Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-17
fashions AND FADS.
What The Women Talked About
at the Congress in
Washington,
A COSTUME FOR BUSINESS.
Hints of the Fashions Which Will
Come in the Spring.
BEWITCHING GOWNS DESIGNED.
Some New Bridal Effects introduced at q
New York Wedding.
A COSTUME FOR BUSINESS.
BEWITCHING GOWNS DESIGNED.
GOSSIP ABOUT GOODS AND CLOTHING

National Convention in Washington dis
cuSsed, among various other things, the
evolution of a suit for business woman
which should be at once tasteful, modest
and sensible"
The idea was original with Frances Will
lard, the President of the convention, who
gave her plan for the costume in beauti-
fully brief and comprehensive way. MAKE
at least dozen good, big, strong pockets,
and build the dress around them.
"Woman," said Miss Willard, twill
never come into her kingdom at all until
she comes physically. She has sacrificed
her constitution and is living on her by
laws. She has made of herself an hour
glass whose sands pass quickly BY"
Susan B. Authony-dear old Susan-who
has lived so long with women, and who
knows so much about them, when the sub
ject was presented to her, very sagely said;
"Why, you can't put the great army of
business women into uniform. Every one
them would have her own idea of what
she liked Tor herself, without regard to the
Others.
Now, to tell the truth, " continued Susan,
my life that was either very beautiful or
very becoming, and 1 have noticed that a
great many working women are just as fond
Of pretty and tasteful things as their sisters
Of leisure. l have further noticed that these
are the women who get on the best"
Susan BIS Great Mistake.
She is wise. is Susan. 1t does not help q
woman one bit TO go and ask for situation
IN 4 queer gown Miss Willard says that a
woman is "swathed by her skirts, splintered
by her stays and pinioned by her sleeves, I"
but she makes the mistake that so many re-
formers do; she takes away what we have
and gives Us nothing instead, except pock-
e,S, says a writer in the New York CONT
lleII.
The divided skirt next came up for dis
casSion, and every woman who had tried
il admitted that it was the hardest thing to
walk in she ever wore in her life. Bloomers
were not to be thought OF, for they were not
only ugly, but very conspicuous.
Mrs. Senator Davis, who would be a true
model for Diana, offers a costume that seems
10 Ill the bill. Although not business
woman, she wears the proposed suit herself,
aud her appearance would convert the most
skeptical. The principal Item in Mrs.
DAVIS costume is the underwear, which is
of wool for winter and OF silk or cotton in
the slmmer, as the wearer pleases and can
ytiord. Now, this underwear consists of
two pieces, 4 pair of stockings and shirt.
Z he stockings, however, are nothing more
or les than tights that fit the figure perfect
" and fasten about the waist This does
away with the dragging suspender or the
tight garter, and gives perfect freedom of
motion. The shirt is also woven to fit. and
ma be high or low necked, with or without
sleeves, as the wearer pleases.
Stage Accessories Utilized.
Over the undergarments is pairoftrunks,
exactly like those worn on the stage. They
may be of silk, wool or linen; there's so little
OF them that the material doesn't matter.
And then a corset. Mrs. Davis believes in
the corset. II must not be too stiff or worn
too tight, but II must be there, because" T"
she saws, "it helps to keep the figure in
shape, and no woman looks really trim with
cut it."
Now comes the skirt, Just one-the dress
Skirt-not sign of any other, "for," saws
Mrs. Davis, 'others are not necessary; they
weigh a woman down, they spoil the con-
tour OF the figure, they impede the walk,
and are altogether undesirable"
= senslN.e business woman would choose
for her wo ( dt.ss light, soft wool, and have
il lined with silk. 1t makes the dress cost
but trife more, and business women now
adaYs can afford TO dress well.
The skirt must be perfectly PLAIN and of
perfect lit, and just long enough to clear the
ground. A short skirt does very we'll for a
woman who has pretty feet, but unfortun-
ately all women have not; so on the whole
the long one is preferable, because in wet
weather it is little trouble to hold up one
skirt, specially if that one has no drapery.
Tha md IF ha ipol Ind
neat fitting coat and vest, seft crowned
English walking hat, pair of shoes, which
NAV be comfortable and sensible, and at the
same time fit well and look pretty; q pair
Of nicely fitting gloves and linen collars and
cuffs As this is the only bit OF linen in the
whole costume, the wearer has no excuse for
having speck or spot upon it. In the vest
and j .ckat may be the dozen pockets pre-
scribed by Miss Willard, if the wearer
wishes.
Cost of the Ideal Suit.
The cost OF this ideal suit is rather beyond
the average working girl but dress of this
description can be worn for a whole season,
just as a man wears a suit of clothes. The
wool tights cost So pair, cotton ones 81 80,
and SILK ones any price you chose to paw.
The shirt IN wool is 81 %. The trunks may
be made In an evening aud cost almost
nothing. Corsets are of all prices and
shoes likewise; but the ideal shoe for this
costume is OF kid, with medium sole and
patent leather tip, and costs Sc so. For the
dress, four yards of double-width material
is required, and the wise woman will buy
either black cheviot or navy blue serge,
which fabrics cost 81 25 per yard. As
everything depends upon the making of this
groMn it is well to take it to a tailor, and
there are several good tailors in New York
who will make the suit and furnish the silk
lining for S25. An English walking hat
costs So, and lasts forever. Thus, for $50,
woman may be thoroughly we'll dressed
ior three months, which isn't bad.
The same idea NAV be followed out for
evening costume. A dress worn at several
Washington receptions this winter was
made after this model. II was of Lavender
cashmere, embroidered with white DAISIES
perfect poem of gown. Another was of
white Bedford coral. trimmed with bands of
sable, and its elegant simplicity attracted
deal Of attention.
Kate Field SAYS that all dress reforms are
of diabolical invention, and the woman who
wants 20 talk about them is to her a thing
of horror; but to the tailor-made skirt and
tights she gives her hearty Endorsement,
and says she means to adopt the costume
herself
NEW THINKS FOR WOMEN