The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-03-16

Spring gowns have sheath-like skirts,
but their severity Is relieved by length
wise decorations or the introduction of
panels Of q contrasting color.
A very elegant and unusual evening
gown may be made OF myosotis cloth,
with yoke composed OF jetted ara
besqucs Of black velvet over chemisctte
Of white crepe du CHEN.
A magical new gown has been intro
duced with O cunning continuance
whereby train is added or dispensed
with at the owners pleasure, thus render.
ing the gown suitable for both house and
street wear.
New muT suspcnders are fine gold
chains with tiny colored stones set in at
intervals. Diamond brooches are much
used on street bonnets in Paris, though it
is considered very poor taste to wear any
other bit of jewelry with street dress.
The fancy for basques still continues,
and an old gown is speedily transformed
into the latest mode by piecing on to the
short, old-style waist basques Of the same
or contrasting color, either short or
long, according to the height of the wearer
Mother.o pearl decorations are much
used now on gowns of heavy material. A
pale gray cloth gown, opening over q silk
petticoat is held together with broad
mother.o' pearl buckles with pretty effect.
Buttons of the same pretty material orna-
ment the bodice.
Girdles have become very popular as
well as elegant since they were introduced
by the Cleopatra craze. They are of the
medieval type, claspiing at the front, en-
on the skirt. Henry ". girdics are of OK
idized silver cord, intermixed with huge
pearls like bosses.
New court dresses will have narrow
trains cut from three and q half to four
yards long, some being square and others
| round. The newest fancy is to arrange
| them so that at the hem one train appears
| to be laid over another. They are to be
trimmed with fur or handsomely embroid-
cred. The bodices have deep frilled
| basQues of lace, or paniers edged with lace.
The fancy China silk waists so popular
in summer follow the prevailing fashion
| of long basques and have deep-plaited or
| gathered skirts sewed on at the belt.
| Wash silk waists are made like shirt,
| with little yoke at the back, three deep
| plaits on either side in front, with ruliie
in the hem, a rundown collar and tic
and shirt-sleeves with turn-back cuffs.
Very striking innovations are being
made in the conventional wedding gown,
both in material and decoration. A
brides dress recently made and pro-
|
serge trimmed with golden beaver. The
Newmarket coat bodice had waistcoat
and sleeves braided in close Persian design
with narrow gold cord, the cuffs and col
lar being of the fur.
II you have pair of soiled white or
tinted boots unfit for use you can convert
them into quite the latest and most fash
ionable footwear by covering them with
coatings of gold or silver enamel. A
pretty girl with more cleverness than
shekels appeared at an evening party in a
pale mauve gown, with wide silver Cir
die knotted In front and falling TO the
hem of her gown, silver shoulder knots
and silver fillet about her head and the
prettiest Of silver shoes, which were her
last years ball shoes silvered by her own
fair fingers. Mrs. Stanley as Miss Dorothy
Tenant introduced the custom of wear
ing silver wedding shoes, which are very
expensive as well as attractive.