The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-30
THE WOMAN OF FASHION.
FadS Without Number Has The Fashion
able Woman Of To-day.
The Revival of the Black Craze-The
Growth of the Silk One, and a Few
others-New Gowns That Bring
Them Out-Traveling Costumes.


(Copyright)
New York, April 29.-Fads, did YOU
say' Yes, We have just few at present
We are trying to cut down their number
but there are a great many that have re-
| fused to go There is, of course, the pur-
pie fad; there's the soft silk fad, the lace
fad, the black fad, the fad for gathers
| and Fuckers, the one for ribbons and ruff
fes, the fad for flares and berthes and
! bretelles. the fad for tiny nothings on the
| head and a host of others. Some of the
fads are of more recent birth than others.
For instance, the black fad has
| scarcely drawn breath. and is but
| slowly gaining strength. That its
| growth is certain, however, IS assured by
| the curious end excited group that stood
| in madam's parlOrs the other morning,
| studying some new black gowns that she
| had Just brought forth. That those
danes liked the gowns, you could tell at
! once from their faces. How infinitely
| they examined them, and how carefully
and Discriminatory they marked their
| merits Madam had no need to point out
! their departures for the women took
! them in at q glance. They were quite
| as we'll informed upon the subject as was
| madam.
| Black has ceased altogether to be the
| sOmber, dOleful material it once was.
( Now that all the fine goods are sprinkled
or dotted with fancy designs in silk their
! dullness is departed, and they are often
as brilliant as the costume in colors. One
| of these gowns, made of one of these silk
| dotted materials, had skirt that was
prettily trimmed with double rufies, each
rut1le headed with lace insertion laid over
| pale heliotrope. A very short shoulder
cape fell over the bodice cape made of
| black braid work, very open.
Another black was run with long silk
| lines very loose, and had for skirt trim
| ming, which is. after all, the most i'm
| portant part of a gown, satin diagonal
| bands laid each side of narrow white in
| sertiOn. There were four of these arrange
ments, which brought the trimming up
| above the knees. With this costume went
a small lace cap, heavily weighted with
| jet.
A heavy ottoman silk had three double
rufes of the same material, and above
| each ruffle were three diagonal folds of
| silk also. This bodice had deep bretelles
edged with Jet.
The gowns were certainly refreshing,
! after the wealth of color which has
| greeted our eyes on every hand of late
! They had a rich, conservative air about
| them, which the brighter dresses lacked,
! and the dignitied maker of the gowns, as
! she stood by them, added to the quiet and
inviting effect. Yes, we are making a
great many black gowns, - heard her say
as I pressed forward little to catch her
words THE brilliant and extravagant
combinations of color are becoming so
obnoxious to the woman of taste that we
shall largely discard all tints and make
gowns rather subdued, until this rage for
color is somewhat Subdued.n
1t now remains to be seen whether the
great army of American women will fol-
low in the footsteps of the few leaders.
1t is probable that they will not. And
yet, so capricious are they, that they
may, in one instant, discard all their
| glow and warmth of color, and array
| themselves just as demurely and unob-
| trusively as the upper ten.
| The lace fad is not unworthy of atten-
| ton. 1t grows, and that not slowly. But
| of course this is the time for lace, and we
| are not surprised to see it in trimming
in epaulette, in insertion and in rufhe,
| in mantle and bonnet The nets grow in
| favor also. Some of the black gowns had
| little headings of net above the ruffles
| Point d'esprit net is very popular for
| loose oversleeves and trimming in gen
| eral.
The fad for gathers is very pronounced
! One sees no more tight-fitting, closely
| drawn bodices, and the tailor-made gown
| is almost a thing of the past. Even the
| great trunks that will go to Chicago CON
! tain few of these gowns The travelling
| gown is to be more comfortable. The
! gathered bodices are everywhere-in the
! street dress, the evening bodice, and in
| the loose waist to be thrown on and off at
! will; in the maidens dress, in the dress
| for very young girls, in the dress for ma
| irons
The fad for rufGles is important. 1t is
| exemplified in this charming summer
| gown, which is to be worn at an early
| garden party. The material is dainty
! Towering silk, and the skirt composes
itself of three fun ruffies, each ruffie
edged with fine gallOon. The only portion
| of the waist that is fat is small pointed
woke. Over these is maize-colored t1chu,
| knotted at the breast Up over the fichu
comes a full gathered corselet of the silk
| Small bretelles of galloon go over the
| shoulder, and maize epaulets hang over
| each sleeve. 1t is charmingly cool and
! airy.
The silk fad is very general. Now that
| silk has gone down to so moderate price
| and quality-almost any one can have a
! silk gown, or several silk bodices. And
| since it is so desirable material, and
useful upon so many occasions, silk shines
| out all over. For young maidens the
| simply gathered dresses, Iull6Q on a yoke
at the neck or gathered into the collar,
and then gathered again at the waist
under the full belt, are particularly APP
! propriate.
The buckle fad doesn't annoy us much
at present, although the buckle continues
to grow. A pretty dress of three simple
ruffies has high belt caught in with a
| slender, cleaning buckle, Just in front,
and, over, a wide fichu falls
! A gown that is just finished may make
| scallops something of a favorite At
| least the scallop has the merit of being
| comparatively unknown this season, and
may, therefore, recommend itself to that
| large class ever on the alert for some
| thing that is not generally worn These
| scallops come out, upon this particular
| gown, in three rows at the foot of the
| skirt; again, in berthe on the waist,
and, once more, in a tight bodice of vel
vet. Beyond this the dress is plain, save
! for the ubiquitous flaring sleeve This
| gown will serve as travelling and visiting
! gown at the fair. A sufficiently dressy
| effect is given by iaunty bow right in
front of the berth, by pretty gloves, and
flower hat.
Another dress that goes TO Chicago has
q deep ruffie at the foot of a rather close
| fitting skirt. The ruftle is headed and
edged by velvet bands. The slight full
ness of the bodice is gathered in a knot at
the breast, back from which fall double
!