The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-11
SPRING FASHIONS.
The Changes VIII Be n Modification
Of Winter Styles.

New YORK sun.
The spring fashions promise to be a modi-
fication of the winter fashions. Fashion
has found out that her tenure of office.
her constituents. and the new changes in
dress are modeStly and half a~pologetically
announced. Fashion delights in excres-
cenceS, in voluminousneSs, and is unhappy
without a hump somewhere to improve, ac-
cording to her ideas, upon the Orators
idea OF the human form divine. Fashion
accordingly is trying TO revive the pannier,
and will make a desperate attempt TO in
tr9duce draperies of all kinds Draped
pointed apron overskirts, skirts with yoke
tops and Killed or box-plaited frills, skirts
foot TO show a bit of contrasting UNDER
skirt. skirts cut in slashes with p%laitings
material draped with festooned f1ounces-
all these are seen in the fashion books.
but whether they will be worn by the ladies
or not will be exactly as the ladies say.
Now that women have obtained the suf-
frage in dress, the mission of the fashion
prophet is ended, for how can any one
%foretell with the slightest degree of GER
tainty what a woman will do any way?
Dress promises to become more and more
a matter of intellect. and to be a revela-
ton of character as soon as slavishness
place to individuality in taste. Sleeves
d dreop stu IN very frI T vide: but but, they ies
the elbow in all thin materials. Heavy
silks, of course, preserve a certain integrity
OF stiffness, which MAKE the tiniest of
women occupy a great deal of space east
and west and insures the popularity of
capes throughout the spring, as the Jacket,
no matter how enormous it's sleeves. is diff
cult to put on and off. The basque bodice
is, indeed, the favorite waist, and the basque
is composed of everything that enters into
the construction of the dress. Sometimes
this basque is a rufle of silk or a puff of
mousseline de sole or two rufies, one of
silk or velvet, the other of the material of
the gown. Lace is fullp1 or aS a haSOua or
gathered around each side in the form of
a peplum, and even the frail chiffon is called
In TO do duty as the basque finish of this
sleeves with the puff SlaShed into two long
scarves and knotted below the elbow.
draped mutton-leg sleeves and the new
French sleeve that forms in its plaitS a
huge puff at the top and n tight coat effect
below the elbow; ali are worn. There is a
great deal of talk of the coat sleeve tight
To the arm and with only a few gathers
at the top being worn, but while the scribes
write of this new sleeve and the fashion
books print pictures of 1t, the ladies go on
making their sleeves larger and larger until
every mothers laughter occupies space
enough for two. Narrow trimmings for the
edge Of skirts still prevail; a roll as thick
two or three folds set on with a heading
of jet or gimp or a braiding of the different
materials Of the gown, all appear on the
edge of thick gowns, while tiny frilIs and
puffS and feStoOned founces grace the edge
of lighter toilets. More startling color COM
the great French designer of one kaleido-
scopic toilet which has been the model for
many acknowledged to having received his
inspiration from his tulip bed. And those
divers hueS appear to best advantage in
the new shot silk and wool materials that
are being imported now for the early spring
gowns. AS the seasons follow each other
the changes in fashion seem slight; but a
comparison of the dress of this season with
that of three years BACK shows how gradu-
ally and steadily fashions evolution is ac-
compliShed.