River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1895-09-05
FEMININE FASHIONS.
Some Seasonable Suggestions Concerning
Ladies' Costumes.

Some of the summer dresses of thin
material suggest the Dolly Warden
of glaring memories. Spots and
stripes, high colors and staring com
binations are noticeable in the Illus
trations one gets from Paris and may
occasionally see in shops that cater to
non-conservative ideas in dress. A
dress of striped silk, with large, bright
figures scattered over the stripes, is
made with ten-inch founce on a
plain gored skirt. A band of fancy
galloon, two inches wide, trims the
upper edge of the fiounce. Below the
soft belt. which is of velvet, there is a
yoke-shaped top fitting the figure
closely. This is about eight inches
deep. and is trimmed with three rows
of the galloon set round and round.
There is a poke almost covered with
galloon, and from this full front ex-
tends TO the belt The sleeve-tops
are enormous puffs, with bands of gall
loon in points down the outsides of the
sleeves. The cuffs are of velvet, and
velvet rosettes finish the corners of the
yoke where they join the sleeves.
A stylish waist of plain silk has a
front of very rich brocade. A square
collar covers the shoulders and sleeve
tops, extending far out over the sleeves
This is edged with a fluted ruffie of
India silk. The collarette portion is
of silk, made stiff and rigid with
passenenterie or galloon set on to
head the ruffle. and also to outline a
yoke pointed on the front and back
and on the shoulders Above this yoke
10 soft collar of velvet. The loose
belt is also of velvet.
Among the notable features in some
Partisan costumes is the prominence
of blue and the startling combinations
made by French designers Bright
grass-green and dark blue are among
the combinations, and white, gold and
green is popular fancy.
A novelty costume is made of thick
black silk, lustrous and stiff enough
to stand out in the approved fashion.
The dress is cut in princesse style,
and is open from throat to hem, show
ing very closely-plaited. full-length
front of embroidered crepon. The
square collar is edged with the en-
broidered crepon, and the crepon
sleeves have very narrow cuffs of vel
vet just below the elbows. The sleeves
are made in two puffs, and have
shrred tops in epaulet fashion.
Another dress is of bright-spotted
taffeta. 1t has three narrow ruf1les at
the hem of the skirt, enormous balloon
sleeves, and close fitting waist,
Ii 10 ~ H. la,
surplice-shaped collarette, with wide
ruffies that almost cover the sleeve
tops. The surplice ends of this trim
ming pass under the soft belt. and fall
half way down the skirt on either side
of the front. They, as well as the
shoulder-ruffies. are trimmed with lace
set on very full. This collarette af-
fair is made of crepon, in any of the
fashionable light colors.
A marked departure in existing
styles is shown in a priucesse dress
cut with very narrow cores, all the
seams being left open about three
fourths of the distance from the hem
TO the waist-line. Underneath are set
sections of contrasting material. One
dress of this sort was shown in striped
satin. in two shades of ecru, the under
sections being of olive-green velvet.
The waist was close fitting and with
out trimming, except a ichu of soft
silk with pink ruffies. The sleeves are
very full and of the striped material,
with velvet cuffs and large bows on
the front of The arms.
There seems to be a mania just now
for what is called simple dresses. 1t is
somewhat amusing to note the net re-
suits of simple dressing of this kind.
A plain batiste, inexpensive enough in
its original condition, is made up over
silk, and has enough elaborate and
costly garniture on the waist and
sleeves to bring the aggregate expense
up to a figure that modest purses could
not even think of without a shiver.
Twenty-Five to fifty dollars worth of
waist trimming alone on dress of
plain batiste or null, to say nothing of
the silk Innings, is scarcely in accord
with the most accepted notions of sim
plicity.
Stripes of all sorts are much liked,
and whether in taffeta, glace, muslin,
crepon or grenadine, the stripe seems
to divide favor with all plain materi-
als--N. Y. Ledger