The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-27
FASHIONS At THE
CLOSE OF THE YEAR.
Back to The Days Of Our GTaldmothers.
Old BrOCaiG the Rage,
The Latest Creation in Evening Gowns Is a
Notification of the Empire-Rich Dis.
plays in Diamonds and Jewels.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL

NEW YORK, Dec. p, 1S91.-The happiest
she is the one who had a grandauut or
mother considerable enough to leave her
cheStful or even one gown of the rich old
fashioned taffette brccade, for they are all
the rage. One that | saw resurrected the
other day was as freshly beautiful as
though it had not come out of Paris one
hundred and twenty years ago. The gown
was a rich chocolate brown satin, brocaded
with cluster of cherries and their leaves
In natural tintS, alternating with poppy
clusters in shaded red and yellow. It was
made with a very long waist, pointed and
opening quite 10 the bottom over a stom-
acher of yellow lace. The same yellow lace
made tucker in the low, square neck and
triple ruffies to the elbow sleeves. The
skirt opened in front and was Topped away
from petticoat of plain brown satin short
enough to show the hish-heeled red shoes,
with big bows and silver buckles, and even
a tiny bit of the Ied-clocked stockings. Be-
hind the brOcade swept out into train
tull three yards long, lined throughout with
SelloW-Drown padHaSoy. Its first wearer
was colonial dame of renown-a Viceregal
lady, whose stately beauty is the most
cherished tradition of her descendants. This
costume, which figured at more than one
historic ball, has been kept intact even to
fan and gloves which by the way are as
long as the longest of our period. 1t was
brought to light with some faint idea of re-
modelling it into ball gown for great
great-granadaughter. In the END it was
decided to leave it alone. There are hints
though of q colonial costume ball for the
benefit OF the Mary Washington Monument
Association. If they take form and sub
stance, 1t Is sale 10 say the brown brocade
VIII appear and ruffle it with the best
OLD BRoCADE.
Failing old brocade, you may buy new
ones twice as beautiful in all the delicate
evening shades blues like a dream of
heaven or the shimmering summer sea :;
pale tea-rcse pinks, shot stuffs, opaIescent
as the tlntS OF dawn or as full of changing
hues as pigeons purple neck; cream am
Der, Indian red, jonQuil yellow, pearl, dead
white, black, gray. crimson. all in the most
luStrouS weayes, with pattern of lace feS-
toonS OF true-lOve knots or stars or S OTIS or
creseentS in self-tones running all over
them. Other sorts have delicate flowers or
bouque Is colored to the life; still Others
sheaVeS OF wheat in gold or silver or suns
or moons or intricate arabesque tracery in
the same precious metals. In making up
the brocade forms either q coat bodice and
front with silver train or else trained
skirt with bodice OF fine cloth, or maybe
court train and sleeves to princess gown
the color of its ground.
Such garments of course are the fullest
OF iuli-dress for dinners, with dancing after
the opera, balls and so on. a stuff that for
such uses divides hOnors with brocade is
the new costly cable-cord bengaline that in
the end is cheap since its richness precludes
other trimming. Il Is cut largely in prin-
cess shape and admits only band of fur at
The foot and touch or two Of the very
handSUmeSt paSSementeIie, with OF without
beads on the waist. Such gowns are lined
throughout with lighter silk in an harmoni-
GUS contrast to the outside, and generally
there is some continuance by which a bit of
lining shows aud accents the ground colCr
For evening g0wnS-e pecially in soft
clinging stutfs, the Greek gown or its modi-
fcaiiOu. the empire, is more and more used
as the winter advances. Miss Defries, the
young English eiOcutiOnist, who is as good
TO look at as TO listen to, very much affects
both styles. But she wears long sleeves,
close-setting, but very much wrinkled. In
deed, as before written, long sleeves are
qnite feature of the most swagger evening
gowns.
PERFECT ARMS.
C0ntrarwisa, she who has perfect arms
makes the most of them. Witness the
picture IN The empire frock, whose original
in it appeared at one of the SWEETEST func-
tons Murray HUI has seen this winter,
Tie material was cream pink CHINA crepe.
very deeply crinkled and embroidered in
god all over the skirt. At foot there was
4 border almost solidly covered with the
gold, from which long. graceful sprays ran
was fastened directly under the bust and
fell IN gold, frlnged and almost to the bot
tom Of the deep train. Wide old-rose
points, yellow with age, fell away from the
dimpled neck that was innocent of jewels,
as were the perfect gloyeless arms and
hands. Indeed, her only ornament was
big pae-pink enamel orchid blossom, with
a diamond heart and crusted with diamond
dew. worn at one side of the waved empire
cuiffure. She wore also pink Shoes high
HppiA6 rnIn-urInrhr ll-Sf
crossing sandalwlse over the instep. pale
pink stockings clicked with gold; and car
RED a huge fan Of white ostrich feathers,
striped with pink and mounted upon eX-
quisitely carved ivory stick. Her handker
Chief was Of lace, matching the fan. Alto
getber it is very little wonder that the
wearer was set down
The comet of a shiny night
The beauty Of ball.
Because this beauty went beautifully I'M
jeweled. do not therefore set il down that
simplicity is the fashion Never before,
perhaps were gems and gold so we'll
wrought, so well worn, as at present. Dia-
monds-alwaYC SO faYorte-are now set in
platinum. and so thickly placed that you
catch nauEht but their clear splendor New
shapes are : varied that it is idle to cata-
Iogue them. A notable tiara has five
swallows in flight; in another a bird
May-blossOms. Brooches are larger than
for years past. l saw one that was
a mass of irregular pearls set around
largish diamond, the whole quite as big as
the palm of your hand. A leaf-shaped dia-
mond, one to be worn also as a pendant.
was bigger still, and had along with it
long earrings, such as our grand
mothers wore. Canoes, too, are revived.
ENAMEL FLOWERS.
But nothing is quite so much in favor
as the enamel flowers that grow yearly
more perfect. l saw yesterday spray of
ha at S-i ha
low Vanderbilt throat, and not till caught
the CLEAN Of diamonds on what ought to be
the leaves did | realize that 1t grew in a
workshop and not in garden. 1t was at
Rn afternoon tea, and the lady wore mar
Vicious gown of the softest camePs hair IN
one of the art green shades. lthad velvet
woke outlined by full pleated frlll that was
edged with ieweled gallon, and somehow dis
appeared under one arm The same ga
trimmed the skirt above band OF the velvet
one of the new lace falls that drop straight
down from a deep band, and the pseudo
flowers nestled a bit to one side.
Another guest wore a more pronounced
fall-the model, in fact, of the one in the
picture. 1t was of Venetian lace, falling
quite to the waist in front, narrowing at the
shoulders and forming q mere collar be-
hind, where it fastened under rosette OF
baby ribbon. Such collars OF lace ilsse
crere de chine net or even soft silk are a
new feature of midwinter fashion. They
are worn with all sorts and conditions of
gowns-cloth, silk, velvet or stuff-and are
wonderfully enliveuing TO either plain
toilet or palmer woman.
To bark back to jewelry, saw a striking
bracelet the other day that commended itself
to ali who care to be unique. Perhaps fifty
strands of the finest yellow gold chain,
such as our Observation-Disclosures wore so
plentifully with their watches, were slightly
twisted about the arm and clasped on top
with deep red stone as big as robins
egg, with diamonds the size Of peas set all
around it.
Something entirely new in wall decora-
frame. from which at the bottom there
springs a three branched candelabra, so
placed that the mirror reflects the lights
There is q clock to match, with six candles
instead of three. which, however, barely
fo ifat har's clock