The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-26
THE WOMAN OF FASHION,.
Copyright 1896, by Bachelor, johnson
Bachelor.


New York. Jan. 25.-The ready made
dress, so scorned by the ultra fashionable.
is great boon to the woman who works.
If one is an ordinary size and has a mod
erately we'll proportional figure it is pos
sible to buy almost anything in the line
of clothes, made up and ready to wear.
1t is hard enough for the idle woman to
drive herself to the dressmaker's shop
for that ordeal of an hours fitting or
draping which it is impossible to escape
when one has ones clothes made to or
der. Much worse is it for the busy. time
saving woman whose daytime is not her
own, but the property of those who pay
her day laborer's wages of say two dollars
a day.
1t is doubtless very much to her ad-
vantage that ready-made garments have
become so popular. Home made under
wear, for instance. is very nearly obso-
lete. Those who cannot afford to buy
lace-trimmed cambria underwear have re-
course to the woven garments, which are
cheaper because they diminish ones
laundry bill. Time was when people knit
their own stockings, but they don't do
it any more-except. of course, in prim-
tive localities. Just so, the day will
come when we shall buy our dresses in
the same way that we do our jackets;
but that will be after we have experienced
real dress reform and the corset is no
more.
Meanwhile, we are Interested in the
transition. The ready-made garments
which everybody buys now, are petticoats
and separate skirts. one can afford to
pay a good deal for a black skirt that
serves as foundation for half dozen
costumes. For a very nice skirt, silk or
crepon is preferred. Brilliantine is also
desirable there
varieties which are almost as dressy as
silk. Everything points TO the probability
that figured brilliantue will be the most
fashionable black goods of the early
spring.
ment, however is the shirt waist, and the
raid upon the rallying ground has begun.
A collection of women around a shirt
waist counter is like a flock of sparrows
fighting for a meal. 1t is altogether too
early to wear the waists, of course, but
the dealers have displayed them and
every woman is trying to get first choice.
The shirt waist of SO will not limit it.
self in the choice of materials. 1t will be
admissible in percale, dimity, dotted Swiss
and grass linen, in all of its varieties.
The better class of waists-those that
come at 1925 and S6.25-all have removable
white linen cuffs and collars. The collars
are very high and turn over like those on
some of the winter coats. A few of the
cuffs turn back in the same way, but
most of them have the ordinary link but
tonholes at the wrist. A shirt waist of
as long as the old style by removing the
cuffs and collars, and having them laun-
dried separately
The favorite colors are green and linen
brown. The greens are checked and cross
barred. The browns are grass linens and
are striped and barred in lace patterns.
Some of the linens have silk dots in
green blue and purple. These make the
1925.
The new varieties of dotted Swiss viii
be much used. Almost every pattern
which is seen in wooden materials is i'm
itated in Swiss. There are plaids and
crossbars and stripes in every hue, and
as the material is cool it will be a great
faVorite for summer wear
Last years waists will not do for this
season on account of that ever recur-
ring stumbling block to economy-the
sleeve This bugbear is larger than ever,
as far as shirt waists are concerned what
ever may be said of the sleeves of other
waists. 1t is laid in pleats around the
top. like some of the last years coat
sleeves. This is one thing that makes
them so eXpenSive-there are many
yards in the sleeves. linen or Swiss
waist cannot be bought for S., but when
one considers that, once bought il is suf-
ficiently dressy for almost any occasion,
the price is not so much of an objection.
So much for the waists that women
gets warm. Meanwhile they are airing
their bodice of silk and velvet in the boxes
at the theater. Here are a few which l
have lately seen;
A blouse in sky blue gauze little low
at the neck and trimmed with band of
jewels Two points of guipure are placed
on the front of the cOrSage with the points
downward. The balloon sleeve reaches to
point a little above the elbow. The pos
SCISSOR of this waist wore a chain of jew
els and love of bonnet made of moth
/ ing but holly foliage and berries.
A bodice with a petunia velvet corselet
ornamented with frogs over a plastron
of white mousseline de sole. The little
court basques stand out almost straight
from beneath the jeweled belt. Harmless
little pleats they are, those basQues, hut
if rumor can be trusted, those same lit
tie rufies bid fair TO introduce an inno-
walton in the seasons fashions For,
though they are very smart and indepen-
dent looking, they cannot stand alone,
and hence the hustle.
Another bodice with less aggressive
basques is made of dull red velvet openE
ing over a plaid silk vest. And the basques
are lined with it too. There is a belt of
velvet which faStens with fancy but
tons, and the immense revers that stand
out over the sleeves are of black lynx
sweet little waist that came in a box
and has not yet been worn is made of
blue silk with a dainty pink figure. There
is a plastron of dark green velvet over
which the blue silk is draped diagonally
| from the right shoulder to the left side
| of the waist, where it is caught with
two sunlower choux, then hangs in a