Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-21

Oouot II 10 true Dut Just experiment with
1t moment yourself, walking once or
twice across the floor, following literally
the directions, and you will see how easy
1t Is TO overdo--to hump ones self like
camel, or to assume a ridiculous mincing
gait or kangaroo attitude, or to swing
ones rear with motion that used to be
called "nipping;;' or, worse than all, to
forget ones self nov and then, and mad
vertently let out the drawn-in protru-
brance and come down fat upon the heels
again, causing such marked difference in
contour as to startle beholders-much as if
sober, blank hall should suddenly throw
out bay window | have seen the thing
In practice upon the streets so often of late
as to be able to recognize the symptoms
from afar of, and to tell unmistakablv as
soon as one of the stout sisterhood comes
into view whether she is practicing direc-
tions.
Well, let US talk awhile on that, to us,
more congenial topic of ig-leaves. Com
paratively
oLD-FAsHIoNED DRESS FABRICS
Are becoming more and more popular as
the season advances, with increased incli-
nation to revive old customs, costumes,
habits and some dances, including the
stately minuet. Could Nine. Recameir or
Nine. de Stael pay flying visit to the
United States this summer, they would
find, wherever "the best society" is repre-
sented, lassies and matrons gowned, even
to the last button, in exact imitation of
the precise styles which these two lead
ers of fashion in their remote day intro
duced to the Partisan world more than a
century ago. The "Recameir gowns" as
they are called, are copied from old
prints and portraits, by laughing, chat
ting. pleasure-loving women of to-day.
When procurable, (which is not often,
however,, nothing sets off these dresses SO
well as historic sets of old silver buttons.
Some of these, painted by Vatican, Bou-
cher, and their contemporaries, may be
found in bric-a-brac shops, or have been
preserved in families as heir-looms and
now are worth their weight in gold.
These buttons once adorned the cuffs and
pockets and fronts of brocaded gowns and
coats long fallen into shreds, while their
first happy owners went TO dust long,
long ago.
Among the old-new fabrics, late advices
have it that Irish poplins have taken
possession of Paris, and will shortly be
the rage in America. The newest i'm
portations of these goods are extremely
rich in texture and coloring, calculated
to combine artistically with soft-falIing
woods, such as serge and Henrietta, and
also with silks, cashme.es, velvets and
crepalene. Just now,
LIGHT CoLoRs
Are byfar most popular. The best dressed
and most conservative women now wear
street costumes of rose-color, pale blue,
green and mauve, who, two years ago,
would have looked upon such dress in the
street as an objectionable otiense against
all canons of good taste. They wear the
tan-colored pig-skin shoes, or red Russia
feathers for all but the most ceremonious
occasions; their hats are covered with
masses of flowers; the gloves match their
shoes or dresses, as they may prefer; and
the long-handled directCire parasols have
their ivory sticks tied with long floating
bows and ends of ribbon.
For this good year, 1889, white is again
the favorite color for festal gowns--and
nothing can be prettier, or more refined
looking. There is every Imaginable material
In white-silk, wooden, cotton, linen and in
mixtures. Gowns of white China crepe
and white mousselaine de sole over
white tatietas, with trimmings of silver
and gold, take the lead of all Others
in ETHEREAL lightness and vaporous charm.
Tulle and organdy are also favorites for
full evening dress. White fans, white
flowers, white shoes and pearl ornaments
are worn with these white toilets.
WHITE GOWNS
For afternoon wear are made of Il variety
of cloths, such as nuns yelling, challie,
berege, China and India silks, toulards,
nansooks and cambrics, braided with gold
or silver, embroidered, tucked, lace
trimmed, according to the fancy of the
wearer. There is a hosts of white wooden
stutfs and others (like lawn-tennis fannei),
that are nearly all cotton, but are woven to
initiate wooden, which make pretty and
inexpensive gowns.
In the matter ofsleeves a revolution has
taken place. Some of the newest are very
wide at the top, and either lace or button
inside the arm. Many allow them to
droop over the hand, thus carrying out the
medieval mode in its entirety. Mutton
leg sleeves, with wrinkles or folds extending
around the arm, are made very long,
almost to the knuckles, because if cut
shorter, when quite full, they are out of
proportion and have bad effect.
Distinct sleeves appear in many dresses,
and for stout women velvet sleeves and
plastrons are recommended as greatly
narrowing the figure. For very thin, fine
material pretty style is the plain sleeve,
open down the outside of the arm, cut in
scallops and bound either with the goods
or with narrow ribbon. The scallops are
so arranged that the points meet at the
back of the arm and are fastened together
with tiny bows, buttons, or little gold
clasps.
The very newest sleeve is called the
Moyen age" and is made full, gathered
into the arm-hole with a swell over the
top Of the shoulder, but split open in the
lower part of the elbow. over an under
sleeve of silk that fits like a glove and is
finished at the wrist with fall of lace, the
finest that you can afford. But in all this
column and half we haven't gossiped one
bit about
THE ABSENT WOMAN"
Let us begin with the Queen of NADIA
gascar, because she is too far away to sass
back" They do say that the ilIustriJus
lady is not nearly so black as one might
expect, and that she is small and slender
and wears a sad expression "-besides the
few clothes which etiquette preseribes in
her section. 1t is said that she is very
unhappy, and Zines for her former hus-
band, who died of consumption before she
came to the throne, and for that reason she
held out as long as possible against accept
ing the crown. She is only about 23 years
of age, and has already reigned four years,
and is the most popular ruler the people
have ever had. All her dresses come from
Paris. On the day when some American
saw her she wore a robe of white CASH
mere, with train of heavy white silk;
mantle of the same, with buttons of cut
steel; white silk hat with ostrich feathers
and steel ornaments in the shape of half
moons; four-button white kid gloves :;
bracelets OF red coral (the national Jewell,
and breach earrings and pendant of cut
steel.
SPEAKING OF QUEENS,
1t is well known that England's sovereign
lady keeps all the rooms forever locked