The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-18
FASHION AND TASTE.

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A Need for styles Suited to Elderly wom-
en-The New Fancies.
New York Ledger.
There is one want which it seems almost
impossible to fill in open market Such q
thing as a special dress-maker or q special
style for elderly women Is not TO be found.
Why does not some enterprising dress.
maker open an establishment and devote
il exclusively to elegant costumes for wom-
en- past the prime of life and for old ladiesi
1t must not from this be supposed that
after q woman has reached the shady side
of her existence that she should 60 into q
cap and stuff dress. There are scores of
women-nsy, thousands of them-who
would like tasteful and elegant dresses, but
there is neither fashion-plate nor costumer
who can show them models for garments
such as they would like to wear.
They are quiet and conservative in their
tastes. but they do not want the straight
skirt. plain waist and Quaker simplicity of
the grandmothers. Indeed. suppose the
woman TO be q grandmother herself, she
may be still fairly young and g~ood-looking,
and If she feels inclined to bury her attrac-
tions under o plain habit she should not be
encouraged to do il. Bat she often does 10
because she cannot make her own dresses
and there is no place where she can obtain
those which she would enjoy wearing.
There need not be any very marked mod
ifications in existing styles, either; just q
little tonIng down of some of the more pro-
nounced effects. q little quiet color judi
ciously Frightened with something not too
~glaring. and some well-adjusted garniture
of Just the right sort.
There is one thing that should never be
lost sight of in the dress of elderly women,
and that is that they should never. under
any circumstances, indulge in what would
be called cheap goods; that Is. cheap of their
kind. If q cashmere must be bought for Q
best dress. let il be a good one; if a silk. it
should be of high grade; If a satin. it should
have the lustrous sheen that belongs only
to a fine fabric.
In the item Of color. middle.aged women
make very grave mistakes. When the
brightness of youth IL past. there comes
with gray hair O sort of grayish complex
ion. which IS often made simply hideous
by the browns and grays that fashion fire.
uuently allots to women past their prime.
Heliotrope and shades of purple, which
used to be thought suitable for the elderly,
Is Just about as unbecoming to them as
their most Inveterate enemy could desire.
Heliotrope and kindred colors are very
trying to women in the first bloom of youth
and beauty. Black must be rich and hand
some TO he at all becoming.
mere Is a certain lazy IN q fashionaole
circle who has retained her mourning
fjr many years. simply because her
friends made such an ado about her
wearing bright colors. Heliotrope, mauve,
brown and gray made her look like q
fright. and she wears black, although
long ago past the necessity OF wearing
II; but her family would be scandalized If
she went into baby-blne and pink. and
these are the only colors in which she looks
even tolerable.
And so. in Difference to somebody's ca
price, she has quietly gone on her way and
kept on mourning. Just why a middle
aged or elderly woman shouldn't wear blue
or pink Is something that the intelligent
mind finds il very difficult to find ont.
Every woman should wear what Is most
becoming 10 her. and. as a rule. after she
has passed middle life. becomingness will
not be found in the somber shades and dull
colors that custom seems to have prescribed
for her.