The morning times., 1896-06-14
REIGN OF THE RIBBON.
French Modes and Novelties for
Summer Wear.


The sleeves are silk and the blouse and
skirt are alpaca, with an alpaca epaulctte
falling out over the sleeve. Narrow rib
bon bands run round the skirt In three clus-
ters, the upper one more than half way
up, and two clusters run round the blouse,
one below the arm holes and one At the
depth of a yoke. Bands run round the
epaulettes. Organdie skirts have the front
and sides covered with flat bands of rib
bon set uJl in various ways, as for cx-
ample, in the form of an apron, band out
side Of band, till the whole space 10 COW
cred.
Wide ribbons are one-half in plain color
and the other half flowered or plaided,
with the edges in black, and these fancy
ribbons are gathered or plated along one
edge to form ruffles and quilted bows,
with novel effect. Sometimes such plated
ribbons are set on below the belt to form
little basque, as in the example Of a
Sevres blue yelling made with blouse
that has sach plating Of plain blue satin
ribbon edged with black. The same rib
bon garnishes the neck and the wrists, and
is set as a band round the edge OF the skirt,
the black edge at the bottom. The gown is
finished with appliques OF black guipure
on the front.
A little breath OF favor has blown on
delicate laces SO long displaced for heavy
cotton guipure, and valenciennes and darned
tuhC diC ouNS dSdih nC AdtltT
seems TO owe its revival to the popularity
of piece tulle. Guipures continue to he
used, but it is TO HAT appliques that they
are suited while net laces are used for ruff
fles and ruches, and have quite a different
expression Both kinds are used in the
following Casino gown made by Nicaud.
The materials are stra wberry red taffeta
and ecru batiste. Over the gown of taf-
feta is skirt and low -necked, sleeveless
blouse of the batiste, ma king a transparency.
The baiiste has guipure in irregular patters
appiiqued on the front, with the batiste
cut out from under the lace, and is bordered'
with net lace ruche about two fingers
wide. The ruche borders the neck and
armholes, the bottom of the skirt, and out
lines some of the guipure insets near the
foot All the lace is yellowed to the same
tone as the batiste. Tabs OF batiste bor-
dered with ruchiung stand out from the top
of the collar band and ruching borders the
wrists
A great success has fallen to ecru batiste
Its function is to act as transparency over
color and make n background for ribbons
II harmouizes with everything; is the color
of the fashionable Manila hats. and forms
most refined combination with black.
tits to be had NOT oni plain. hut dOtte d with
white. and in stripes and bars, these last
suited to gowns for morning wear. A
pretty batiste gown that can Ee made by
litt mas Il IdOfSe lu JufkS rum
ming round, wide tuck alternating with
a cluster OF narrow ones. The sleeve is.
tucked round in the same way. and the
skirt has three-inch black satin ribbon
round the bOttlm. with a narrow eCru rib
bon sewed upon the black near the lower
edge. wide sash ribbon. half yellow and
half red plaid. with black edges, forms q
neck band and belt with large quilted
bows behind. and sash ends. This gown
is made a n lsat
POPULAR sTUFFs.
Polka dotted fouard is made into simple
gowns for morning and the house. 1t is
made with a blouse and full skirt. without
any trimming, though il may have ribbons
laid on fiat or ruffles Of yaienciennes or
darned lace. or dotted piece tulle. It
should be remembered that the skirts of
soft or thin materials are made loose from
the lining. and usually fuller, having either
plaits at the sides or gathers all round.
shot taffeta is worn more than 1T was
last year, its special office apart from
its service as Innings being to mingle the
favoritc colnrs of plum ard green and
plum and blue. A model of plum taffeta
shot with green and trimmed with sap
green chiffon is thus made A little jacket
bodice, fitted with short basque. is cut
low in the neck and open in front, Marie
Antoinette style, over a high necked inner
bodice of the chiffon. A wide chiffon
rutfle edged with narrow plum ribbon
borders the top of the jacket falling
out on the sleeves with :ichu suggestion.
A Louis XVI sleeve ends at the elbow
with a chiffon ruffle. The shirt is plain.
This gown is modelled after one made by
Rouff for the Duchess of Connaught The
gown of the duchess is of faintest pink
silk, with the blouse and ruffles of white
point d'esprit.
The forms for young girls are a modi-
fication of the dress OF adults. but there
is choice. Certain of the seasons mod
els suit them better than others. The
blouse, for example, and not the basque:
the fichus; the loose coats, all these look
well on girls whose figures are not yet
formed Aud the profusion and vuriety
of ribbons ought to make the girl glad,
for so far rs / know her particular pen
chant is ribbon.
Among the colors in vogue. those that
seem most suited to youth, are the blues
and greens. Violet, with its moral anal
ogies leaning to sadness and experience,
give an expression not quite in har
mony with young life. Ecru looks well,
and a gown of ecru batiste on a girl,
over brown, with brown ribbons, looks
refined and well-bred. White goes, of
course, and white over color, but not
white and black.
Alpaca among the materials has its ad-
vantages 1t is durable and cheap. On
aesthetic grounds, personally, I find 1t
detestable. 1t is wiry and stiff, and
much less agreeable than this canvas
woven wool or serge. Crepon does not
suit the young, but yelling, being simple
in weave, becomes them well. Shot taffeta
is too complex, but there is free choice of
taffeta plain, checked, or plaided, which
becomes them to charm, as does also