Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-04-12
A Revolution i'm Fashions

The empire style OF dress is gaming
ground; there is no doubt oft, and we shall
probably wind up the century dressed in
our great grandmothers costumes. Little
BIZ little We are accepting the dresses
of the premier empire, resurrected for
US by the elegant toilets of Nine. Sarah
Bernhardt in La Tosca." The style is not
vet general, but it promises TO become so,
and if many ladies shrink at present from
adopting the entire dress, they nevertheless
wear with pleasure the round.waisted en-
pire cor8age, with its pretty pleated fronts
draped en- fchW across each other, models
which are so becoming to the slenderness OF
youth.
There is that about empire dresses and
bodces which makes them unit for maturi.
ty. The empire dresses have revived old.
world brocades (silk or woollen), and those
ladies' who possess rich stufIs, bought by
their great. grandmothers, may wear them
now suitably made up. Gauzy frabrics and
5rocades of large, rich pattern divide the
palm for empire dresses and mantles.
Young girls and young unmarried ladies
are going over to the empire style en- masse,
and therefore we may expect the sale Of the
lovely new gauzes and muslins to go up con-
siderably. Plain, embroidered, striped with
straight or waving lines Of ribbon, metal
threads, silken threads. gauzes and silk mus
iins, vie with each other in beauty, and
lend themselves equally to the full, slightly
drsped empire skirts and those pleated up
and draped with long bows and festoons of
ribbon.
Ribbons of all materials, patterns and
sizes are very much used for ball dresses
they arc frequently of a totally different
color from the rest of the dress. For in
stance, red and pink toilets are trimmed
with light moss green ribbons, blue with
straw, mauve with narrow ribbons OF many
colors-blue, pink, straw, moss, almond,
apricot, &c. White materials embroidered
with gold are in high favor for evening
wear whether wool or silk. Artistically
draped tabliers of white crepe de Chine are
edged with q deep band of gold embroidery,
the belt to the draped empire corsage being
covered with embroidery. The daisy has
quite gone out of fashion but leaves, moss.
sa. hyacnths, roses and csmelias are worn
In great numbers. The empire skirts are
frequently edged with garland OF flowers
and sprays, or bouquets of large size are en-
piOyed in draping and garnishing evening
skirts and corsages of more elaborate make.
ltthere is an error at all it inClines to- an over
abundance of flowers and tendency 10
wear flowers of very large size.
Tule seems to be the favorite hat mate
rial, trimmed with ribbon, flowers, feathers,
&c Hats of small size are covered with
peated or boullonne tuile, trimmed in front
wilha bow ofmoire ribbon. The To5ca hat has
been adopted by young elegantes, only the
form is slightly modified, and they do not
wear it tilted back, like Nine. BernharGt,
but well on the head. Short ribbons are the
rage for hats, in every combination of color
Straw hats are being made in two colors to
30 with them, the brim being one color, the
youpp % ladies' es'i. is made Of straw and is not
unlike the chimney pot hat, which, in silk,
they wear for riding.-La Monitenr de la