The Saint Paul globe., 1896-08-16

for any evening function where full
dress is not required. A second corsage,
cut low in the neck, would make it
suitable for such occasions also There
was a hat furnished to wear with this
costume, so very odd, but so very
pretty, that 1 really ought to tell Of it.
The brim was made of a double and
twisted shirring of white silk null,
with a rosette of the green in front.
Above that was close wreath of
Parma violets all around, and on the
left side there was a little tuft of very
nu1Iy White feathers set in a bunch of
the green silk NULL
This new departure in skirts to nv
mind heralds the advent of the Dolly
Warden, or at least the upper skirt be-
Ing drawn away from the lower and
made Of another material. The quilted
satin petticoat, with it's dainty little
looped overgown, may be with us be-
fore the winter is over. In Berlin very
recently they had some sort of public
show where there were numbers of lay
figures representing the actual empire
styles, so called. The Marie Antoinette
modes are in just now to limited de-
gree, and the 1880 modes are also with
us, and so are good many things that
were fashionable in 1850. Taking all
these different ideas, the powers that
be have evolved a composite mode for
today. For instance, the diagonal
pufingS of thin goods on gowns belong
to the empire styles. Half the gowns
then were trimmed with "perlings, fut-
ings, puffings and gauffered ruff1es,"
besides bows and festooned f1ounces.
Then the tablier style, which has been
mentioned above, is taken from the
days of Dolly Warden, and the waists
are of everything little, well put to-
gether.
So much for the tablier skirt. We
have the ever dear princess dress again.
with a long train and much wider skirt.
The princess gown is dignified and
graceful, and when we'll trimmed it is
rich. 1t appears to be better adapted
to the rounder curves and the slower
movement of the middle-aged and even
elderly women, but the slim young
folks take it as by right I saw in one
house in course of construction, a tea
gown for young married lady The
dress was made In empire shape and
was of magnificent myrtle green lyons
velvet. There was an arrangement Of
gold and amethyst pasSementerie on
the shoulders and very short waist
which partially defined the bust From
there the skirt depended in rich, natural
folds. 1t was gathered at the Joining,
and the skirt portion fiared out into an
easy train, not very long, but sufficient
to make of it a most elegant gown. The
sleeves fitted the arm closely to the
wrist and then f1ared over a full frill
of lace. There were little puffs put at
the shoulders. This whole gown was
lined with corn-colored taffeta and had
a quadruple pfnked ruffle on the under
side. The modiste told me that the
price of this tea gown was $500! I for
got to say that there was a high faring
collar made of the passementerie and
lined with taffeta, cornered with fine
point lace.
l had some curiosity to know why
this gown, handsome as it was, cost
as much, and L felt of the velvet and
silk to judge of it's price. The guam
tity of material I knew from long ex-
peTience. Lyons velvet of the quality
may now be purchased at So a yard
81 at the most. Ten yards at 81 inches
would make the gown. Fifteen yards
of taffeta silk were enough for lining,
pinking and all. There were three yards