Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-29
THE FASHIONS.
Pretty Summer Gowns.

The tendency of all fashions is to greater simplicity of style. The practical abandon ment of draperies and the reduction of the turnure which has been gradually acoom- plished, all tend to this result. There is no mistaking the fact that women of refined taste are beginning to weary little of the bizarre effects of Directoire and First Em- pire styles, though there are many elaborate figured materials urged upon them by dress makers and combinations of two or three materials are continually used. The long, straight, olinging skirts, the full-slseved, short-waisted, surpliced bodices of seventy years ago so familiar in old portraits are re- produced in effect, though not copied in minutiae. The style of dress, which is as- sociated with the sentimental type of wom- an-h hood for whom Mrs. Hemans sang and lady novelists of her day wrote, was made with bodices sloping in the shoulder seams. Fashion then abhorred anything approaching such masculinity ss full chests or square shoulders. The greatest variation in the waist of 1872 and the one generally adopted at present for indoor and country wear is in the shoulder seam; this is now invariably high. There are a variety of drsped cor- sages in use which outline the waist at the back only. In some cases the front of the corsage is draped in a single width, in pure Greek style disgonally from the left should CT; this drapery is continued in the front of l the skirt, the only part of the skirts where any drapery is allowable. In other bodices l two scarf-like pieces come from either shoulder and are gathered in close point forming 8 waist known as the Recamier waist; or they are folded and crossed in sur plice style. It is impossible to inumerate the many ways in which this fashion is car ried out of drsping the figure. fitted lin- l ing is necessary with all these corsages. This style of waist was suggested in the aesthetic dresses introduced a few years ago and will be commended by artists because 1 they are picturesque in the best sense of the word. Sheer, diaphanous materials, mus- lins, nets, and Soft Oriental silks, are sought for these afternoon summer gowns. India | silks which are reproduced extensively in | this country are utilized for morning and afternoon and make useful dress. Light delicate grounds figured with the large | sketchy patterns now considered stylish are used for indoor wear, while dark navy blue 1 wood brown and dark green and slate shades are used for travelling and general dress The designs of India silks stamped in Lyonl are superior in coloring and pattern to thos' made in this country.
 American manufacturers seem to striv' perpetually for bizarre effects, believing il
 this way they meet the demand of the great
 CT number of their buyers, @ sorry common
 on the comparative rsfnements of publi
 tastes in the two countries. While it is n doubt true that refined women in Americ |
 is equally true that there is no country un
 der the sun where the general people sho1
 so much refinement of taste in dress as il
 France. Figured India silks are rarely i'm
 ported from the East, but the best of thes
 silks are woven and dyed in India or Chin
 and stamped at Lyons. A charming cream
 white India silk, figured in blue, bronze ant
 dull red, in patterns merely outlined b
 dotted lines of color, was recently mad
 with straight back, side breadths and drape, front, caught up with cluster of ribbons il
 blue, bronze and red at the left side. Tn
 draped waist shirred at the side ant
 rather eccentrically drawn over the figure
 falling in easy soft folds over the bust to tn waist Another dress WAS of the same sill
 in pure white ground, figured with delioat grasses and oat sprays in the new colo : known as oaten green-a charming hue
 more becoming than any shade approaching
 the blue tone yet introduced. This gowr
 was finished with accessory trimmings o1
 white silk with silver braid. Silvery gray