Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-29

four times as much, and Is seemingly much
more fitted from its cost and finish to be the
exterior portion Of the dress.
The expense Of such luxurious belongings IL
greatly enhanced by the want Of proper facili-
ties for good lsundrying. There Is no such
thing hs trained service Of this kind in this
country, and silken underwear have usually TO
be sent to cleaner" who charges high and
whose skill is more or less rroblematicaL There
IL great field in laundry work for intelligent
women, and il 10 remarkable in this age Of
practical endeavof that great public lsundries
have not taken the place of the family wash
ing, expensively and ignorantly done in thou
sands OF homes and which are the regularly
recurring cause Of discomfort in the family for
two or three days out Of every week Of the ma
jority of lives.
NEW sUMMxR FABRIcs
The opportunity for display of the patterns
in summer fabrics has brought out some new
and charming designs in transparent and semi
transparent tissues. The old 'sprigged" mus
Inns appear and larger designs in delicate wat
team and pompadour colorings. Flowerets tied
with ribbon bows are scattered over a soft,
tinted surface, or smaller and more conven-
tional designs are used to form a bodice.
A bordered design is however, usually lack
ing in elegance and distinction. Rich as the
material may be, they always have an appear
ance of having been turned out by the gross,
and they are rarely purchased by women of
recognized pretentions to taste. ALI this sea-
son they have been selling ''for q song"
abroad, and we may expect to see our home
market flooded with them; but while they may
for this season be obtainable below actual
value, they are turned TO better account for
house and home wear than for dresses of cere-
mony.
The amount of waste of time, labor, and
material demanded by our frequent changes
and by the arbitrary standards erected as
measures of values would be incredible. if
computed, to any one looking at the subject
from the human standpoint. because the waste
must be offset by the want and who is respon-
sibe2
But these muslins, how pretty they are for
garden-party dresses, with gathered hats of
soft India sprigged or silk muslin and parasols
to match upon silk foundation. One of the
loveliest fete costumes in the world is of
sprigged silk muslin, of soft, ivory tint; para
sol and hat or bonnet to match, the flowers
white heath or something equally dainty; the
handle of the parasol twisted bamboo. the
gloves and shoes the softest, most delicate
shade of tan. Such a costume was worn by a
blonde beauty at recent lawn party, and
proved an unquestioned success.
1t is gratifying to see that young women are
beginning to consider the pretty gingham and
batiste cottons quite good enough" for sum-
mer afternoon entertainments, garden teas, and
informal receptions. In point of fact they con-
sttute the prettiest as well as the most suitable
of average costumes for all such occasions. 1t
Is true that one sees occasionally dress of ex-
traordinary delicacy and charm, but these are
very rare; their cost does not often afford the
opportunity for them, nor Is the inspiration
always there even when cost is not an obstacle.
But freshness and youth, joined to a sense of
fitness, are invested with charms of their own,
and there ia no drawback to a simple gown
from fear of melting away in a shower.
There is an Understandable attraction in the
color and fashion of making the cotton gowns
this year. The cotton lace rufling and border
Infr haa oil and
grey blue grounds and narrow stripes, the
olives, the terra cottas and browns with white
lines are contrasted with full white muslin vest
aud shirt sleeve showing at the wrist or with
sleeves and fat plated ruf1e at the neck, sur
rounding it and crossing from right to left fol-
lowing the line of the full, cross-over waist.
The hats are Of straw, with hardly any trim
ming but spray or broken wreath of flowers.
and the additional finish Of plated lining Of
gauze, lisse, or tulle. The white finish to the
coiored cottons and muslins has taken the place
OF the white dresses.
Few white cotton costumes are seen, en-
broidery not making up for the absence of the
note of color, and the difference being too
striking between the chalky, opaque white and
solid mass of color in the way Of sash rib
bons and the like. Thus the only admissible
white is tinted or transparent, capable of mod
ulation and of easy transition, being already
provided with a medium between itself and
the world of living color.
n
in the contrasts with black The colors in the
gowns are the same, the contrast effected by a
wide, black sash and large black lace or chip
hat. or by long and wide black lace scarf
which is drawn in at the waist and spread out
SO as to cover the front of the skirt This gives
handsome finish to the front of straight,
single skirt for the street, and does not require
the expensive manipulation Of a modiste.
RENAISSANCE OF THE LACE DRESS
Qaf Wi n oh hat rraH
lace dresses had given place to striped gauze
and dotted tissues for evening wear 1t is a
little curious now to see .'lace" dresses with
ribbon streamers, worn under very ordinary
circumstances on the street. For really ele-
giant costumes, the large figured French and
Spanish laces have given place to point d'esprit
dotted nett, the sprigged laces, beautiful imi-
tations OF chantil1y, in small. set patterns, and
the netted grenadines (all silk, which are ex-
pensive, but always handsome and durable.
These are used as full panels and parts of skirts
and bodlces, in conf junction with silk such ex-
pensiye mixtures of silk and wool as bengaline
1t has always been said of American women
that while they surpassed the women of every
other country in the style and cost of a certain
conventional form Of dress, they lacked daring
and originality. This reproach will soon be
taken away from them. The three-cornsred
hat accompanies the directoire coat at Bar Har-
Dor, the ''blazer" appears at Newport, while at
a recent gathering at q seaside resort four
young ladies wore Greek dresses and might
have sat for pictures of Yestal virgins so closely
was every detail Of dress and head-dress copied.
No unpleasant attention excited either.
These young ladies had formed themselves into
the ''Sappho" club, and it is beginning to be
understood that women can consult their own
taste, provided they do not violate the canons
of all good taste by making themselves con-
spicuous on the street.
Even widows, that much abused class. have
not been entirely exempt from the march of
Improvement. The deadly double Grape bon
net, the widows" cap and the crushing pail
of Grape called ''veir" have almost disappeared.
The priestiy fabrics have been boon in re-
moving some Of the weight of gloom which
attached to the old bombaziDes and paramet-
tas, and now the same manufacturers have in
troduced long veil Of nuns yelling, which is
used for bonnet and veil, reducing at the same
time both cost and weight. With one Of these
wells, black bonnet frame, quarter Of yard
of ribbed Grape cut on the bias and q dozen
mourning pins, widows bonnet is made in
ten minutes, which Is as toierable in hot weather
as the nature of the case will admit The Grape
is for putting upon the front The veil
10 simply pinned on TO form the bonnet andre
quires a little art but is very quickly and cas-
lily done by laying one end of the veil in
straight folds across the front, drawing the
fullness over the crown and laying il i'm folds
ox tba boo laa