The Portland daily press., 1892-09-07

NV --/Y1 4CdN w do a LOU
INN of black straw,
trimmed with
HOME DRESS FOR black velvet and
YOUNG LADY. wild roses. Her
little feet had Oxford ties, and she wore
dark gray silk stockings and gray suede
gloves.
A simple toilet, but perfect for a
young girl. She wore no corsets and her
movement was free and graceful.
I remember my gown. 1t was Of
printed muslin, and had four skirts,
each little shorter than the other and
all of them very full. I had waist
Of white silk, cut low in the neck-that
is to say, square across, leaving the
shoulders bare. The sleeves were pulled
and reached nearly to the elbow. The
waist Of that dress measured around
outside only eighteen inches, and can
remember to this day the agony suf-
fered in those corsets and the envy that
beseiged me when saw other girls
measure sixteen. We had to suffer, but
we spared no pain to attain small
waist.
To keep the skirt out nicely we used
to wear many white petticoats, starched
and rufied at the bottom. I think I
wore thirteen, but know that ten was
not consideredenough to give the proper
s'foat." The skirt was just the same
length front and back, and that made it
necessary to hold up the front from fear
of tripping over it.
My hair was turned off the face and
rolled over Gratis" Of curled hair, and
then made into knot at the back, and
I had two rosettes made of pink ribbon
and black velvet, with long ends fas-
tened each side the knot. I wore s'gai-
tiers" of drab prunella, laced up the side,
without heels and reaching to just above
the ankle bone, and had black silk
mitts on my hands. When went out
I had 'sflat" hat with wide brim and
a fall of s:blond" lace around it, and a
fine ribbon fastened at the crown called
a s'bridle." and this could be shifted
about so as to hold the hat brim down
against the wind.
After that era came hoops; they went
out, and skirts reaching scarcely to the
ankle came in, and then huge puffs and
trains and afterward 'seelskins" and so
on, always changing, and what I wonder
at is that in view Of the monstrosities we
have worn, with their unhealthful tight
lacing and other bad qualities, people
have the heart to complain of the pref
ty, artistic, comfortable and generally
healthful styles now in vogue.
Take, for instance, the pretty home
dress in the first illustration of pink
zephyr cloth. It is shirred at the neck,
and then the fullness is adjusted to the
figure loosely by means of bias pieces of
the same, feather stitched with white
floss. A pink ribbon with narrow black
stripes forms half belt and is tied in
front with loops and ends. The back
can be left Vatican or arranged just
like the front, which is prettier for
young figures. The sleeves hang bell
fashion, but are gathered up slightly
with bows on the forearm.
l came across another gown which is
SO useful and so simple that it is re-
produced here.
Semiinva1ids sM gTA
wall find it valu-
able, and for an X I'll
early morning ~ ssSSSSD
gown it is per- 81 Mk ERWM
feet. For very E2NSR NA&Il
cold weather it SW NM
can be lined or EH MM
made of thick ER fikA\
goods. The orig EH fEIEAt
inal was of blood Maf WEsAt
red cash m ere, Mb IYkl
shirred onto MlJ| ERIEl
yoke of silk. The #Yal EsJWa
puffs at the top MEN fh
of the sleeves can MfMl lM
be of silk or self AMA kE#iAl
goods, and the i#fM} M@Ak
same with the ME& N@MN\
cuffs. 1t is cut "
plain Mother
Hu b b ard in MORNING DRESS.
front, with the sides slightly following
the figure, and deep Vatican plat in
the back. If one wishes one can put a
little trimming around the bottom or
down the front, but trimming is always
a matter of private taste. The dress
looks as well without as with trimming.
A soft messy shade of green, with a
terra Gotta red yoke and cuffs, would be
becoming to most ladies, but only those
whose complexion will bear anything
should put green next their faces.
Green, in rusty as we'll as brilliant
shades, will be the color this fall, 1t is
said, and will enter into almost every
costume as component part or as trim
ming. OLIVE HARPER.