The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-12-12
FRESH FASHION FANCIES.
The Newest styles in ladies' Dresses.

1t is a sheer waste of material to
make the skirt of walking dress elab-
crate to sweep up the dust or the mud
of the crossings, and when it comes
to the house dress we recognize the
superior importance OF the bodice
when we attire ourselves in silk jackets
and blouses, and blossom out in the
multitude of pretty negliges especially
contrived to make fair women ire
sistible, in spite OF the fact that she
is wearing out the skirts OF her old
and no longer esteemed gowns.
A skirt is, after all, mere conyen-
tionalism, cut and dried in its forms.
A clever woman once said the length
of it was, like the teeth of horse,
the only certain clew TO the
age of the wearer - the older
the woman the longer her draperies
except in case of brides, who clip off
their trains only at the bottom of the
pocket books of their fathers.
But the bodice may, il it will, tell
much of the woman. Every line OF it
has q meaning. We can imagine a
lady of some taste and sensibility in
the tight untrimmed basque and coat
| sleeves, because q few seasons ago al
most everybody wore them, but how
much more expressive OF the full and
varied life OF the close of the nine
( teenth century are the folds OF soft,
/ flexible material now arranged inside
the half open bodices, the hints and
vaguely defined suggestions of curve
and line, which make OF the human
form divine something half concealed,
instead of bust and waist mathe-
tically defined and cased IN cuirass
c0rsage. One could base a whole
philosophy on the fashions. We used
TO be confident that we knew or were
about to discover everything. Then
we cut confidently, saying this is the
right, the only way. Now we doubt
whether, indeed. We know anything,
dividual whim or will. We used to
see in black and white. now we live
in half tones.
The classic element in the winters
fashions materially affects the cOrsage.
With the long lines of Chiffon and pep
lum and tunic i'll view, with the de-
sire to follow Greek and Roman char
acteristics as closely as convenient III
gowning. hardly new costume is
finished which has, to the eye, a tight
or even moderately fitting bodice.
Some waists are actually full, even
though the neglige arrangement of
soft draperies be arranged Over a
glove fitting lining. The typical bod
ice, whether it be of waist shape
proper or III redingote style, has in
variably trimming of passementerie
or ribbon or folds, plated or draped,
which do not look as II a stitch had
been set in them to held them IN
place, but rather as if the small but
exquisite flower pins, thrust in here
and there at the wearer's pleasure,
were the only fastenings. AS a matter
Of fact, however, they are carefully
stitched down.
The effect of the empire gown on
the average feminine waist is peculiar.
OF course it seems to shorten it, but
this is not so to closer view. The
Tapped and folded bodice, with its Y
neck and surplice coquetries, is quite
as long as the pointed French bodice,
but to what an OK has swollen the
sash that was a frog last season.
The newest sash is wide enough to be
set in the full length of the under arm
seam, and when its ends are drawn
forward and crossed in front and then
carried around to tie behind, it Gov
ers a good share of the waist from
view.-EG.