Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-01
noan swift's Definition Of Style
as Applied to Fashion.
What Men Know About Ladies' Fashions.
Bostoner's Description of a
Modern Hat.
r,,,sssor Huxiey's Daughter Discourses Very
Practically Upon the Physical and Mem
tai Training of Girls

.n,nsntlv qualified for this particular
,rk Yet once in while q man may
,.,a pretty and appropriate thing about
,,me article of lady g dress. The Bos-
an man who said of a bonnet in the
,,s.eut fashion that it was "a halo
.,,mmed with film, - was almost aocu-
.ots in bis terms. Look at the little
..ovnlsss things, made up OF tuIle and
,.Ivet flowers, and say If you can
che. the description does not fit
# One of these halos recently worn on
.bs nublio promenade was absolutely
notblng but white lace strings and clus-
,srs of blue forget Quite as
ssIoate aud intangible was one where
nonsy after pansy covered the top,
heir great velvet leaves of purple and
odd gently resting, it seemed, upon the
Golden hair beneath, and the sides made
nm Of pleatings and puffiDgs of lavender
crane while narrow velvet strings
coonettishlv pinned meath the chin held
IN this airy nothing that women call q
bonnet.
This frequent use of the word style,
and its indefnableness when applied
N women or dress, has often
been the subject of comment, but in
reading one often stumbles on express
siops Of thought that leads on in most
Unexpected ways. Dean Swift, a bitter
satirist of the Seventeenth century, and
better known in this age as the author of
Gulliver's Travels, defined style in writ
ing TO be "proper words in proper
places, - and why not style in dress be
proper garments in proper places. A
stylish woman is not necessarily eXpen-
siTely dressed, but she must be fittingly
dressed, and that involves a careful
study OF face, complexion and figure and
8 right selection of right color, cut aud
fabric. It is gradually dawning on the
minds Of women who would be
weli.dressed that taste and fancy when
refned9sa safer guide than the merely
Acknowledgement of the hour. Governed
by the first, q woman maintains her in.
dviduality, and whatever originality
she may exhibit u, her costu4dhg there'
will be no inoongTnSkies inscolor, mSEs
or fabric, and in effect nothing that is.
bizarre. OF late years it has dawned
upon the female mind that dress may be
artistic, and those styles which centuries
ago we're adopted blindly are now re-
produced with reason.
The diTectoire was the. beginning of
the artistic epoch in dress, an attempt
TO adapt different materials and drHpery
10 figures. The same this spring, in
its modified forms, is sure to be pleasing
OlaTge women. As in the princess, it
Is capable of long lines and may be very
dressy or very plain.
In strict uniformity to these new ideas
Of beauty and princess gowns, little
deviation in one or another direction
adapts the princess to old or young,
stout or slender. Bunchy skirts and tie
backs are seldom seen, and when worn
appear in sharp and unfavorable con-
trast with the elegance of the long,
straight lines.
Most of the imported dresses show
princess backs, with very long skirt
lines, which give effect of height. Lines
OF length add grace to short or stout
people. For dressy occasions the ten
dency Is more and more toward long
lowing lines, obtained by hanging
draperies from shoulder and neck.
Princess gowns have long been admitted
SIS the fashion per Sc for stout figures
and for matrons, but not until this spring
we're they much worn by young women.
Now princess back is rendered youth
iul by round bodice, front shirred in
three rows at the neck and at the belt,
with box-plaited skirt front. From
Inc left shoulder and arm seam there
comes a drRpery, which crosses the
waist to the right hip and falls below in
sloping point. A handsome embroid-
cry turns the edge of this draperY foot of
Inc skirt, collar and cuffs. The drapery
gives graceful, raoy, Greclan effect,
YET the princess back relieves too
elaborate appearance for house or street.
a uRht-httlng lining only, with the thin,
summer dress material draped over this
III any fanoiful way, is more and more
used.
The princess forms are an excellent
foundation upon which TO exercise taste
~ Tue disposition of drapery.
some have net fronts with long,
ule ends, while others are adorned
WIN a drapery of lace held at the left
SHOULDER by buckle and caught over
s sue right hip with second buckle, then
ia'ling over the front OF theskirt. Again
''is severity is removed and the advRn-
tage Of long lines retained bv using
striped material for the front and velvet |
matching one of the stripes for panels,
auu worn with full girdle.,
ouekie and medisi collar. An
s aullHlfaole design for a thin form
aas very fun waist front, gathered so
~ 70 form two puffs above waist line,
SaIled across with silk cords. The third |
.o"est pun hangs over the hips and con-
S Tsas The lack of developments there.
r ,y.y narrow sloping jacket fronts, wish |
1,.,I turned back collar and draped |
~. eil on hips, over which on right side, |
. ,he loops of the cord, make this just |
'u y, 'ning for one too slender.
tuere Is no disputinE the fact that the |
ny ',. newest bodies are seamless once,
ss.,I Il equally true that no one but an i
ca' ''s' ought to attempt to make one. OF |
- Use the lining must be bias and 1
n,' '''etoh and adjust each part so as to /
p,eseut an unwrinkled whole is no easy
- later = The prevailing idea would seem
sro',e 10 have dress appear TO grow
,.s Sluee Felix originated the dress that
mo- me- lor different occasions, as. street.
ts.snlng and evening dress, there is a
msU ueuey TO so arrange gowns that we
49,, appear several times, and yet the
ws. NJ. Oe varied. This Is convenient IS
70. places to thoae who do not dare
tsr;u ~ array of trunks. The thin ma
M mat y used IL Summer dresses is