Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-15
CHAT ON FASHION.

CHAT ON FASHION.
The summer is ended, beauty, chivalry and
sham have retired from its haunts. and are
| now reckoning their victories and defeats.
While the interim well fits philosophic re-
Election these would-be conquerors are plan
| ming fresh campaigns and dreaming of fresh
triumphS TO be won in winter fields. That
men prove easy captives is small marvel
when 1t is noted how fair are their charmers.
History may boast of its Cleopatra, and 70
| nance writers grow eloquent in praise of
the beauty of Mary of Scotland, but that
they or any other beautiful women of the
past rivaled those of the present is to be
questioned. The standard of beauty varies
| and there are persons now living who can
remember TWO or three generations, and
are won't to say that the daughters and
grand-daughters do not equal their fore
mothers in beauty. Whatever of the mar
velously beautiful contemporaries saw in
celebrated beauties, it is certain that to
modern eyes the brushes of Reynolds,
Gansborough and other artists have not
portrayed anything remarkable, and mod
ernS feel assured that this age has gone a
good way ahead of its predecessors in fe-
male lovliness, and that in these days beau
ties are less remarkable for the reason that
beauty is more universal. Close observa-
ton of women who are to be seen in the
thoroughfares of large cities warrants the
conclusion that a better knowledge of the
laws OF health, proper attention to diet
and bathing has developed in America a race
of women that is without peer in any age
or country,
Proud as one must be of our country
woman, there are some things to be re-
GREETED; occasionally there is TO be seen a
waist far too small for artistic beauty or for
good health, a chest too fiat, shoulders
stopped and gait betraying faulty develop
ment or lily fitted shoes. Fashion, although
yet removed in some particulars from that
which is conducive to health is becoming
less autocractic and women each year call
their Judgment into play, and while avoid
ing singularity, require fashion TO ally
itself more closely with good sense. At
present the struggle is between the tailor
and modiste, the one striving for the con-
tinuance Of trailing skirts and the other for
the more sensible length that clearing the
pavement does not perform street sweeping
duty.
The probable outcome will be that for
reglige and evening dress the short train
will prevail and that street and travelling
,,-,ll he. he
must approve. Tailors are conceding to
skirts for fall wear slight lengthening in
the back breadths, that just escapes
trailing, and the skirts, some
wider than heretofore, have the fullness
massed in two box plaits at the back. The
bottom is frequently finished with velvet,
though fur has the preference, and a trim
ming of fur up the seams is fashionable. A
cloth gown made recently had inch-wide
pieces of sealskin laid up the seams. The
back of the skirt hun. in two full double
box piaits, which We're very narrow at the
waist, but quite wide at the bottom, these
plaits being held in place by elastic straps.
The bodice was made in the form of jacket
and vest, the vest being plain and tight
fitting, and being III one piece with the
jacket, which had d Marie Antoinette col
lar OF sealskin, narrow facing of which
went down the loose fronts. The brown
cloth toque was edged with seal and orna-
mented with Two small heads of the same
fur. This same style was duplicated in
rough tan cameI's-hair and golden beaver.
The sleeves are only moderately fulled and
buttoned on the inside of the arm. with
surah cloth-covered buttons and tiny loops.
\ dressy cloth gown can be of two colors.
turquoise blue and olive, being novel
com animation. The bodice is made of the
plain olive in the back and the front of
striped blue and olive, and plain blue is
used for plastrons that are edged with olive
gimp. The collar and wide cuffs are of the
striped. the sleeves of plain blue; the skirt
is slightly draped and is of the olive, while
the underskirt, which only shows here and
there, is Of the striped. There is no more
suitable head covering worn with cloth
dress than the toque. In this costume the
toque was of turquoise blue cloth, edged
with olive velvet and pompons of olive lisse
We're used in a finish.
While it is true that the toque is emf
nentiy proper, felt hats are by no means
overlooked. The low-crowned felt hats
worn with simple tailor gowns have soft
brims of long-napped beaver, without wire
and quite straight, and turned up far back
on the left side. These are giriish and
pretty IN black or dark blue, trimmed with
navy blue plush, with facing of bright
gerarium red loosely folded around the
crown, the end taken up on the left SO that
Its vivid red will CLEAN through great
panache of black feathers.
Many felt hats have low crowns and
turned-up brims; two contrasting ribbons
are brought around the crown, making
point in the folding at enc side, and on the
top of the crown on the opposite side there
is a cluster Of standing bows and pointed
ends.
Light weight wool or silk gowns have
simulated Souara yokae in front and th>