The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-12
THE SPRING PAGEANT.
THE GxYEsT COLORS md Pref
TIEST DESIGNS.
Miss Osborn Discourses Upon the Matter
of Fair Woman's Wsfdrobe-he-
publican Liberty.
fConyrieht 1896

for
And not less variable man. haNH's -
long used such airy and beautiiuI ~
signs in his neck-wear. discafds N'V"' ~,
the palcr and more Intellectual draps anu
SICILY hues OF that sort.
n IL n pccularity which the phiioso-
piers have long noticed that when "o-
man WILL man viii not a famous car
eature in the old days OF ~ iepi'a'"'oN
two contrasting styles. In the one "o-
man with scanty skirts. hugely-distend-
Al sleeves. and Gainsborough hat NJ
monumental area stood beside INN
sbo,ldcrcd gallant with voluminous IN
,ncntionables. In the other picture ny
Lady OF the tent-shaped hoop-skirts was
flirting desperately with another gallant
or perhaps the same, whose legs were
tightly clothed, but whose rough coat was
r.lded at the shoulders TO an immense
size This principle is 10 rule IN lN'o' u
would seem. for alongside Of the Simple
browns and grays OF mems suitings Tot
April. 90 unmarked as they are by snch
loud checks and eXtravagauces as past
years have seen. woman's GarD SHINES
more rainbow-like than ever.
"The republic Is opportunity It's chicl
justice says. and the fashion opportunity
widcns its horizon every month Tor every
month fairly pretty fabrics are cheaper
and moro plentiful and every MONTH TOO
fabrics Of more beautiful designs, more
brilliant colors. more cunning weaVes'
and especially more fabulous prices are
spread before the bewildercd gaze OF the
woman who hestates, and. hcsiiatins' j.
LOST. The evolution of the lower-tint and
cobwcb-flamont garbing of today out OF
the dun cold webs Of even ten years age
is like the bursting Of the butterfly from
it, chrysaiis.
The rainbow glory Of the April streets
when the sun glints warm against the
brown stonc-walls impresses the beholder
somewhat as a waving field of iowers.
There are I'm it. seen in the mass, me
hriniancy Of the tulip. the deIcacy OF
Violets. the grace of lilies, even the lines
Of cool ferns and frondage. all swaying'
changing. passing. repassing until the
street becomes like a kaleidoscope. which
IS never at rest and i'm whose magic mr.
rors each tone picture breaks. even as II
is forming. into another as beautiful ana
as cvancs,cnt.
Shall we try TO pluck from his garden
n tiny handful Of blossomsf
There Is the emphasis of cardinal flower
i'm August in a short. red-clOth jacket. its
seams outlined m gilt braid and buttoned
with five gilt Buttons.
There is the tint OF violots In pur-
pie Tuscan straw hat. whose straight
brlm. narrower behind than i'm front. is
covered all with purple and Lavender
tullc. and culled from the garden of The
m0dste. Jacqueminot roses peep from
their green leaves and from big pufts VI
tulle.
There is the greenish yellow or yellow
ish green of tho grass OF a sunshine
study by Chase in the material Of a grass
linen costume, whose plain, full skirt
falls Ike gOssamer over an old-rOse silK
foundation. The waist Is embroidered
in old rose. the sleeves are fun and stop
at the elbow, decked at the shoulder
with old-rose taffeta silk in such form
that one would think a butterfly had
lighted upon the roses in the greenish
yellow grass: and the silk combined
with passementcries Of white and gold
forms the yoke. Need ono add that
grass-Inen gowns over silk foundations
of each hue of the rainbow are foremos~
in favorf
There are flowers. again. Of a delicate
PINK, scattered over a white gown of
Persian silk. wherofrom one dainty tea
gown is fashioned. with its vatican
back ending i'm "A demi-train, and with
its sleeves finished with wide cream lace.
which is brought over the shoulders anu
falls fun TO the knees
There is the tint seen only in some
eyes that are fair TO look upon and I'm
the tiny duets which dot the dry side
hills of summer. in a blue brilliantine
with a full skirt and short jacket whose
wide revers open over white vest en-
broidercd i'm gold and whose wide, rolling
cuffs are brave with the Same gilt pretti-
ness.
There are, again. the purple violets and
again the pink roses and green leaves,
the former on the brim and the latter on
the crown of a medium-siryd hat which,
like many of the hats Of the spring,
shades well over the face and rising be-
hind let's the sun kiss the wearer's hair.
over the viOlets of the brim is a veil of
green tulle and at the back there are
soft loops Of it. with white tulle shining
through from beneath
There is a nasturtium-colored hat with
a Fam o Shanter crown. around which
coils a soft twist Of black-spangled net.
ON the right side are grouped large |
cnrysanthemums with yellow centres and |
shaded grasses.
And which of all the hats IS the favor
itsf Which of all the colors will be |
most worm II one is 10 judge by the |
examples one sees ii will be that tint |
least Of all becoming to the average face |
purple. Never have l seen so many |
purple hats. or so many hats partly pur- |
their decoration. There will be many |
women whose life Is TO them anything |
but a pleasure. because of this purple /
shade upon the landscape OF their lives
until presto, change.
One of the pretticst effects OF the |
spring, especially adapted 10 thin faces |
with the sharply accentuated features
which artists and photographers love TO
pose. Is the lace tie OF such hue that |
when brought from Chc rear of the tiny |
toque down across the hair on either stde
just beneath the ear and the chin and |
knotted in a bow, shall frame the face as
IL were a picture.
Picture hats we have long known. We
shall begin TO speak OF picture gowns
next
l. indeed, have so named one Of those
creations, whose skirt IA family lined
with perpendicular stripes and dotted
with clusters Of tiny flowers. and which
IS far more emphaticaly marked across
the upper sleeves and across the vest
front with bars OF dark ribbon from |
each of which falls a narrow friu OF
dotted lace. The jacket Of such gown
has the inevitable outward curve at the
hips. a curve more decided than that
upon n golf stick.
There is a pretty fashion this year ln
cheaper ready-made dresses as well as
IN more expensive ones The serge out
Ing suits. whose skirts and Jackets have
been for long Of the same color and ma
icrlal. may now bc-should now be. per
haps-Of related. but different color: and
tie skirt OF the two Is the lighter. For
nsiance, a plain skirt of blue ana white
checks. just the size OF a baby's finger
l0ii over which a wide lapcllod Jacket