The herald., 1896-04-12
PARIS GOWNS.

PARIS, Feb. 17.-Whether you look like
French fashion plate this spring or like souae-
body from Wayback will not depend 30
much upon the goods you pick out or have
picked out for you, or upon the particular
manner in which yoL elect to have the FABRIC
made up. as upon whether you succeed in
Capturing some of the mannerisms of style
without which one is hopelessly plebeian, -
far as fashion goes. 1t Is easier to rhapec-
die over what these piquant mannerisms
contribute in the way OF stylish effect than
to sort them out and label them and de-
scribe them clearly enough to make the
description valuable.
Felix has designed smart gown, OF which
will send you sketch, that is plain to
simplicity, but has the unmistakable cachet
of style, thanks lowell. what is 1t thanks
to? To the lining, to the departure from
the conventional in cut, to the decorative
buttons The cloth Is a palish green, satin
finish, the skirt hanging in half-formed
box plaits on each side of the middle line
in front. the bodice basque and blouse
combined. The foundation of the bodice 10
plated blouse for all the world like
boys shirt waist, made Of ivory satin.
Then there is a slashed and rippled basque.
which is made of the cloth, and which does
not end at the waist line, but extends up-
ward to form sort Of cuirass. collar
with cape, shaped like the "doubte ender''
fur collars worn by men to drive in yeare
ago. is added to the Leck. This Is also of
the cloth, and, like the basque. is lined
with the whito satin. The buttons are
cameos on a faint pinkish ground, which
shade appears in some cinnamon pinks set
against the hair at the back Of the hat.
This is Of blue horsehair, trimmed with
white null and black feathers. The en-
semble is distingue-looking calling toilet,
nO ms
anything but dainty women and delicate
attentions.
All the new evening gowns that have
bodioes are pointed back and 'front.' and
are much longer in front than at the back.
Where basques are set upon waists, under
narrow belts, the belt is adjusted to give
a short waist at the back and a much longer
one in front. A beautiful gown worn at
Madame de Nervlle's last soiree had q
petticoat of white satin, with bodice and
train Of rather brilliant pink satin. The
bodice had white vest, very short puffed
sleeves, and the drapery formed bouffans
paniers on each hip, before it slipped away
into the flowing lines Of the train. The pet.
ticoat showed six bands Of pearl embroidery
running in straps of uneven length from un.
der the paniers down the skirt, the longest
bands coming at the sides. Under these
bands and trailing up to a point in the cen.
ter Of the front was hand embroidery, in
natural colors Of roses and leaves. cor
responding spray ornamented the center of
the vest. and garlands of real (artifciaD
roses dropped over each shoulder among
the fall of point lace. This was a Worth
model
A sweet gown for grille Of 10 or 10
is of corded golden brown silk, made with
front Of Dresden figured silk in rosebud
design upon a cream ground. and epaulets
Of the same; the latter. the neck band and
the foot of the skirt front, and the inside
seam Of the cuffs are bordered with band
Of the velvet. To make the gown, becom-
ing to the immature figure Of Ia jeune
file, the material is laid in soft box plaits
on each side OF the 'front.' The cuffs are
made close fitting. and fasten after the
hand is slipped through with small ivory
ball buttons. The hat is a brown straw,
with futing of cream ribbon, and some
flowers for trimming. The Partisan girl
wear gloves and shoes as fine as her NAM
mas, and looks quite as chic.
What are you picking up for your. hot
weather dresses? French organdies.
French printed dimities. Swiss batistes.
colored batistes in dotted and wavy effects.
homespun linens. brown linens. Irish linen
batfstes, are some of the fabrics named
over to you by the Rue de la Pafxa shop
keepers. Lierre and Mechlin laces and, rib
bons for the organdies will be the loveltest
of decoration. For the linens in the finer
grades the real ecru laces, which cost. sew
eral dollars yard, are to be used by all
who can afford them. Everything from the
black cloth street dress to apple blossom
organdie is to be helped upon the summery
summit of charm by the addition of white
in one guise or another.
Airy mohaire in chameleon effects that In
troduce lustrous iridescent color yarns In
intricate weaves are being made into gowns
Co.., %1.~ G,,% -I.--I
skirts, partially blouse effects in waists, and
large dropping sleeves. Down the 'front.' are
clouds of fluffy tulle shirred and puckered
and set off with lace. with bands Of either
satin or fiat embroidery running UP each
side Of the vest. and forming the collar.
This may be plain: it may have quills Of thu
ribbon or the lace at the back, or there may
be large bow Of lace under the chin.
Buy all your shirt waists with detach-
able collars. for unless you have the curves
Of a goddess and the youth Of these appAri-
tions of loveliness you absolutely must not
wear stiff, straight starched lines about your
throat. but a soss ribbon O. mass Of tulle
instead. The shirt waist craze is as virus
lent as ever and all the ready made waists
which will be shown you will have the
everlasting collar, in boardlike fashion. but
beware OF it unless you are actually young
and pretty. The coloring Of the cottops will
make the shirt waist Of the season very
the pinks and blues, but the most brilliant
lemons and greens, are being made'up with
white collars and cuffs generality. TO pre-
vent the ugly gap usually showing below the
cuff where the opening comes in the sleeve
the new sleeves have the circular opening
at the wrist end made somewhat full, In
stead of plain with slit. The cuff does not
then go quite round, and the space that Is
left makes, when the cuff is buttoned,
little sem-circle that does not gap or show
the cuff and held firmly.
wonderfully beautiful gown made re-
Gently for Comtesse Jacque de Pourtales had
petticoat OF ivory brocaded satin, with
gold threads coming to the surface. here and
there as if quilted in by hand The bodice
had a very long point in front and
a short one behind and the sides
and back of the skirt were OF
delicate new willow shoot green.
The green skirt which disclosed an
inverted V front OF the pettcoat fell in soft
folds and was draped enough on the hips to
give paner effect just under the arms.
but not in front of the hips, as do the draped
paniers put on separately as on the gown
described above seen at Nine dc Nerviles.
There were shcrt sleeve puffs in the green
gown, and the square neck was outlined by
a deep bertha of point lace shaped in the
weaving to give q plain upper edge and a
slight fulness below. The stomacher Of
the bodice was Of the gold broche satin and
some Of the motifs in the lace were picked
out by hand with grecl silk The coloring
and materials were all racst beautiful