Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-12-03

ENGLISH woRKINGwoMEN's DRESSES.
The evening classes and mutual-im-
provement institutes have opened their
doors for the winter, and l write to you,
as practical educator in popular art, to
ask if there is no possible force, educa-
tional or artistic, which could be utilized
for the amendment of the hideousness of
our workingwomen's style of dress? Let
me at the outset say that do not want
to advocate any of the so-called ERA.
tionaf forms of attire, since that would
only be shifting the inelegance from one
shape to another. What | do want to
know is why the charwoman, the factory
hand or the flower girl should always be
in uniforms of such supremely unpic.
turesque ugliness, while the district nurse
(who would be unfettered by any partic-
ular hospital garb), the respectable do
mestic servant or the underpaid girl type
writer on their comparatively little
higher earnings, can always look neatly,
and generally, indeed tastefully dressed.
have used the word "uniform" ad-
visedly. Who is not familiar with the
dress of shabby black or rusty brown of
the char or washer woman? With it she
either wears u shawl of dirt-coored dingi-
ness, folded into triangle and tightly
drawn across her chest, or shapeless
jacket and u Grape bonnet. To this she
may have added some shabby flowers,
but the bows and the foundation are in
variably of the funereal material. The
factory girls gayly colored velveteen and
feather hat bids fair to develop into u
national characteristic of dress. For
the price she pays for it she could buy
at least three simpler and more becoming
hats; but the sole variation she allows
herself upon the particular shape and
style lies in color and the amount of tin
sci ornaments loaded on to it. Her outer
wrap is either brown ulster, made of q
rough-surfaced shoddy, with what are, |
believe, technically known as "sling-
sleeves" edged with velveteen, or else it
is half-long jacket, tight over the chest,
too long and too large at the waist, and
fastened with about four enormous but
tons. The fowerseller's hat resembles
that of the factory girl in shape, only it
may be of straw or Grape; but it is her
brown shawl, with dingy, sandy border,
that is her exclusively distinctive fea-
ture. Give to any of these classes q
sufficiency of money to buy new clothes,
and it will be found that she only pur-
chases more expensive specimen of her
particular style.
Dress of this description has not even
the merit of convenience for its wearer's
special vocation. 1t is excessively liable
to damage by mud and bad weather. and
its utter colorlessness is the chief reason
tbut m, Enerlioh crn,ud 90 al,, cnoh
depressing, joyless spectacle. We read
much of the tyranny of fashion upon the
middle or upper classes, but it is really
not so exacting as it is among those who
wave to work with their hands. They
have evidently neither the tase to devise
better things nor the strength of will to
break away from the old forms, SO that
there is room indeed for dress-reform
crusade in this direction. And improve
ments can be effected by tact and good
example, rs may easily be seen from the
members of the Hon. Maude Stanleys
Working Girls Club in Soho, who very
soon after joining begin to manifest
marked amendment, not only in manners,
but in dress.-l London (Eng.) Graphic.
FASHION NOTES.
Tweed and shawl capes are very popu-
lar.
Importers are exhibiting some very
pretty wool delaines.
Scotch tweeds are making their ap
pearance in every possible color and
pattern.
The large shaggy checks are many of
them made up with gored seam on the
front and sides.
A lace the color of the green. yellow
marigold comes in wide edgings. A new
pattern has openwork wheels rolling over
it.
Rose face powder consists of rich
starch, seven pounds; rose pink, half
dram; altar of roses and santal, two
drains each.
One of many pretty dresses seen re-
Gently had white leather waistcoat, the
skirt bordered all around with leather
about an inch wide, worn with gray and
black check open jacket.
Evening shoes are being made of suede
leather to match the dress trimming, and
iuiSc bONo VI oullu Ol IL compile
mentary color are pinned on with small
buckles or fancy buttons.
A very pretty way of relieving the
excessive plainness and drawback "
look of a smoothly fitted skirt is to leave
each breadth open at the bottom to the
depth of about six inches, and to fill in
with plaitings of another material.
The most effective party dresses this
season are severely simple. If woman
has good figure, and can trust her dress
maker for q perfect cut, the less trim
ming she has on her gown the better.
The pieces under the arm fit the slender
figure like glove up to the sleeve, but
the front is cut away deeply and filled in
with beautiful old lace, which forms the
only trimming of this perfectly simple
toilet, which could not be worn, however,
by every one. The sleeves are small and
are made of mousseline de sole and lace.