Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-04-16

Special Correspondence OF Gazette ana journal
New York, April 10.-There was no
doubt about it, She was an artist in
dressmaking. But, unfortunately for
the rest of the world, she had, in some
way or another, inherited millions SO
that she was not dressmakeT, and
could only give her friends advice.
Most Of them listened, and refused to
accept ii. 1 am among the few who
appreciate her. So, when said
"white," she looked at me and an
swered, son you? With your pale face
Never, unless you have it in some soft
woolen stuff, which will seem to drapo
you, and make soft folds, forcing the
white to seem caresning. whereas, if
it were in silk or satin, you would
appear like frightened corpse chasing
around in search of your past sins.
Women don't consider fabrics enough;
they seem to think that il they get a
color that is becoming, all is attained;
and yet, take a stout woman, and Eut
her in black satin = she looks three
times her 196 pounds. Put her black
cashmere, or black cloth, properly
made, and you speak Of her as plump.
and wonder that anybody ever called
her fat.
"Then there il blue people have an
idea that every young girl can wear it,
1t makes the dainty blonde maiden,
who ought to look like one of Wat
teau's young women, and they are.
always excepting their waists, perfect
representatives of health, look like
frozen lady, lady who might have
been picked up at the North Pole
Here there is no question of fabric;
pale blue belongs exclusively to the
brunette, 1t has curious way, even
il the hruncttes has sallow skin, of
making that skin look less sallow and
more clive. Pink, the veritable sweet
rose color, fades when it is put on
brunette From the color standpoint,
she is too strong for it, while on the
blonde, it retains all its own beauty,
makes her cheeks glow, brings out the
gold of her hair, while the blue of her
eyes, by contrast, match the juno sky
You are the type that want red-brll-
liant, glowing red Not crimson, not
purplish red, but the clear, bright
red that is always the envy of tho
Quakeress bit of it in your hat
makes your eyes brighter. makes your
dull hair glossier and sheds. uncon-
sciously, shadow of itself on your pale
checks. The average woman doesn t
yaue red as she should. There ought
to be a set OF red Tosettes in the chest
OF drawers in every woman's dressing
room, for there always comes day
when ste needs them.
ABOUT BLACK GOWNS.
"Black? Black, like white, is tho
refuge Of tie afflicted, and yet, how
smart black tailor made gown is !!
How elegant a black velvet dinner
dress is And how beautiful black
tulle, spangled with gold becomes when
il is worn by the belle of the ball
have never been able to agree with the
elder Worth in his dislike of black.
He claimed that black in bringing out
beauties also brought out defects, and
that elderly women, who wore it, simply
intensified their lack of youth and the
number of their wrinkles
"Oh, yes; | remember very we'll
when you wrote and asked him 10 send
you black dinner dress. And there
arrived black satin, elaborate with
rosettes and trimmings, that shaded
from rose pink to deep magenta. And
you wept. And wept bitterly. And
wore the frock but once, and felt the
night you wore it that, if it had been
rippling stream, near some town, you
would have been damned by all those
who had to endure it. Then you did
very wise thing. You had all the
trimming taken off, and cast the bodice,
garish with crimson, to one side. There
was made for you black hroadcloth
train, which contrasted magniiicently
with the satin sides and front, and to
go with this there was bodice partly
of broadcloth and partly of satin, with
sleeves of satin. crossed by bands OF
jet; just such sleeve as Marguerite
of Vaois wore. There Worth made one
OF his mistakes. Black is becoming to
some women, but unfortunately, early
in his working DAYS, this artist in
dressmaking saw what is known as the
best black silk of an American woman,
and he shuddeied. 1t was coarse oi
grain, and scant of skirt; ii was fitted
30 that the lack of bust was conspicu-
ous and the sleeves were so tight that
an easy movement of either arm was
impossible. He told me this himself,
so | never blamed him for not wanting
to send black dresses to American
women. But, remember always what
| say, that, whether you are young OF
old, slender or stout, there are wonder
ful possibilities in black, provided
always you choose the right fabric ano
then dispose of your material properly.
i remember once when | was in {
fashionable tailor shop met Mrs. EN-
bonpoint, who is great friend o
mine; she said Oh, my dear, aren't
these tailor-made gowns fine! Thest
perfectly simple gowns mean SO mucE
to the women who are inclined to bt
stout And | looked at her with dis
may. The woman who had made hel
stays pulled her in at the waist and ST
forced the extra flesh to go above ant
below the waist line in way tina
was not artistic, and, although tn,
tailor did not want to do it, she in
sisted on having plain, close fittin.
skirt and an equally plain bodice. Ant
the result? Well, the result was tina
all the fat was brought out to advan
tage, to doubtful advantage, where
few folds of the material might hav
hid it, and between staymaker and he
own lack of artistic dressing, Mrs. EN-
bonpoint looked more like the minut
glass with which | time my eggs a
breakfast than "A well shaped woman
And, my dear, with this she was goin
to wear one OF those now hats wreathe
with roses! And nature gave her ion
nose.
You know one of those poke-ove
hats, worn by woman with Ion
nose, makes her look like the essenc
of curiosity in feminine form. A ha
tilted away over the face has reaso
for existence; but it is for tho gil
with the erhigh forehead, or tn
tip-tilted nose, and every type shoul
let it severely alone!'
| was determined TO interrupt bei