Birmingham state herald., 1896-03-15
A NEW YORK sOLlETY MANS FAN.

which are owned by Lord Dufferin, hay
 ing been collected by him while in the
 east, or presented to him by magnates Of all degrees of magnificence, both as to
 their persons and their presents.
 Lady Dufferin herself presided over the embassy's special stall, and very gra-
 ciously indeed On the second day of the
 fair she looked especially well in an
 odd gown of paleish blue silk, braided with black silk soutache and jetted silk cord. The entire bodice, as you will
 see in the sketch. was covered with braiding which had the effect of raised embroidery, and the skirt which seemed to button upon the waist with short sharp points, fastened by jet buttons, had a foot trimming of the braid and cord arranged in a vandyked band, with the points toward the top. Her hat was of black velvet, loaded with the fuffiest,
 most velvety, ostrich plumes with a knot of lace and some copper-colored blossoms
 set under the brim at the side of the
 back. The hat itself was one of the
 wide-brimmed affairs that shade the eyes.
 One of the most fetching of the younger was a Miss Somebody, whose name I can't remember. one of the coterie of the fascinators at the fish pond which Lady Hermione Blackwood had in charge. This petite body might have been an of- ficers daughter straight from Berlin to i It would have been bizarre on a bigger woman, but she was quite too piquant for anything but admira tion in a blue velvet gown so dark as to be almost black with heavy braiding of silver bullion, in- closing in the arabesques of the pattern
 motif appliqued on of chinchilla. The
 skirt was plain, as you will note in the
 sketch I am sending, except for foot cord, whichiran up on the left, seeming to outline, a lap of one gore over upon the next one. The coat had quite a deep basque, with huge bishop sleeves, the
 middle top plait of which ran flat oveS the cape epaulette straight away up into the neck band The hat was of velvet, with soldierly up-trend to the rim all about, overlaid on the edge of the brim with silver lace. and trimmed upon the crown with some velvet mulleln stalks and loops of the silver cord and pierced silver buckle.
 Lady Blackwood wore a gown that was striking because of the art of the tailor who made it. It was a novelty cloth,
 with a coachman's drab gown overlaid In the weaving with lace-like pattern of shaded black and red, in one light; look ing one color and at the next turn show ing the other The dress was made up with absolute severity, and then trimmed
 with the cloth of the pretty soft lawn shade and deep reddish velvet, introduc- ed, as shown in the sketch. in side panels on the Sklft, III yOke ana SlQe IOfmS, TOfm-
 ing deep scallops on the bodice front
 No one but tailor could ever have put those overlapping cloth and velvet trim mings on to look precisely a s if mounted in place by photographer, without a suspicion of stitch. The gown fitted like wall paper and was carried off with immense distinction.
 The mechanical skill of the artisan is shown in it's best in such dress, but
 the art of the artist must be looked for
 in gowns of another caliber such gowns,
 for example, as one sees at the soirees
 given by Mime. Munkacsy. She herself,
 at her last musicale, wore a dream of a gown, before which tailor should have prostrated himself. It was delicate ap-
 pie green. velvety plush, or plush-like vel
 vet, I don't know which, wonderful
 fabric that was half dozen different
 tints at once. It was a princess gown,
 with fitted, trailing back and a softly
 draped bodice front, with just folds enough to make the silver corselet seem
 useful as well as ornamental. The sleeves
 were mere draperies and the gown fell into the most enchanting lines with every movement How such a dress makes complicated Worth creation" and the
 badness of the tailor-made gown dwindle into insignificance!
 In spring millinery trimmings are loom-