Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-25
ABOUT DRESS DESIGNS
How Women Suffer After Artistic
Activity.
PREPARING FOR WINTER
Value OF Dressing Acknowledgment.
cal Points for Purchaser. Of Eabrics
for the AdOrnmcnt Of the Person or q
Home-Pretsy Costumes.
Written for THE EVENING SrAn.

n EATHER BORDERS for autumn will soon
iNbe replaced by winter fur trimminCs,
which will be worn to an extent seldom
zAk# attempted The idea Is not unwelcome
to delicate people. Fur at wrists and
throat adds q comfortable coziness to the
clothing and keeps off the the chils where
they strike most dangerously. Fur cuffs
hooked close abou. the wrists keep the pulse
warm, and borders in front give the warmth
that is most grateful over the chest. Many
woman, well clad, in liberal house, gets
her death by going about chilly with a slight
GOODNESS in the back and front of the chest
1t is held in contempt to coddle ones self. az
vigorous friends call it, and so she runs close
risk Of pneumonia rather than make herself
comfortable in her own way. In u velvet and
fur season one can hardly help being warmly
dressed.
FOR INSIDE WEAR
The fancy counters-with their sets Of en-
broldered velvet sleeves ready to sew in last
years sacque, the pink, canary and pale blue
ostrich collars and Bulgarian work for Christ
mas-are not more interesting TO most readers
than the home comforts in hosiery aud inside
wear. Scarlet knit vests and drawers, soft as
zephyr wool, are elastic enough to draw over
white bodywear for snowy or muddy DAYS
Sensible women are making knickerbockers of
the fine pretty striped hannels usually made
up for morning gowns. In their way these are
better than most things made for us of late
years-nne as the expensive French faCnels, In
very pretty narrow stripes, and being mixed
cotton and wool neither shrink nor fade
One Is grateful to find such satisfactory mate
| rial for gowns and petticoats, children dresses
and winter drawers At the moderate price OF 81
cents, yard wide. The camel's hair serges
and chsvlots at So and So yard do not offer
nearly as good qualities for their price They
are coarse. slaZy, attractive us SO much bed
blanketing, and the worst is they wear thres or
four years without change, which 10 no recon-
mendation.
FIGURED MATERIALS IN VOGUE.
Figured materials are in high fashion, not
only in the expensive silks, chinee and printed,
but in cashmeres and French twilled fanne!s
for street wear and delaines or alpacas for
house. The tlresome wafer and half-moon fig
ures give way to the beautiful old-fashioned
bouquets In colors more or less natural and
floral stripes or course nothing like paniers
or over-drapery is to be thought of, and the
simple gathered gowns with full fiounce on the
skirt are 80 pretty one wishes them lasting
favor. The SNOWY silks for evening in white
or cream grounds, with gorgeous pattern,
partly chinee and partly in velvet relief, are
not good choice even for the stage.
Such dress Sc en- once is never forgotten and
grows commonplace in three times wearing
est In size not to be affective. Well studied
Of just that size which gives impression Of
their beautiful color without stamping it on
the eye, bouquet gown is pleasure forever
POVERTY OF DRESS DESIGNS
1t is q sin to make or print an inferer pattern
when good one is so long valued. With all
the fuss over schools of design. the work sent
out from the best ones is doubtfully desirable
window OF brocades is a sight to turn ones
eyes from. The exhibition of last year seems
followed ty reaction of design which sinks
into dreariness Those spring acanthus and
prickly poppy leaf patterns up and down a rich
silk remind one of horned frogs and dragon
fms, or singing, ill-mannered and worse scente
coarse weeds, which possibly do for the border
OF Flemish tapestry, but are not the ideas to
associate with women's gowns 1t is a very
plain law of taste that nothing disagreeable
should ever be figured in human surround
ings Such infections are the accidents Of
rude growth, but it Is our privilege to Danish
the most distant hint of them from our houses
our wall paper and cushions and carpets or
our womens and children's dress. If crude or
debased Gothic or Florentine taste chose for
its patterns the dock and thistle leaves which
grew rank at the foot of castle walls when gar
dens we're scarcely known, it is not for us to
follow their poverty of design. 1t is our fortune
to select what Is best in the work of earlier art
without accepting its mistakes and propagating
Its plumbers. So every Daisy and Dorothy
who is careful to choose her gowns Of the pref
tlest figure and fashion does her part for en-
coCraging good designs and better art. The
Powered dresses preserve the garden charm for
US.
When Della comes down in her French fam
mel house dress Of material firm and finished
like Amazon cloth, in those rich colored stripes
which repeat the hues OF dahlias and Bromp ton
stocks and choice asters she brings a hint of
pleasure with her which all eyes gratefully ac-
knowledge. Or when she goes tripping ont in
visiting dress of fine Henrietta cloth, whose
printing 10 one of the choice effects of the trade
where small rich roses glow on the dark ground
in clusters of Provence and Prince o Morocco
together, deep rose and red, the plain velvet
jacket and bonnet set off costume SO deli
cious that one would follow her streets length
to look at it. Such toilet betrays acute sense
OF the becoming, the sufficient.
Another young woman, who lacks taste
takes figured gown with lighter ground
she trims IL, perhaps fatal mistake), instead
OF leaving It's lowered beauties to fail in long
pleatS, and she mounts it with one of those new
French bonnets which come in three pieces,
with the animal, vegetable and mineral king
doms under contribution for garniture, and
wears a frogged military coat with it. Then
she looks the overdressed young lady and
nothing else-neither chic nor distinction
about her.
AS TO OUTER WRAPS
'Greta" wants to know what she shall buy
has a narrow income, and wants to devote part
of it to taking lessons next winter Yet sine
wants to look jaunty and not betray economy,
though caring less to follow ultra styles. lis
the military coat desirable in her casc?" ANY,
thing but desirable. TO answer the last question
first. 1t will do for Tuxedo girls, who carry
half dozen different jackets every season and
with whom S5O or SO TOR new wrap is q bags-
telle.
SAFE RULES FOR CHOOSING.
One word to those who would select wrap
pings for lasting good style. Always choose
cloaks or jackets with as few seams and pieces
as possible The less thick cloth is cut UP the
better, and sacques with six pieces in the back
or separate skirts never look well or give the
satisfaction of simpler models. There is "a
pretty short jacket sold In very dark and fine
plush. nearly handsome as ''black SEAL"
though not Initiating it, which goes we'll with
any costume. The fronts lap little, giving
warmth to the chest; the collar sets closely, with
very small lapel and the skirt is straight without
being clumsy. This is well made as any,
thing at so. Besides this have long cloak
of very light or dark cheviOt, ii light with high
cloth coIlar-not too faring if it is to see an
other season-itted under the arms with no
dart.
A fluffy gray boa of the best raccoon fur and
riv ct,,lx . ~l,;,