Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-09-26


these goods are a combination of the
finest and thinnest and most veil-like
silks, which are in some w ondc:.ful
way woven i'm with the crepon ground
so as to sprinkle it with small squares
and crescents and other designs of the
silk. The silk does not merely bob to
the surface in threads or knots, but
lies upon it as if the inch squares had
fOated down upon the surface like
snowflakes. 1t is a triumph of the
loom. The silk and the crepon are al
ways in contrasting colors, or harmon
izing but different shades Of the same
color, and the goods are so rich they
will need very little trimming; that
little should be of velvet.
With a romantic delight in seeing
aging women beautifully dressed,
noted with especial joy the handsome,
rich shades that seem designed es-
pecially for them, which are not star
ing shades of any color, but seem to
have a bloom upon the rich tint, what
ever it is. There is a royal purple
shade with almost mirrorlike depth
that is simply superb.
I shall run over by and by again
to look at the ttailors' models. But
l saw one that was too delightful to
miss telling you about at once. A
finely mixed cloth in a clouded suit
ing running to mignOnette shades was
made up with faring, billowy, full
he 1iTrE IN loft CIT do of
front and buttoned well down over the
hip with pearl bullet buttons. The
lap was bordered with a bias band of
pearl cloth, continued all the way
round the foot. The sleeves were
huge affairs of the green. The round
bodice was of vieux rose chiffon, with
four little side plaitings, very narrow,
of pearl crepe lisse, carried from neck
ito belt, back and front. The collar
WAS high, rundown affair, on the
plan of shirt collar, and it and the
belt were Of pearl kid, the belt being
fastened with buckles. Odd dress for
a tailor to make, but can't you just
see how very English it is, and, of
course just suited to the rosy-cheek /,
fresh young English matron just out
of her teens, who had lit made up for
late fall house party? The collar,
with its firm, uncOmpromising out
lines and the general air Of severity,
though so piquantly toned down,
would be fatal to a woman whose
face and figure have lost their first
bloom.
The hat, l should not neglect to say,
is of mignOnette felt, with old rose
tinted chrysa nthemums crushed upon
It, under a nodding feather or two of
black.
Of course with this gown pearl
gloves are au fait, but Partisan women
are not white glove mad, as Newport
and Lenox women were when 1 left
those jolly places a few weeks ago
places at least which would be per-
feet if only our people would learn
to take themselves less seriously, and
not scramble so. Over here even
American women lose that mad haste
that spoils their poise at home But,
as 1 was saying about gloves when I
interrupted myself, gloves here must
come into the general ensemble as
harmony, not as a discord. The
gloves are not white unless there is
white about the toilet somewhere else
ITO keep them in countenance.
Speaking of harmonies, 1 saw a
dream Of a fair woman awaken to
reality yesterday. Her frock was Of
polished steel gray satin, one Of those
lustrous rejecting surfaces that you
can seem to see into. The skirt was
in waves about the foot and was fulled
perceptibly all about the waist at the
belt, a clever device to soften every
seam. No Partisan thinks of making
up satin in wallpaper fashion. The
sleeves were gathered at the Shout
derS and were of elbow length. but
so full about the bottom. where they
turned up under in some fashion, they