front breadth OF the
skirt, aud is cut to form the collar Grim
med on tho dress) and outline trimming
for the waist. The back of the skirt hangs
almost straight; the front Is draped.
Zephyrs are yard wide and this was 25cts
per yard. The ~ yards amounted TO 50
Facing, lining, materials for making skirt
ard sleeves not lined) As cents; lace So,
bringing whole expenditure up to 81. with
enough lace left over to make vest for
another dress.
The flannel dresses are very pretty this
season, and follow the general tendency In
the absence of ccesso-les--that Is, OF super
fnuus mounting, trimming and the like
They consist of nothing but flannel. plain
and striped, or all striped, because less
conspicuous and the more permanent. The
model is more conventionalzed than is
necessary. The pointed basque fits snugly
enough FOR all evening bodice. But this is
French style. Instead OF this close TT and
outline. the waist may be cut full, as a
blouse. unlned, and gathered into belt.
The vest and falling collar the latter cut
very deep and square at the back, should