The Portland daily press., 1890-05-03
FASHIONS FOR CHILDREN.
deliberately Stitched and hemmed
White Garments almost entirely
Abandoned.
Correspondence of the Press.l

Correspondence OF the fress.1
NEW YORK, May lit is not so very
many years ago that children wore no
dark colors at all. No color or tint was
too delicate for them, and the mother
who put dark frock or cloak upon her
child was considered far more hard
hearted than Pharaoh and more econom-
ical than loving, but she was bound down
to backache and sideache from the extra
labor entailed on keeping her little girls
always sweet and clean in the delicate
dresses. 1t was not uncommon to see
little child dressed FOR ordinary occa-
sions in a white cashmere which had
been laboriously embroidered by hand,
and If it was hard on the mother it was
no less hard on the child, for no freedom
could be allowed child for natural,
healthy play.
But now all that is changed, and there
is no color that mothers wear that is not
fit for the little girls, and fashionable,
too.
The benefit of this system is that there
is not SO much work to keep the children
clean, and the children are happier and
healthier, because they can play without
restraint, and it is far more economical
in several ways.
OF course there will always be occa-
sions for white dress made as dainti-
ly as mother love can devise and moth
er's tireless patience can accomplish.
Such an one is the pretty little Iris dress
made of soft white null, embroidered
deeply around the bottom and worn over
a pink wash silk slip, with a tiny
plating around the bottom, just show
ing under the edge of the null. A
sash of the same silk crosses the waist
and is tied in an enormous bow at
the back. The sleeves are pulled over
silk and with deep cuffs and bretelles of
embroidery. Blue corn color, old gold
or Eiffel red can all be used for the slip
if preferred.
And the dear little coaxing sister,
She is going out with grandma in a little
Hubbard cloak of brown and fawn
striped cheviot and big poke bonnet all
of seal brown straw and plumes The lit
tie coat has forits only trimming a row of
tucks surmounted by herring bone in
saddler's silk Not at all gay or elabor-
ate, but oh, how quaint and sweet the
little maiden looks in It'll
ga culver full" of dear little children
is to be desired, but it has its drawbacks,
particularly when Bobby is always need
ing shoes and Minnie and Nellie stock
ings, hats, etc. The best way to dress
them is to give Bobby pretty little kilt
suit of serge or cheviot or heavy blue
flannel, made with a blouse, and socks
and stout boots. A toreador hat is Just
now the style for him, with triple CO.
carde at the left side.
Get Minnie Tartan plaid and make
| it on the bias, and trim it with row Of
open castle or Hercules braid, with a
sash of the same, and dress her doll with
the scraps left over. Give studious Mel
lie quiet little gown of dark blue fan
mel, neatly made with the front of surah,
which was all the best part of big sister
MabePs last years dress, and you will
find your little ones well dressed and
very economically dressed, too.
Ginghams are as strong as iron and
fo5eIare &c +1.a <,:--,l--------
are good for boys and girls to wear for
spring and summer, where laundry work
does not count. Where it does, light
woolens are better and quite as cool,
though not quite SO summary looking.
But nothing suits boy SO well as a
sailor suit, with gilt braid, an embroid-
cred anchor and s'real sailor buttons"
with foul anchor onthem. am sorry
to relate that while mothers would like
to keep the pretty and picturesqusF aunt
leroy suits on their boys, these latter
turn up their noses and mutter ''chest-
| nuts" scornfully
Little girls of course, wouldn't do such
thing, bat they are all in favor of the
shorter skirts, as they, too, are a little
tired of the Empire and Sara Crewe
style. The waists to the summer ging-
hams, chambreys and lawns, as well as
muslins, are all made very tastefully and
with much ornamentation, while the
skirts are very plain. Sashes are fastened
with heavy and enormous buckles in
shell, steel or oxidized silver.
Hats are in all sorts, kinds and COLOR
of straw, and trimmed as you please.
Shirred hats of Bingham for quite little
ones are as pretty as a picture over the
sweet little faces. The strings are of the
same material
4