San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-11-14
FASHION AND FANCY.
Some New Things That Go to Make Up
Lady's Costume.

Lady's Costume.
Women who have had their newest
dresses made with the amount of goods
therein considerably curtailed, have
reason to be thankful, for when the
| autumn styles are fully accepted and
preparations are made for winter
dresses the shrinkage will be so marked
that last summers dresses will appear
absurd. Those who have been fortunate
! enough to put away the skirts of two
years ago can bring them out and wear
them with a good deal of satisfaction.
Those who extended them by means of
| pyramidal sections and wide cores can
remove these impediments to present
skirts out collapsed into fine form.
Most women are taking very kindly to
| the new state of things, more kindly,
probably, than they will after the fash
ions are more completely settled. The
old model gave woman precisely the
| style that she liked. Her head, waist
| and hands appeared small. The shout
ders and skirt were expanded, and this.
| according to fashion, is the accepted
standard. But the owners of the new
costumes look odd enough with their
large hands and biggish heads and
waists suggesting suddenly acquired
amount of adipose that is anything but
becoming. The wiseacres are begin
ming to wonder if this somersault in
| fashion will start a mania for tight
| lacing.
Women are going to get themselves
into symmetrical shape somehow or
| other, and it seems a pity that volumi-
nous sleeves could not have been left
alone, as upon these the entire general
| effect of the costume depends. Some
of the new sleeves have great punches
of fullness at, the shoulders, and many
| of them suggest large elbows from the
fact that curve or puff or an extra
gore is set in to permit the arm to bend
easily and gracefully.
Many grumblings are already heard
| about the new models, and we may ex-
pect that with the coming in of settled
winter fashions some modification will
be adopted which will do away with
the most serious objections to the new
sleeves.
The ornamentation of waists is a
natural sequence of the decline in
sleeves. There must always be an OBJ
iective point in dress, and as this is no
longer possible, so far as sleeves go,
designers are turning their attention to
waists, and seeing how elaborate and
complicated and labored they can make
-, - Y,
Almost solid masses of braiding is
one of the new fads. While it is adj
mitted that the Paris designs show
work that is not equaled or scarcely ap-
preached by anything yet done here, it
is certain that it will take but a short
time until our maids and matrons will
fashion as dainty embroideries and
braidings as any of those that come
from the other side of the water.
A stylish jacket has a high flaring
collar deliberately braided and bolero
fronts to match. The cuffs are also
deliberately braided, and the moderately
full sleeves are slashed at the tops and
black velvet puffs are set in. The braid
ing on the garment is black, and the
lining of black satin.
Embroidery is to rival braiding in
the winters decorations. An order has
already been given for dress of ivory
white broadcloth to be embroidered in
woodbine sprays and leaves in autumn
colors of this most beautiful vine.
Reversing the ordinary style of such
work, the larger ends Of the stalks
/ OF ha go i,,f Ia
upper portion of the front breadth be-
ing mass of almost solid work, and
from this the sprays and tendrils droop
and sweep around toward the back of
the skirt. The ends of the vines are
concealed by belt, and above the belt
a plastron shows tiny sprays that seem
to shoot up from the general center.
The sleeves are without ornament, save
the cuffs, where there is little en-
'broidery. The collar is deliberately
wrought, and small sprays trail down
the back of the waist and over the
shoulders. All in all, this is one of the
most exquisite pieces of work ever exc
cuted fora dress of this description.
The general tendency of skirts is to
the use of very little of the material as
trimming. It is evident that the import
ers and manufacturers of elegant gar
nitures are likely to have their innings |
within the next few seasons. So lit |
tie of these materials has been used of |
late that the business may, be said to
be practically stagnated. But new |
state of things is coming, and jets Of !
all kinds, colored beads in every con-
ceivable tint, rich galloons, silk en-
broideries and silk and bead combine
tions are shown, and among high nov
elites are the most superb embroideries |