The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-09

might have been a century and half ago.
Antique fashions for years past have been
the bright particular fashions, but they
have not shown themselves upon the
streets in broad daylight and upon every
day business occasions with anything like
the frank complacence with which they
are now showing themselves. My IL
year-old had a little colored lad behind
her who looked mp at her bright eyes, not
brighter than his own, with evident ad-
miration. AS the twain went by me he
lifted his hand and touched the soft folds
OF her skirt with one brown nnger and
then drew back as IL astonished at his own
daring. She did not notice; she would not
have understood if she had noticed; and
the mite of a darky gNnned a white
toothed grin and trotted on happily.
Ecru vigogne was the stuff that seemed
to him so pretty, aud two bands about the
bottom of brown fox fur Over her
edged and with a Vatican train falling
from below il behind. This train il was
that gave the old-time look TO the costume,
for century and a half ago women did
not discriminate between fit wear for the
street and fit wear for the house, as IL was
supposed they had now learned 20 dis
criminate until the revival of long walk
ing skirts so plainly and so sadly gave the
lie to the supposition.
Ny 17-year-old wore poke hat above
her Vatican folds. IL was a large poke of
ecru felt, with brown ribbons and brown
plumes.
1t may be that the twentieth century is
coming in with even more of self-asser-
tion than has characterized the nineteenth,
for feathers and ribbons on heads and on
shoulders seem TO me month by month
and week by week to stand up straighter
and straighter. At New Years dance il
was impossible not to notice the self-con-
20 nf OrVaa mt n
the evening gowns. Two of them l have
sketched hastily The ecru and green
brocade was worn by big blonde. Heavy
falls of lace made the deep fiounees at the
bottom, and the hip draperies, like modi-
fed paniers on the sides, and the short
sleeves open in front TO the shoulders
and the bertha filling in the front, and
the mount of the pearl-sticked fan. Pur-
pie velvet barred the brocade in front, Civ
ing it richness and color, and purple vel
vet made the back and the pointed train.
Purple velvet made the bows that caught
the sleeves on the shoulders and that were
the moving cause of my choosing the
frock for description; for the bows, or the
ends of the velvet, pointed up sharp and
straight like wings; two, contrary TO all
anatomical principles, finding place on
either side. There is no grace or beauty
in such an arrangement. Beauty is not
what is aimed at by the modern school,
that is TO say, by the French school; but
rather sharp definition, chic, sensational
ism. theatrical effect, and judged from this
standpoint the velvet wings were undenia-
bly, successful
Quite in the same line, but carrying the
idea still farther was a rose-colored gown
strewn with pale blue flowers and worn by
a New York girl who was bride just be-
fore the holidays. Her dress had n prin-
cess cut, with platings of deep Soudan
lace introduced into the two wide panels
in front; in the middle was an enormous
bow of deep rose velvet surmounting the
lace plaitings and surmounted in turn by
three rose-colored Prince Of Wales feath-
ers. Three lengths of rose-colored ribbon