The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-19
THE WOMAN OF FASHION.
THE SOCIETY GIRL HAS CHANGED
THE CURRENT OF Der TzOUGaT.

/
Opportunities Afforded by the At
ternoon Tea-aow to GIVE Your
Costume a sobersr Asp-ct-New
| Spring Goods.
tCopyri1htl
NEW YoRK, Feb. 18-Lent came upon
US this year before we realized it. We had
| just gotten well into a fascinating, bewild-
| ering round of gayety when somebody called
! a halt, and we were obliged to stop with
such a sudden jerk that it has made us feel
uncomfortable ever since. We are usually
| given an opportunity to gradually sccustom
ourselves to the change, but everything is
| about two weeks ahead this season, and we
accordingly forgot all about the fact that
the sober, quiet days for meditation were
right upon us.
But we Americans are so very adaptable
that it has taken us precisely three days TO
| get over cur surprise, and to send cur
thoughts in quite a different direction, and
now the girls have stopped talking about
the possibilities Of the hoopskirt, and are
| giving all their attention instead 90 the cut
| ting OF aprons and dresses and petticoats for
| the poor. You would never guess, cOuli
| you see them gathered around tae table
| piled high with parse stuffs, that they had
| not touched such things for months. They
| are just as particular about the cut and the
seams and the neat stitch as il they Ind no
other interest in the world, and they will
| accomplish wonderful amount Ia these
seven busy weeks.
But it isn't the only thing they do. There
is a loophole, not very small oue, either,
| by which they can edge in conslderau lie
gayety in very harmless manner. The
| afternoon tea Is sucn a very iuotfensive
means OF entertainment that 1t has not been
placed beneath the ban, and you may gU to
tea every DAY without provoking adverse
criticism. Here you may retire into q
secluded C rner, II there happens to be one.
| and converse more contidentialy In the
fading afternoon light with your most par
ticular male friend than in the crowded
ballroom. And II the tea be given in your
own home, or II You be one of the favored
few selected to assist your hostess 10 pour
ing tea, you may even, with perfect pro
prIety. ear a pretty home gown, cut
rather low, with elbow sleeves. Then you
will get such opportunity to display oil your
sweet graces as hos been afforded you at nc
swsgger evening Gffairof the winter past.
Therefore take heart, my pretty maid, and
make the most OF your opportunities.
Would you look particularly fascinating
at one of these affairs. so different now from
the tea that once was, with tinys cur
and plain cakel They find out. if you can
jus what sort of one your hostess viii
give. If it is to be q color lea, disco yer the
tint and gown accordingly.
Do not match the shades unless you pour
tea, but dress IN such color as wall hlend OF
effectively contrast with your surroundings.
For instance, does the tea assume pale.
old rose tint? Then wear dull blue. is II
gold! Get out your purple costume. is II
delicate green! Wear darker greens or soft
browns. 1 have in mind very beautiful
costume in old blue bengAline. velvet
and lace thai would be charming
for such an occasion. The skirt
Is blue bengaline, with single tiny rutfle
at the foot Above the ruffie is "a row OF
small velvet pulfs, put on stiff and straight,
| with no joining. The bodice has a pretty
| white mousseline de sole front, full, marrow
and pointed at the waist line. At each
shoulder there is a small, plated collarette
Of blue velvet, few shades darker than
| tue silk, lying only on the shoulders, aud
piects to edge the full front. Then the vel
| vet shoulder plaits are edged with rare old
| lace, that fall over the big sleeve proper,
| ana that also edges, but more narrowly,
the velvet down the front. The lace fin
ishes at the waist in a pretty knot.
Another gown for calling, trifle more
sedate in cut, though not in combination
Of color, is made Of dark rich green. The
skirt has nothing but four or five folds OF
the material at the edge, and all thought is
| bestowed upon the bodice. Here there is q
lavishness of color that can scarcely be
Teconciled with the unasslming skirt. Com
mencing in front, we find asmhll, full gauze
front of very pale gold shade. 1t is edged
| by GALLON, embroidered in pearls of all the
pretty, light shades. Next comes a second
vest, full, of green gauze necessarily divided
| by the center one, and coming down below
| 1t in the center This is also edged by the
pearl trimming. Then the bodice, Of miror
velvet, takes up its part, and continues on
around TO the back. The sleeves start with
big puffs, it is quite needless to remark, and
end with cuffs that are alternate velvet and
| pearl stripes. Finally there's a beautiful
| embroidered belt added.
A lovely old lady, with hair Of true sill
yer, gives tea next week and wears the
following: Silver gray crepon, exact shade
of hair, with white crepe front from neck
| TO feet At the neck IL is smoked to form
a pointed yoke and then falls plain, with a
tiny embroidered edge at the feet. A silver
girdle clasps the looseness of the gown and
| deep lace rutfles fall over the delicate hands
of the old lady, who has the fairest, freshest
complexion 10 the world.
Ii we're not wealthy enough to order q
complete change of garments for the Lenten
seas IN, at least we can remodel the old ones
startling red or green wing from our hat
and substitute a quiet bow or flower. We
can replace the brilliant lining IN our cape
or coat by black, or some DARK shade that
will go with it. We can substitute some
modest-colored glove for our glowing red
one, and by these methods convert ourselves
into very demure, unassuming damsels.
ii you really intend to get a new costume
for Lent, however, seleot one of the pretty
new cameps-hair or soft cloth materials
which are out in enormous light shades of
dull blue, fawn and browns. They have
such an attractive look after the reps,
miroir, ct al, that we have been wearing
all wiuter. The new black grenadines are
particularly inviting, and make such pretty
gowns for quiet, social evenings, made over
plain, hight colors. These grenadines are
not like the ones Of old. They are found
with fine, corded stripes running through
them, and with other stripes besprinkled
with fine jet beads. Then ore pattern has
a MORE stripe, grenadine stripe, aud,
! finally, corded stripe. Others have a
satin stripe, and still others have flower
| patterns outlined over them, in Easter de-
signs, palm leaves and scroll patterns.
| These materials hang beautifully and wear
well. which facts make them especially de-
sirable. Some of the spring goods shade,
! just like the velvets do. One pretty one
starts with a very faint blue and deepens
! into dark, dull shade.