Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-01
CHAT ON FASHION.

decoration, she allows the leaves to borrow
some of the gold of summer and the GRIM
son of the evening skies to give brightness
to dress that were else grave and dull
tinted. Women, who love the mother in all
her guises may catch inspiration from her
costuming, and while they wear the chaste
gray the sober brown and the somber
black may take the birds bright wing and
the golden yellow of the harvest-time for
ornamentation. Sky. meadow and mine
yield their store, and the treasures are con-
verted into things OF beauty for woman's
wear. OF late the mines have been fash
ions storehouse, metal trimmings and jet
being the favorites. How many of those
who step out into the sunshine, or pass IN
der the bright evening lights, know that
the glitter of their toilettes is gained for
them by grimy men deep down in earth's
caverns, and that the real jet so coveted is
of the same nature as the glowing Goals in
whose flames these fair dreamerS see so
many delightsome visions9 And yet this jet,
before it was cut, carved and polished, was
only black bituminouS mineral
known in Plinys time as 9aget, because
most abundant on the banks of a river in
Lycia called, as was the town, Cages; from
''gaget' the corruption TO Jet was easy,
vet the material remains the same. A mod
ern imitation now glitters on hats, bonnets
,and gowns and is mingled with fur and
feathers. Long fringes of it are attached
to each side of the belt and cover plain side
ho i,t III aft
to Il collar and fall in i cape-like form; here
is an opportunity for a woman who knows
how to create new forms with old material
Such passamenJerie as IS paSse can be
ripped to pieces and restrung in pretty
fashion to form fringeS; this can be done
with pearl and metallic beads with equal
appropriateness. The day of steel passa-
menteries is waning, and while gilt is popu-
lar the girl who would shine fashionably
must shine out in jet and shine abundantly.
Dainty workmanship on dresses is what
now distinguishes the modish gown from
its homemade imitation. To have the
gown tony or .'chic," whichever is the
chosen term, it is necessary that there be
not the shadow of !; curve the wrong way,
not a variation of q thread in the perfect
adjustment of the seams, or the plain gown
will be failure. Dressmaking Is now a
fine art. Bodice, sleeves and skirt must be
fitted, or else the harmony is destroyed.
Especially should care be taken in making
the skirt 1t should be fitted and re-itted
until there are are no wrinkles and the bot
tom falls easily everywhere equidistant
from the floor in front and at the sides,
with a slight dip in the back. This dip has
given to the petticoat increased Importance,
in fact, it has become an article of luxury
with its laces and its frills. When it can
be afforded it is of silk, the color of the
dress For such who are less lavish,
black silk petticoat answers the purpose
and IS made with four and half straight
breadths of taffeta silk. The front and
side breadth are adjusted to the fig
ure, the back is plated and the
skirt sewed on to very
narrow belt, the bottom is faced with light
weight wigan, this covered with mohair. A
pinked-out ruffie is set on so as to fall about
two inches below the skirt, and another
above 1t on the facing, for the good reason
that a worn ruff1e is easier replaced than
frayed skirt made whole.
For girl who knows how to carry her.
self with chest high, hips well defined and
4 springy, elastic step, street dress of
brown cloth made in the following fashion
is becoming: The skirt is close-fitting,
slashed on the left side to show white
panel, and the bottom is trimmed with vel
vet, set on il graduated rows reaching on
one side nearly to the waist. The jacket is
tight-ftting, slashed up the back and
trimmed with velvet Revers of white cloth
open over White vest, and with this taste
full gown is worn standing collar and
black necktie. To complete a costume so
lady-like, it is only needed to have hat of
white felt, faced with brown velvet and
trimmed with brown brocaded ribbon. In
passing, one may say that brocaded ribbons
and brocade will be the acme of fashion
during the coming season.
The princess style is quite as popular for
little folks as for their elders, and a child's
frock can be made dreSsy by 4 deep border
of torchon, Valenciennes orr embroidery
around the bottom of the skirt. aud point
ed belt of the same. Such a frock has no
sleeves, as with it is worn long loose jacket
of heavier material with bufrant sleeves.
deep embroidered cuffs and broad square
cornered lay-down collar of the lace or en-
broidery. The coat should reach the top of
the lace flounce on the skirt, and in order
to keep it in place it is well to fasten a
string to the center seam at the waist, pass