St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-29

she spoke great truth. For what can
call up such visions Of feminine dainti-
ress as the swish-swish Of silken un-
derskirts? Every woman, old and
young, rich and poor, loves that sound
the frou-frou, as the French people
call 1t.
1T sounds rich on other people," says
one.
'And 1t makes a woman feel rich to
hear it on herself" adds another
However this may be, one thing is
certain. Every woman nowadays, no
matter how limited her income, consid-
ers her wardrobe very incomplete
without at least one rustling silk petit
coat, and the woman, who can own a
dozen or more is indeed to be envied.
Never in the history Of modern dress
have silks been so beautiful as now,
and, as an immediate result, silk petit
coats are more elaborate in design than
ever before An importer just returned
from Paris shows some specially ex-
quisite ones, many, of them being quite
full and stiff enough to stand alone.
One is made of satin brocade, having
a pearl ground covered with sprays Of
lilac and lavender hydrangeas and deli
cate green leaves resembling in color
those which first unfold in spring. The
bottom is finished with a narrow ruff
ne Of lilac taffeta,, Over this is q full
wide friil Of green, and over this comes
another flounce Of the lilac, several
inches of each showing. A full founce
Of Venetian lace of exquisite design is
put on over the three plain taffeta
flounces, and is finished at the top with
a double quilting Of green and lilac
satin ribbon. This skirt, like all those
sent over from France, is cut after the
new design, which is fully four inches
longer behind than in front, much after
the style Of the once popular deni-
train, though it does not touch any,
where. The price is $40, and a young
woman who was examining it very
critically expressed the opinion Of
women generally when she said:
ANY kind Of thin goods would look
heavenly over such skirt as that"
One of the best selling qualities that silk
skirt can possess is that of being able to pro-
duce a rustic, and heretofore a woman would
stand a whole hour examining and trying first
one and then another, until she found one with
the proper swish. But this is no longer neces-
sary, for the new French glace taffetas can be
heard from the top of the house to the bottom,
One especially beautiful skirt Is made of a
green and magenta in ehangeabIe effect and
has a deep knife-plated founce Of white linen
batiste of fine quality, with alternating bands
of ecru lace insertion and of silk let in. An
other is made OF a bright green and very rich
dark heliotrope chanseab1e glace taffeta, and
Is n01SneQ at the AeHf With a narrow rune OF
the silk, which only, shows two inches. Two
rufaes of the silk, with cream lace insertion
one inch in width let in two inches apart per-
pendicular1y, are set ON 5aboye this narrow
frill, and are edged with narrow lace points to
match the insertion.
These skirts are worn with handsome dark
gowns or look very pretty underneath the thin
batistes or richly colored organdies so much
used this season. Indeed, they make a very
simple gown, look quite handsome and up to
date. For pure. unadulterated rustling no
skirt made on this or any other side of the
water can compare with the invention Of q
smart young Partisan. II is extra wide
skirt made also OF giace taffeta and has very
full rufftes, about six inches in width and
pinked at the edges. set on nearly up to the
waist. The colors are red and green, and as
the skirt is practically of two tileknesses 1t
should wear well.
Something entirely new in a white glaee is
the CADET skirt, which is especially appropriate
when worn with evening gowns or thin white
afternoon dresses. A piece of the silk foot
wide is tucked halfway up and down and set
on at the bottom; this gives the proper fuilness,
and the bottom, which is finished with rows
Of heavy cords and handsome insertion is stiff
ened with buekrarn The skirt is also extra
wide, but width is a tendency Of all of the
skirts this season. The narrowest measure
two and half yards at the bottom.
A very serviceable and reasonable skirt is
made Of fine black taffeta and finished with an
eiaborately perforated embroidery founce set
on over another frill of some solid color or
over black. as the purchaser prefers. These
skirts retail at $3.50 each.
Skirts made Of striped and figured taffeta and