The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-20
HOLIDAY FASHIONS.
HOUSE DRESSES PRErrY FOR FIRE
SIDE WEAR.

tCopyri0htl
New York, Dec. 19-If you ha We old
dresses-and Of course you have ever SO
many Of them-you are glad to. know of
some way Of fixing up the old garments so
that they look as good as new-and per-
haps little better.
There are wonderful things that may be
done with fichus and gIrdles and passemen-
terie and trimmings and the like, but there
is still another possibility, Of which you
may not have heard. and that is the sash.
This is a season, you know, when women
dress the back quite as much, II not more,
| than the front. The front of the gown or
the front of the jacket may be ever so
plsins but the back must be fanciful. 1t
| must be- beautifully trimmed and it must
be decorated with bows and decked out with
all the hnery which in past seasons has been
put upon the front
The latest and the best thing for deoorat-
ing the back of the dress is the large sash.
ana hYits aid an old gown. may be trans
formed more than one would suppose posi-
bic at arst glance .15 ~
Thesash may be of any color. But the
material should he silk ribbon about FIVE
inches wide. or perhaps even wider If the
hight of the wearer will permit, and it
must be long enough TO ful6ll oil the re-
/ quirements. 4al4.
Decorate the ends of the ribbon with
braiding or with flowers or feathers, in fact
with anything that might suit your fancy.
| lake the ribbon and carry it once around
the waist, beginning at the back and cross
ing 1t at the front, carry 1t again around the
back over the bust, and up under the arms
to spot which is just between the should
ers, and there tie a big bow.
Let some one then who Is acting as lady's
maid fasten the low in place between the
shoulders, and then let the ends hang
down in very long streamers to the bottom
| of the dress. II the dress be trained one
so much the better, but the ends of the
sash; should come completely to the bottom
| of the train. If the ribbon Is very heavy it
will generally hang in place, but there is
| just possibility that it may fall out of its
| proper folds and hang down at the sides in
an awkward way.
In case this occurs one or two hooks and
| eyes at various points in its length will
| remedy the trouble, allowing the hooks and
eyes to be fastened in such way as to hold
| the ribbons in place. The hooks must be of
the kind known as "safeties," which cannot
be unclasped of their own accord, but the
| eyes must be as small as can be found
| When the sash is thus put on it does not
| have q stiff appearance as one might sup>
! pose; on the contrary it looks most artless
and beautiful and decorates the dress most
| handsomely.
An old lace dress, one which has done
duty for several seasons in the street, and
which is now too dilapidated for q dinner
| gown or even for nice housewear, may be
treated to a sash Of this description, and it
! will then become very acceptable second
best house gown.
Have you ever tried combination Of red
and blackf They are devils colors," to
be sure, but vastly becoming and striking
for all that. If you have never tried them
| experiment little with your old lace gown
and see what can bs done. Make a plain
| lining for it of bright red satin or red silk,
If you have any one on baud which will
answer the purpose. Let the waist be
tight-fitting and make the sleeves and
the skirt as plain as you please. Let the
black lace waist ft loosely over the founda-
tion.
Whom the lace skirt is draped with the red
lining it must hang in long straight folds
and be tackled at intervals OF four or five
inches to make general eVenness of APP
pearance.
Now procure quantity of red ribbon to
match the foundation and decorate the ends
OF it with black, preferably dull black, be-
cause brilliant black does not always go
well with bright red. Tie the sash on In
the manner described, and when you have
doEe all this look at yourself and see il you
have not accomplished great results.
The feather fan or the fancy fan is now O
necessary part of woman's dress. The
fancy for old fans with landscapes painted
upon them, or country scenes, or scenes
which one has visited during the past year,
IS prevalent among women who can afford
to Indulge in such extravaganza trides, but
in len OF these elegant things may bemen-
toned the fans that are made at home upon
gauze foundation. and which very nicely
answer the purpose of the more elaborate
ones.
After all the dress fan is a fan for show
and not for use, and it is fan which is car
ried for the purpose Of promoting converse
ton; the fan hirtatlons. the fan talks. the
fan conversations, are recognized as being h
part OF the capital stock of every woman
who aims to make herself popular in 80
ciety. To have a fan which is In itself in
teresting forms topic for small talk which
might otherwise be lacking. With pretty
house dress there should go a pretty fan. 1t
may be painted one or it may be one con-
trlved from monograms or any other de-
vices which women love to gather, but it
should at all events be an interesting one,
and should likewise match the dress with
which it is carried.
After the custom just hinted at dear
little woman of talent, who has more friends
and more ingenuity than money, took q
! very ordinary gauZe fan and pasted upon it,
in way t5at did not at ali SAVIOR of scrap
DOCK Work, series OF mOnograms which
( she had long been collecting from the note
paper Other correspondents Many Of the
monographs were of gold. and few OF
them We're bronze and silver. The combina.
ton made a very pretty one, and with her
| dainty house dresses attracted attention
, and wonthe admiration of those who saw T..
However fond a woman may be Of max
ing good appearance in the street, she is
still more fond OF being comfortable.
The day of the minciEg step, the tightly
corseted figure aud the wan visage has gone
by. A woman is bound to be comfortable
nowadays, il she has to wear Jenness- Millers
and take of her corssts to accomplish the
} result
But it is not necessary to go to these ex-
} tremes. Very pretty and comfortable gar.
ments are made which answer all the re-
quirements of figure which is not small
wasted, and these garments at the same
time look very pretty. A acosy cloak for
winter which permits the wearer to keep on
, house dress In the street, or at least to put
on the cloak over a somewhat 10 1se gown is
one made Of regular blanket material. The
blanket is in stripes of navy blue upon a
} gray background, which when worn gives
an almost diagonal appearance to the pat
} tern, and is extremely pretty nevertheless.
Broad bands Of sable, and a very deep
sable collar with sable ming down the
front, add to the charming effect of this