The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-08-28
THE FANCIES OF FASHION.
SOME PEEPS Mt PRETTY THINGS.
Eastern Dressmakers VIM Book No More
Orders For Straight Skirts-Early FAN
styIes-Fashion small Talk-Latest
Fads And Suggestions.

thority protesting that they reduce all
costumes to the level of that of a chamber
maid on duty and assert they will bring
about change next winter. Surely there
must be some happy medium between the
over draped skirts with which we have
been burdened and the severe extreme at
which we are now arriving. 1t cannot be
denied that plain skirts are not univer-
sally becoming any more than it can be-
affirmed that all women are equally well
made and graceful. And while they are
about it there is room for reform in other
details as well as skirts. Sleeves, for in
stance, are many of them actually gro
tesque, especially those in which the mate
rial is tied to the arm in two or three great
puffs. Then again the prevalent fashion
of turned-back lace or plating about the
neck entails an exposure of that feature
which is trial to necks in general which
have passed their first youth. Cannot
some genius create something which will
suit all tastes and thus be equally appro-
pirate for all figures and all ages?
During the latter part of summer and
the autumn, says Paris correspondent in
Harper's Bdzar, black lace will form
prominent feature of toilets. 1t is usedon
all fabrics and all colors, particularly on
light colors, and on figured as well as plain
fabrics. Black lace founces are used on
lowered silks with an ecru, old rose, or
light green ground. The founce is fire.
quently headed by puff OF the lace
through which ribbon is drawn of one
of the colors prominent in the flowers. On
the bodice the lace assumes the shape Of
bretels, a cape, or perhaps short jacket
This may not be pretty, but it is fashiona-
BILE. Lace founces are used in many
other ways besides. a pretty fashion
consists in covering silk skirt which is
TO be plated with two or three lace
founces set on fat; the silk and lace are
then accordion-plaited together. This is
done with plain and figured silks, but
more especially with striped silks, which
plat effectively. The bodice of such
a skirt may be entirely of lace
or only trimmed with lace; the
close silk sleeves are yelled with
full-plaited sleeves of lace. Dotted nets,
dotted IN silk, velvet or chenille, are SINH
larry combined with silk. Lace appliques
must not be forgotten. These are used
on wraps and dresses both. Palm-shaped
or other lace designs are applied on the
material, which is sometimes cut away
underneath and the lace lined with an
other color. Black lace insertions are
also much used, with the material cut
away from underneath.
A charming early autumn dress which
have Just seen making is of mouse-gray
crepe de chine. The skirt opens at one
side over an underskirt of black velvet; it
is trimmed everywhere with gold lace,
which on the open side edges the gray
and rests on the velvet The bodice is
shirred and opens on black velvet yoke
covered with gold embroidery. The full
crepe de chine sleeve ends at the elbow,
merging in a tight lower sleeve OF black
velvet, ornamented with a deep cuff of
gold lace. The entire dress is rich and
harmonious, yet quite simple in its eff
feet. The preference is for all soft, cling
| ing stufIs. and crepe de chine is in high
| favor. Indeed, shirred bodices, full
| sleeves and softly flowing skirts could not
be made OF stiff. harsh materials Autumn
toilets, il is said, contain the germs Of
winter fashions. If that is the case, some
| of the indications are significant. None
of the skirts are entirely straight. On the
| front, at the sides or at the back-some-
| where there are gentle curves or fuctua-
tons of the folds; it is raised here, or
| draped a trife there, but never quite
straight. Some of the bodices are fairly
| fascinating. One is high and full, confined
| below by corselet of velvet or silk; an
| other has the top forming a woke in large
plaits, on which is appliqued the edge of
a lace bodice held by a deep folded girdle /;
another has vest with a deep belt and a
short, loose Jacket above, as, indeed,
jacket corsages show the greatest variety
black lace bodices are made with two long
tabs on the front or a single one falling at
| the back. Never has there been greater
variety or freedom of imagination.
The first autumn toilets will be of light
camePs-hair, soft, sufficiently warm, but
of comparatively light colors, with a pre-
ference for the Suede and felt gray shades.
Accordion-plaited skirts will be used to
some extent, with a jacket which has a
tight-ftting back and fronts which open
on a well-htting vest that is crossed by a
girdle OF faille or MORE of the same tint,
the jacket fronts being lined with the
same silk. Lisbt-colored but warm wool
ems will be worn all through the autumn,
! duQ untiA TIC cJuiuiS QdNS VI carly Nlll6I
| impose darker tints. As to winter colors,
twice year regularly the statement is
made that the coming season will see a re-
turn to the bright, decided colors of good
old times in place of the neutral and CON-
posite tints now in vogue. Just as regu-
larly twice year the statement is belied
by subsequent events. 1t is safe to
predict that next season the blues
will still be old-blues tinged with
gray, the green's messy, the pinks
pale and tinged with cream or yellow,
and old rose will not be renowned. There
is not likely to be any sudden change
In this respect next winter. Some mar
velous silks are announced, and to Judge
by the specimens exhibited by the manu-
facturers of Lyons at the exposition these
promises viii be more than fulfilled.
Beautiful brocades are among them, in
which flowers appear to be scattered by
the handful at random on silks which are
stiff with richness. These, of course.
must always be exceptional even in the
grand salons In which they will be worn.
The wraps in preparation for the first
cool days OF autumn are capes, chiefly OF
light cloth Or coarse woolens, usually with
velvet in combination. A mouse-gray
cloth cape has collar and tabs of black
velvet. Mantelets with short tabs
have a yoke and girdle of velvet
or velvet point in the back and
some equivalent for it in front Just as
in the case of autumn dresses, light tints