Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-02
DRESSING AS AN ART.
French Ideas and Spanish Grace Ap-
parent in the Summer Gowns.
CHEAP, YET PRETTY COSTUMES.
Shirley Dare Tells How to Remove Freckles
and Gives Useful Hints
ON IMPROVING THE COMPLEXION
CHEAP, YET PRETTY COSTUMES.
ON IMPROVING THE COMPLEXION

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPATcH.l
NEW YORK, June 1.-Dress as an art be-
gins to be felt instead of dress as vanity,
and French ideas and Spanish grace have
marked influence in New York streets.
The women who study fashions most closely
and effectively are those from the West and
South, where foreign sensibility blends
with English correctness, though it seems
as if any particularly striking fashion
proves to be of English origin. The dress
parades of New York women Wednesday
and Saturday afternoons between 4 and 6
show such brillianee and fertility of
toilets that prefer the sight to the matt
nees. Sunday, of course, till the swell
people go out of town, shows the highest
dress after church hours, on Fifth and Mad
ison avenues, when all the clever dressmak-
ers go out to catch the last ideas in fashion.
But Sunday always seems meant for some
thing better, and one wants a change from
the rest OF the week-the housekeeping and
the moneymaking and the lovemaking and
dressmaking-space for the touch which has
all the fervor and grasp of these things and
can make us forget them all for while.
like to go to Grace Church because it is
so democratic in its costumes, the women OF
fortune mostly dressing, like Spanish ladies,
in black, and the rest very simply. China
silks and even satines figured chiefly last
Sunday. Think of It'll wearing o cotton
satine dress to church, and one of the
wealthiest churches in the metropolis, too.
1 wonder how many women in Shagbark
Center would wear q cotton gown on Sun
days? But began to tell about
A SURPRISING PLAID DRESS,
out after matinee one day, large. bright
plaid of orange-tan and ecru, SO taking that
every third man on the streets turned his
head to look after it. vowed to see the
face of the woman who could wear such
gown on the street, let her be what she
might, and started on walking match, the
plaid over block the start, a good walker
and evidently with an object. But one can
walk pretty fast at a smooth gait without
seeming to- and eight, nine blocks followed
with that glowing gown in view. 1t was
matched as only ladies' tailor can match
plaids, and the glare taken off and the
French touch added by a fringe of the two
colors on the apron drapery. Finally the
costume turned in at Daly's, where Rosina
Vokes is playing, and L had sight Of
fresh-faced English girl, talking with
shell-pink blonde after matinee.
have sound impression that the dress
was not finished in time, for the serviee-I
mean the play-and the basting threads
were pulled out just in time to allow the
wearer to join her friends for the park
drive. One had good deal more respect
for her after seeing her frank, healthy,
good-humored face than from a rear view Of
her meteoric figure. But this is a specimen
of the surprising 0laids which cross the
water from TrouVille to Brighton and
thence to this side. There was one dress on
the way, in red and navy blue handker-
chief plaid, even larger than the orange
tan. but looking quite contrast with it.
Such dresses will do at the seaside, where |
the throng is brilliant, but it takes English |
nerve TO wear them.
THE NEW JUNE GOWNS
on review, Just before their owners leave
town, are soft and brilliant in effects, with
out being gaudy, and are standing tempta-
tion to the average fashion writer to waste
the crushed pearls and rubies which she en-
ploys in her ink to such iridescence of
language that one can only exclaim, with
the Carlyle maid, "Oh, my, how expensiyeI'
To compare the descriptions with the gowns
disillusionizes. A pale, proud Undine, who |
has found her soul, but guards its secrets |
well behind her close-shut lips, in dress of |
the fsintest, gravest, dreamiest green sum-
mer flannel at 48 cents yard, foam of /
lace falling at the throat and against the !
gloves of pale green, lace from the bargain |
sales at 10 cents yard-I bought some N.Y. |
self and it was pretty-and the hat scarf |
of gauze held in place on the crown of yell |
low hair by heavy white water lilies with |
golden hearts. That won't dol
Green tulle and white water lily bonnets |
are distinct Bowery style. No woman who |
has any regard for herself ever puts herself |
in rivalry with Easter lilies or water lilies
any more, because it is little two preteh-
tious, like the biz white ostrich plume on
the black velvet hat You can't buy a |
water lily that looks natural on anything
but cotton cambria, for love or money.
AFoRTUNE IN BRoCADEs.
Then the tail slender woman with lot of
fair hair, caught with gold pins, fold on
fold against her head, in a coat of rich dark
green brocaded silk, whose every button is
4 fortune in itself, with its enameled medal
lion set in border of old silver, and the
long Louis XIV. waistcoat of rare old bro
cade, in whose vines lurk every tint and hue
that sunset shadings ever knew, so blended
that they are dazzling. The skirt is scant
to skimpiness, but the slender hips are 1.-THE;
shapely limbs make some exquisite changes
in their swift, changing positions that quite
reconcile one to the fashion. I know all
about those gold hairpins. They are hard
to find in New York at less than % cents a
paper, and import mine from Boston at 2
cents paper-whence 1 also get all envel-
opes and note paper, vertivert root and hot :
pourre.
Boston is the place to buy notions and
niceties of this kind. The enameled but
tons are high, SIT dozen at Denning's, and
l third of on Sixth avenue, but that would
be a fortune to some people. One would
suppose the past centuries had never worn
out anything from the stock of rare old
brocade, ready to be produced on any and
every occasion by sempstresses. But
adies who have the good luck to own any
rare old brocade," ladies like Mrs. El-
bridge Gerry or Mrs. Eastman johnson or
Miss Furness, usually lend it to exhibitions
Ind take care Of it, in place OF wearing it