The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-08-20
THE WOMAN OF FASHION
WHAT THE SUMNER GIRL AFFECTS
IN LINGERIE.
Dsintiness the One Thing Needfnl-DIsap-
pearance of Many Articles Of Under
wear-Tho Popular skirt
DOWNRIGHT 1873 for The Times.A

A woman is dainty, bewitching and
lovely, or she is nothing. She may not
be blessed with beauty Of features. but
let her cultivate sweet, charming express
sion; let her clothe herself prettily and
tastefully; let her ways be all grace. and
she must be Irresistible a piatitude,
truly but one which, il more needed,
would diminish that long row of faded
women that range along the side OF a
room that is nled with gay dancers;
or that large number that sit meeky
in corners OF a room that resounds with
bright laughter and brilliant converse
ton.
Now the true woman begins at the
very beginning of things. The true woman
loves not only beauty Of exterior, but
interior as we'll No white sepulchre'
for her. From the very beginning Of her
dressing to the very last touches, she
must be equally lovely. Show me
woman that loves TO sit and trim pretty
undergarment with lace frills and soft
baby ribbons and will show you one that
men instinctiyely turn 10.
How loveable is the sllken or sheer
muslin skirt-the skirt Of lawn, or per-
Gale, imam WHICH 1DAAlib 'vHiN NC
The full lace rufIles are caught up in
small shells, often, the small headings
are run with narrow love ribbons Of pale
color lavender or yellow. Most Of the
white skirts have but single lace
flounce. below fine tucks. The silks are
worn very generally, although they are
no longer a novelty or craze. The
ordinary kind has single pinked ruff
fe. rather narrow. The skirt Is OF
stripe 10 match or to blend with the
gown that hangs over. The shot silks
are not so popular as the narrow stripe.
The skirts are made like the tight-fit-
ting gored skirt, closely drawn over the
hips Although such absolute smooth
ness is not called for, since the depar-
ture Of the old bell. yet Il IS desirable
that all the fullness at the hips should
belong 10 the dress only. Therefore
the large woman puts a yoke on her
petticoat, while the slender one keeps
the fulness Of her skirt near the back.
For the warm sumner days the long
fancy skirt is often the only one worn.
But when the gown Is made over silk
underskirt some women dispense with the
long skirt altogether and wear simply
a rather plain, short one. devoid OF any
thing that will cause ID 20 stand out. The
union garment Of wool or silk calls for
nothing more than a single skirt over the
short knickerbockers. The chemise. when
Il Is worn, may be heightened into the
semblance OF a skirt, slightly below the
knee.
Knickbockers are made short and not
over-fancy They rarely reach the knee.
and are very full; lace Is not so favored
for their trimming as are fine tucks and
embroidery.
The vest still continues TO be the small
one. Of siiken rib, deliberately trimmed
with beautiful crocheted pattern OF lace,
forming a yoke that is inserted In the
vest. The extravagant maiden has one
for every gown-an advantage-when sum-
mer fabrics are so sheer and made up
with no lining Even brilliant hame
color is fancied by some glowing bru-
nettes. The corset Is growing, j think, or
subsiding. into waist with fewer bones
and less beauty. The lovely satin corset,
trimmed with lace rufiies and all the rest
Is hard to give up; but the fact remains
that the number OF their adherents grows
less and less The Empire gowns helped
along the good work, for IL didn't seem
worth while TO be made so intentionally
small In the waist, when one actually
looked so comfortably large, after the
gathered belt OF the gown was fastened
on. SO the number OF health corsets and
stiff-boned waists Increased.
our undergarments are fast disappear
INC thick bunch Of material beneath
the dress is now unknown. We are learn
ing not TO overdress. and at the same