The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-26
THE W0MRN
OF FHSHION.

er out Of date, notwithstanding all the
talk about the new woman. the bachelor
girl etc. For in spite Of the warnings Of
the divorce courts and the famous writer's
/ OF the time, people have way Of piung-
ing down the path Of destruction very
/ much as they did in the old days when
/ there weren't any new women. and the
/ bachelor girls were not accredited with
/ any Of the accomplishments which they
now boast Of.
/ To be sure. girls are growing more
/ sensible. and do not as a rule buy their
/ wedding trousseaus while they are look
ing for graduating dress. but there is
many perplexed mother at this present
moment who has the task before her Of
| choosing Marie's bridal gown for her June
I wedding at the same time that she is
puzzling her brains to think Of an orig
/ inal graduating dress for Elsie. on these
! two important occasions of a young wo-
mans life, however, when she wants 10
| look her very best. she is so hampered by
| custom and consideration for other peo-
! pies feeling that she finds it difficult TO
! look even as we'll as usual. The bride
| is forbidden any suspicion Of decolete
and is usually dressed so deliberately as
TO appear stiff and seldom looks as well
as her bridesmaids, who are permitted
more liberty in the choice of gowns. The
graduate is always assumed to be young
and her dress must therefore be simple
a rule which is very consoling to the
young woman who cannot AFFORD to be
elaborate, no matter what the fashion
may be, but to the girls with rich papas
1t Is often very trying to appear in the
garb prescribed by custom. In many
schools the authorities have made rules
in regard to the style of dress to be
. worn. but it has usually been sufficient to
appeal to the better feelings of the young
women who can afford fine gowns TO
forego them for the sake Of those who
cannot.
1t has grown TO be the custom for the
rich girls TO appear in severely simple
gowns, when on the platform to deliver
their graduating theses, or to receive their
diplomas, and to have other dresses as
elaborate as they see fit for the gradual
ing balls and other fetes which are held
at commencement time. Hence the fash
ion is not so economical as it might at
first seem.
1t is a curious fact that whenever a
woman is called upon to go through any
important ordeal she is always robed in
white. At her birth she is wrapped in
white swaddling clothes; at her christen-
ing her robe is white, when she graduates
and when she is married, she must be
dressed in white; and when she dies, her
shroud is white.
For graduating gowns the correct ma
terials are Swiss, fine lawn, organdie or
bauste. The Swiss can be bought for
about 80 cents yard; lawn varies in
price from 20 to 40 cents a yard and ba-
tiste costs about 40 cents Many gowns
are made up wholly without trimming,
and some are simply tucked. The tucks
look very dainty when the gown is Swiss
Batistes are less severe when trimmed
with embroideries of the fine perforated
variety. An embroidery 'front.' with sleeves
OF the same, Is a pretty relief to an other
wise plain gown: Fine Nalenciennes lace
so much used for trimming every sort of
gown, is also allowable on the gradual
ing dress. For the dainty stun really
belongs to the young girls, anyway, and
Its use by older women is a sort of usur-
patton. white Swiss gown with tiny
frLls of either white or yellow Valen-
ciennes, is an ideal graduating dress. but
care must be taken not to introduce too
many frills, lest the appearance of sim
plicity be destroyed.
The really fashionable girl graduate will
wear plain Swiss gown, with perhaps. a
stock collar of tucks and narrow Valenci-
ennes, with little points at the sides Her
shoulder in godet folds, or they may be
tucked down for two or three inches. and
then swell out in large puff, which is
again gathered or tucked in at or above
the elbow, from which the sleeve Is made
tight-dtting to the wrists. Here the ef-
feet on the neck may be repeated by the
addition of a lace-trimmed cuff A stock
of satin ribbon, with a bow at the back
is often substituted for the lace collar
The style of waist does not vary much
from the blouse. A Swiss blouse with
tiny tucks down the front, is very pretty
A strip of insertion, with lace is often
introduced on the front of a plain blouse.
Yokes are also very pretty. and by the
addition of lace and insertion are made
to look less severe than the other styles
Skirts are plain and are seldom stiff
ened, but hang in fun soft folds They
are from FIVE and a half TO seven yards
I'm width at the bottom. and are ut.either
circular, or are gathered around the belt
with most of the fullness pushed back.
The Innings used are percaline, glazed
linen of a light variety. or the same
material as the gown. The last though
the most expensive, is yet the most de-
sirable, since it does not look like a lin
ing at all, and the sheer fimy effect of
the outside is not destroyed by a stiff lin
ing shining through it.
As for shoes, the girl who objects to
breaking the rule of pure white which
white satin slippers, or oxford ties of
white kid or suede, with white silk stock
ings. Gloves are best in their little case
at such times, but if custom requires it the
correct thing is a glace kid, with pearl
buttons-three of them. Suede gloves are
no longer in fashion for this purpose. and
will be very little worn for any occasion.
This is why they are on the bargain coun-
ter at prices ranging from 50 cents to a
dollar
Most young women arrange their hair
in the style that is becoming, without
much regard for fashion. But all who
| can should part their tresses in the mid
de and draw them down over the tips
of the ears, to be coiled loosely at the back
of the neck. This gives the demure
quaint appearance which is so much ed
mired II takes a young woman of cour-
age to arrange her hair this way for the
| first time, but when she becomes accus-
toned to it she is loath to fix it any other
way. A pretty Washington girl with the
courage Of her convictions, arranges her
dark hair in this way, and with a daring
which few girls possess she wears two lit
tie curls at each side of her face to re-
lieve the plain, severe lines at the middle
I of her forehead. Her back hair is coiled
as low as possible at the nape of her neck