The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-16
rHE OLD n THE NEW.

TIE OLD AMI IHE NEW.
well when we can take them and by a deft
transition adapt them to our day and our
people. But it is interesting to watch the
evolution OF bonnets FROM the ugly scoop
shaped creation of 1880. We wear the
dresses of that time, and why not the bon
net? They are too ugly for u trained
eyes, SO we take the bulging soft crown and
set it on the top of the peak. and then Irvine
a flower or so around it, tie the strings be-
meath the chin. and. iol the thing perched
upon our head becomes q thing OF beauty
and o joy till the season changes.
We take q hat like that worn by a king,
with the dropping plurnes, and we set it on
a pretty head, we take q RUIZ and put that
on under our ears, and we set our sleeves
big beads, and we call that q new fashion.
We take a cavalier hat and bend it and
dent It and get u small brothers to use it
for a football a few times. Then we trim
it with ribbon and flowers, and that also
becomes a novelty for fashion editors to
rave over. Verify, Solomon was right and
had a level head. How much of his wisdom
came from his extended study of woman
kind in his rather large family I am not
competent TO judge, but If I were q person
who argues by betting I should lay large
odds that 1t was thus that he learned SO
much.
Now, that mean for this season we have
some very tasteful gowns, not exaggerated
In any way, but just neat and pretty all
around. One for a street costume is Of
snuff brown reps In wool and silk, a lovely
piece of goods. The skirt is reasonably full
and is plated all the way across the back.
Aroundthe bottom are two rows Of thick
braid. brown. Aecked with white. The belt
was formed of the same, and the bretelles
and the sleeves were ali finished with a
band of this braid. The sleeves and full
vest were all OF the dress ma0erial. The
Napoleon hat YVES ornamented with q bow
of the cloth and two speckled quilts. The
whole gown made one think of a demure
little hen sparrow.
Contrast that modest and pretty dress
with a walking dress of 1909. The dress is
short and scant and of pale blue taffeta,
with a mantle of the same, edged with
lace. And there was an awful hat with 1t,
made Of drab felt almost shapeIess, with
one very I'LL blue plume dropping over the
right side. Verify. the nightrobes that
women wear now are more ornate It will
not be many years before we will all be
called upon to wear just such an outfit.
But If the 1909 street dress was awful
what could we call the evening attiref
There was a single loose garment, scarcely
conforming to the figure at all, and reach
ing early to the ankles. Down the front
then was generally some fancy trimming.
The sieeves were short, and q chain around
the neck usually held the front of the cor
sage in place. Loose gloves. generally mitts,
came well up on the arms. This isa style
much affected by the Delsartean and one
or two poets, withsome latter day additions.
remember a little stery about a ball
dress of this kind, and as it seeIns to me to
be u good lesson on the adoption Of q fash
ion will tellit. a sea captain, recently
married, left his bride with his parents
during his absence. Hoops were worn
when he left. He was wrecked and made
= captive and finally. after having mar