The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-01-18
SPRING COMING.
Time to be Getting Gowns Ready
for the warm Weather.
Correspondence of the Press.


NEW YORK, Jan. 16.-I have often no
ticed that as soon as Christmas is over it
begins to be Fourth of July, but never
had this fact forced upon my mind as
clearly as it was yesterday. hadn't
given the fashions thought for one long
blissful week, and somehow my ideas
were all dressed in furs, when passing
our leading house 10! the windows were
full of spring and summer fabrics, and
how pretty they are!
The pale and delicate tints of last sum-
mer are seen again, only paler, softer
and more perfect in beauty than before,
If possible. There are stripes where the
blue merges into pink, like the first rosy
rays of the sun into the dark blue of the
sky, and others where the yellow of high
noon on a scorching July day turns to a
soft purplish gray as it nears sunset, and
all the loveliest flowers of the fields, yes,
and hot houses, too, are deprived of their
colors to deck female loneliness anew.
The new cotton goods have great deal
of open work in the stripes, onestripe be-
ing in satin faced cotton, while the next
seersuckers and ginghams have stripes
in the delicate tints and narrow one of
double hemstitch in white between them,
which gives very light and delicate eff
feet.
Jackets are taking the place of the
thick long wraps, but this is owing
partly to the pleasant weather, and if
one can judge by signs the directoire
style has had its day, and will go the
way of all things. This will be pity,
because we don't often get hold of SO
valuable an idea in fashions. 1t was
picturesque and, with certain modifica-
tons, becoming to the majority.
Up town there is a large store, and one
corner of this is made into cute little
boudoir all hung around with rich cur
talns, and in this corner, seen from the
street. stand and sit several life size fig
ures dressed in the most beautiful gowns
imaginable; and this little corner may
be said to set the fashion for America.
One lady sits in gilded. wicker chair
dispensing tea to her friends. She has
on dress of white faille, made with
deep tablier drapery across the front.
At the right side is a sash quarter of
yard wide, edged with Venetian point
lace ten inches deep. The waist has
Spanish jacket made of the same lace
over corsage of faille. The sleeves
were of the lace. The back of the skirt
was simply gathered very full.
One of the guests had on superb gold
colored satin embroidered in silver on
the panels. There was full but plain
train. The front had drapery of silk
fish net over the satin of the same color.
The waist was embroidered and draped
with fish net lace. There were no sleeves,
only round bands an inch deep.
Another guest had apparently just
come. She wore dress of silver gray
tricot, made up with satin of the same
shade. The skirt of satin, over which
fell very slightly draped tricot. Two deep
double box plaits formed the drapery in
the back. The corsage had long point
in front and short positions in the back.
A pretty little capeline of the tricot with
three thicknesses was over the shoulders,
and felt hat to match was perched
over the pretty, if expressionless, face.
Bishop sleeves were worn. Another daz-
cling beauty wore a superb trained dress
of sage green faille, with wide panels of
magnificent brocade, the ground work
the same in color, with very delicately
shaded leaves and tendrils in soft browns
and green. The pattern was very large
The front was richly draped. The waist
was devoid of trimmings, except mar
row band and collar embroidered. This
is for dinner or reception, and is one of
those costumes that expert little ladies
can make up easily, as more depends
upon the simple richness of the design
than complication, and the dainty gray
tricot walking gown also is easy to
reproduce, and, therefore. / give it. hop
ing that success will crown the efforts
of the dainty workers. The foundation
for either of these is just like any other
gown, well fitting lining, and the rest
is perfectly feasible. The difference in
the material and the made up gown is SO
great that think it is a sin for any wom-
an to buy a dress ready made or pay for
making one when she knows how to sew
herself.