The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-01
!. SMITH, City Clerk.
THE FASHIONS.
Attest:


THE FASHIONS.
Instructive Notes on the Subject of wom-
ans Dress
Unquestionably this is q period of
extremes. While we may not be will
ing at once to accept all of the eccen-
tricities sent to US from London and
Paris, it is fact that we cannot but
admit that after q time we quietly
wheel into line, and the first thing
anybody knows, are gently sailing
along in the wake of these cities, copy
ing their models, perhaps with little
grain of reserve. but eventually COM
ing up in tolerabiy fine style to the de-
signs that they have furnished us.
1t seems little strange, and to con-
sentative minds little shocking, that
English Grape, the heavy and somber
attire of first mourning. should have
become almost fad with Partisan de-
signers. But such Is the case. and
Grape will be worn, whether we like Ii
or not, to an extent never before
known in this or any other country.
Entire dresses are to be made of it;
long wraps are all of Grape; the veil
that barely escapes the floor is to be
the popular style. and paeitings, ruch-
ings, rufies and trimmings of Grape
are to be worn In the greatest pro-
fusion, even on some of the first
mourning dresses for others than
widows The regulation widows
costume is composed almost en-
tirely Of this material A Paris outfit
that was pronounced absolutely fault
less was made for a widow, an extrav-
agantIy beautiful woman, by the way.
and one who fipds almost any material
she wears extremely becoming. The
dress, with a very wide skirt, Is Of lus-
teriess silk entirely Grape covered. II
is without trimming of any sort The
waist is made In the prevailing short
basque fashion, and has wide revars
turning back from a vest of plated
Grape. The sleeves Gre large lego
mutton and plain. The neck Is fin
ished by a tiny ruche. The bonnet is
merely foundation for the vail and
the white ruche that is again in the
height of fashion. The veil, which is
fastened with crape-covered pins, is
long, indeed could not be longer with.
out sweeping the floor. The long
wrap is one of the notable features in
modern mourning. 1t is in modified
ulster shape of silk with the Grape
over. With the exception of the cloak
lining, no other material than the
Grape is visible in the entire costume.
The cloak is double breasted and has
very wide revers, large sleeves and the
shoulder and collar
ruffles of Grape with a silk lining and
rome sort of stiffening that makes it
stand mp. almost concealing the throat
All in all, this is one of the most re-
markable of the seasons mourning or
Gers, remarka BILE in that it is said TO
be type of what we may expect in the
near future.
Indeed, the crape-surfaccd fad has
almost run its course in everything
colored. Why not transfer it TO one of
the most elegant of fabrics. the Grape
used for mourning attire2
Among the caprices of the moment
il the use of white Grape. the identical
fabric with the black save the color.
At private wedding in a noble fam
ily, where bereavement was recent,
the sisters of the bride wore white
Grape costumes and violets- The fabric
made up in the most exquisite fashion,
aEd the dresses were beautiful almost
beyond imagination. The decorations
on that occasion were almost entirely
of English violets, the brides bouquet
and trimmings being of white, while !
nil of the others were of the ordinary
purple.
And so IL appears that the anti I
societies have utterly failed I
of their purpose, and that fashion is /
even more powerful than theories, pre-
cepss, economy, and the hard and /
work of philanthropists, I
for we are entering upon q crepe sea-
sca that will be elaborate almost be- !
you'd reason, and, like it or not, we I
must aeceptit
But the question arises, Why should /
we object to it? There are those who /
think they cannot wear Grape These
nov leave II alone il they choose
Others do not approve of IL, and no one
c9mpels them to follow the fashion |
Indeed. in this country we all do pref
~ much as we please But whatever
we do. we are quite sure TO smble con-
along on the fashionable
b ighway. and accept as gracefully as
cur circumstances will permit the die
TIM OF the goddess that rulss ths
Y. Ledger.