The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-02-22
FASHIONS FOR CHILDREN.
SImp lefty Rather tnan Elegance In
Best Taste.
rCorrespondence Of the Press

correspondence VI IHo iOSS'l
NEW YORK, Feb. 2O.-Thers was
time within the recollection of the most
of us who have children when little
girls dresses were made as nearly like
those of the mothers as they could be.
and they really were miniature copies
as far as material, cut and trimming of
garments could make them. But that
time has gone by, and little girls have
distinct and individual style for them
selves suited to their age and childish
grace. 1t is not now how much trim
ming can be loaded upon little gowns,
but how simply they can be made.
The dresses naturally vary in style,
partly with the mothers taste, and part
,ly with the age of the child, and also
the appearance of the little one. Some
look lovely in the quaint little Green
away costumes, and others in the pict-
ure dresses copied from old portraits.
Others again require style more pecu-
liarly adapted to themselves, and the
tasteful mother will manage generally
to find out what best suits her darling.
Dark wooden materials and shepherds
plaids as well as silk or surah are most
commonly seen this spring for little girls,
and light colored veilings and cashmeres
as well as India silk are made up for
young girls in their Items" for party or
evening dresses. A pretty dress for
girl from 8 to 10 can be made after a
model dress which saw in large house.
1t was of shepherd checks in gray, ma
room and white and was trimmed with
mignonette green velvet. Another dain-
ty little gown which is illustrated here
is of tan colored tricot with guimpe,
belt and cuffs of ruby velvet. The waist
is shirred SO that the edge stands upward
like narrow ruf1e, and it has velvet
belt, and three tucks in the skirt for
sole trimming, but it makes becoming
and suitable little gown. Many ladies find
that the best back breadths of their own
worn out dresses can be utilized in max
ing up such little gown, only requiring
five-eighths of yard of velvet to make
a pretty little dress. 1t would need about
two yards and half of material forty
four inches wide to make this, and if
there was not quite enough dress mate
rial the sleeves also could be of velvet.
For school dresses, merino, flannel,
challis and many other of the more or
binary wooden goods can be used, and all
that is then required is fair stock Of
pretty white aprons, and the palmer the
dresses are made the more satisfactory
they will prove.
Cloaks are made of many materials,
but the most fashionable are those of
clan plaids in light cheviot, and they can
be modelled after the one in the picture.
To wear with these nothing is SO suita-
BILE as Tam O. Shanter cap or a Scotch
cap with heron's plume Both kinds
are very easy to make.
For young girl from IS to 16 there
can be no prettier or more suitable gown
than the pretty pearl gray mohair, with
its simple lines and its cardinal belt cuffs
and plastron. This same design can be
made in white yelling or any other ma
terial suited to the age of the wearer. In
wash goods there are zephyr ginghams
that are certainly as pretty as silk.
Hats for spring are low in the crown
and wide in the brim. The smaller the
child the larger the brim, and more over
towering the number of plumes. For
little girls of 3 and is soft white leg
horn that can be bent and twisted into
any shape without injury, and there is
also silk plush hat in white and cream,
profusely decorated with plumes. There
are also SEEN still for spring many black
rough beaver hats in gray, drab, white
and black. Trimming is laid fiat, lean
ing towards the front, and SO far no
flowers are seen upon children's spring
hats.
Ribbons for children's millinery are in
dark shades OF brown, prune, dark blue
and soft rush green. Sometimes width
OF pale blue ribbon and rush green will
be combined to trim hat for a young
girl, or terra Gotta and moss green, or
wood brown and olive green, with good
results