River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-01-01
ELEGANT STREET COSTUMES.
Fabrics Being Used In Outdoor Gowns
AXmmetrlcal Dress IN king.

Fabrics Being Used In Outdoor Gowns
Symmetrical Dressmaking.
Simple walking costumes are made
entirely of one plain fabric or of woolen
alone, but most daylight gowns. even
those of the richest description, fire.
quently have the woolens intermixed
with silk or striped or plaided material
Save in black. which for many reasons
is not submitted to the same rule as
color. a gown made entirely of plain
silk is the exception. The softer, rich
er brands of Lyons gros-grain or faille,
it is true, look best alone when trimmed
with the new, elegant passementeries,
which have but one drawback-their
price. mbinations of two shades of
brown, heliotrope, blue, gray, mignon-
cite or tan coler are preferred, and the
passementerie may match one or the
other, or, better, be of the two, with an
intermixture of bronze or gold thread
for all, except the gray, cut steel or
black suiting, this is best Black cos
tunes are in high favor, black silk is
little worn just now, out of "half'-
morning, for the daytime, til ough for
demi-toilet it maintains it's supremacy,
on account of its convenience, and also
for the reason that it is fabric that
never yet has been vulgarized by repeti-
ton.
One of the accepted authorities In
fashion says that to all women interest
ed in dress--and what woman is not so
interested?-the all-important maxim,
the guiding principle, ever to be re-
ceived and admitted, is: know thy
self" OF all the aims with which an
intelligent woman may undertake the
art of dressing we'll, the most objec-
tionable is that of dressing fashionably.
Specialties of dress, and even novelties,
sometimes fail in being successful, and
there is always more or less danger of
losing sight of what is refined and ele-
giant in the pursuit of what is simply
striking. On the other hand, much imi-
tation is not desirable, for the choice of
shapes, as we'll as that of material. re-
quires individual taste and Judgment,
and to that end every woman should
understand better than any one else
what is best suited to her style and
bearing. Hence, not to know ones
self results in inevitable disaster, as re-
CARDS perfection in dress.
II your shoulders are narrow, do not
wear sleeves which are fiat and upright,
but rather balloon-like at the top, and,
above all, avoid puffs at the elbows,
nor must you have wide trimming
around the armholes of your bodice; yet,
at the same time. be careful not to make
your shoulders too broad for your hips.
Study the proportions of your figure. If
your body is too short for your height,
lengthen your waist and wear long
skirted bodices. If the reverse, &C
centuate the perpendicular lines of your
skirt, and do not take from the length
by having wide bands of trimming
around the foot. If yon are short in
stature, be chary Of the long-hipped
coraline jacket, which is fast gaining
ground, because it is the novelty Of the
moment. Happily, we have stepped
out, and beyond the limitso of old opin-
ions, which were so arbitrary as to
seem like inevitable laws. Less than a
century ago there was but one shape Of
bonnet and gown for each season, and
every woman dressed her hair exactly
as her neighbor did.
While straight skirts prevail in gen.
eral, the majority of dinner and even
ing dresses have some slight drapery
added on the hips or in the side ana
back breadths. The hip drapery is fire.
ou ntly emphasized by being of differ
ent fabric from the skirt, and III some
cases, like that of the bodice. virtually
converting it into paniers, which may
either terminate in floating ends at the
back, or merge into the back breadths
of the skirt Reception toilettes for at
homes are Of extreme originality, and
of equally extreme sumptuousness.
Cloths Of very light colors are used,
richly embroidered in silks, metal
threads and spangles, and trimmed with
costly light furs. such as cbinchilla and
blue fox. or with feather bands. The
bodice is most often in the form of
rounded jacket. more or less short.
mounted over an under bodice or vest
composed Of lace ruches. For such tot
lettes the cling skirt is always draped
trifie on the hips.-Boston Herald.