Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-12
THE SPRING FINERY.
A LARGE LATITUDE ALLOWED WITH.
IN CERTAIN LIMITS.
Cspes and Psiennes Are on Everything
The Carriage wrap . Fuii-Length Gar
ment-No Excuse for the Corset.
morro.ponaancno OF the Rlchrpona p!.pa.ca.l


"
Correspondence OF the Richmond D!sDatchI
NEW YoRx, March 11.-Winter is the in
door season: the season when tho warm
comfort of home Is best appreciated;
when woman appears to best advantage as
the presiding genius of tho drawing-room,
the dinner-table. the d~ancing-foor, or tho
o~pera-box: when evening functions oc-
cupy her thoughts, and when SILKS, satins.
brocades. and laces fill her bills. 1t Is
the period of decotetdge, OF sumptuous-
ness. of luxury, of sensuous e~nioyments.
Fittingly enough comes the Lenten In
t~erval, with its blessed surcease Of tur-
mol and revelling. during which worn
out woman repairs the ravages which the
demands of society have made on her
health and her good looks. She also finds
time TO arm herself tor the new period OF
the revolving year, the merry springtlde
that calls her from heated, gas-lit rooms
10 the open air of Heaven that makes the
daily drive. the daily ride, the daily walk
necessities Of nature. For which. never
theless. madame and mademoiselle must,
of course, be suitably attlred.
MUST HAVE A CAPE.
Outer garments naturally first occur to
the woman who is making ready TO blaze
| out in spring fnery. These are legion. we
| are allowed this spring q large latitude
within certain limits. And limit No.
(which admits ot very few EXCEPTIONS ~
Whatever You wear. it must have a cape.
Capes and pelennes are on everything
TO descend 20 particulars: description
in detail of some of the garments they are
wearing will doubtless be most instructive.
| Cloth coats for young women are dividing
favor with capes. These coats are III seVe-
raj forms. One that is quite short. coming
hardly at all below the hips. Is somewhat
in the reefer-shape IL has trlple-nuted
capes, which, however. enclrcle the shoul-
der ONLY as far in front as the broad lapels
which fold right back against the capes).
| The material 10 faced cloth usually IN
| favor, tan, Havana brown. gray. or gray,
blue. The sleeves are, as they are III all
the sleeved outer garments very Wlue.
and on the gigoi idea. This Is TO permit
:he insertion Of the big sleeves OF the
b,e sleeves of the dresses. This coat Is
thrown open to. display the costume be-
meath.
ACOAT IN CLOIH.
Another coat is in cloth aud velvet com
blned. the cloth forming the back OF the
garment and the deep, round SKIRT whlch
/ had the effect OF being attached nj tho
waist. In front there was a yoke or the,
velvet, crossed with lnterlaced Dands or
| let. the big sleeves being IN the same styie.
OF the capes. one that IS particularly,
| stylish is developed in c~herry-cOlOred
miroir velvet. Il is quite deep, reaching
nearly TO the waist. and hangs gracefully
in regular folds like wide Fittings. In
each of these runs a band of black more
/ ribbon. these ribbon bands radIating from
beneath the short. iuted collar of black
guipurel lace. Black gulpure runs through
with narrow cherry-colOred ribbon encIr-
cles the edge % the cape, giving 1t a grace
full finish.
THE CAVALIER SHAPE.
Another form of outer garment much
10 be worn IS a full velvet cloak. like the
cavalier" shape. having a pellnne either
of the velvet finished with lace or OF the
lace itself.
The carriage wrap is a full-length gar
ment. occasionally in cloth, but some
times in bengGline or peGu dc Soc. !lis
wear il Is shown with that immense tuli,
ness Of skirt demanded by tho crlnoiined
draperies to be enclosed within ITS ample
limits. However graceful these huge
skirts may be on dresses, they are not
pretty in the case Of n wrap. These car
riaCe garments. following the example OF
the other seasonable wraps, are capped anu
have very large sleeves.
THE CORSET.
That very favorite target of the dress
refOrmer. the physician, the artist, the
delsartean, and all who have the mental,
moral. physical, and spiritual good OF wo-
mankind al heart-the ~cOrset-cOmeS IN
for some additional abuse III a very recent
work on dress by two ladies'. entitled
" Beauty of Form and Grace of Gesture,
which has excited some press comment.
Say they In II opinion there is no eX-
cuse for the corset. il Is not beautiful. 10
il the wrong thing IN the wrong place:
When one has learned what a beautiful
body really Is the corset Will not be
considered even, because there -
positively nothing to recommend IT,
Stern arralgnment Nevertheless, mis-
guided femininlty still clings 10 ITS de-
strover as firmly as ever topper stood by his
rotations. And considering that there arc
still healthy women. shapely women,
pretty women, after four centuries OF cor
set-wearIng. perhaps after all 1t Is not the
fell destroyer II Is represented 10 be. Ger
tainly II comes now in most attractive
guise. The new corset Is again short
wasted aud is short OF the hips 1t IL no
longer even merely in silk or satln-lt Is IN
all the finer makes OF brOcade IN most
llgbtsome colOrircs IL Is edged with lace
aud clasped with silver and laced with silk.
a Nothing could be daIntier. Empire modes
have made the so-cnlied Cleopatra girdie
q not uncommon substitute for corsets.
FASHION NOTES.
Velvet is most extensively useu IN spring
millinery; velvet tam-O'-shanter crowns
are seen on some of the prettlest hats.
They are very CHIC and coquettlsh.
Violet is the perfume Of the season.
when perfume is used. and indeed, al
though LIQUID scents are nowadays DIS
c-ountenancad. most dainty m employ
scented toilet powders. which contribute
a delicate aroma without the ofensIyeness
OF a ! positive perfume.
Plaided silks are united with plain serges
and tweels on stylish street gowns. form
lng the full sleeves and trimmings.
The pansy slipper ~ the incest device
IN recent footwear. The pansies-ot
course ortlfcial-are placed Just upon the
instep and are Of various colorlngs.
Subdued shades of green occur IN the
imported spring outer garments, especially
the p~elennes and cloaks.
Crlnollne TO the k~nees-that Is the posi-
tive ruling on the earliest spring walking
dresses. and if one is to follow the vogue
one must not neglect this point.
Worth originates n visiting toilette IN
which there is certainly an attempt ut re-
calling the polOnaise. After all. why not
The ~polonaise was always pretty and grace
full and was exiled with no very excellent
reason.