The record-union., 1897-03-07

l1E,A
deep centuries. In the back a severe
elegant effect is produced with very
slight decorations on the bodice po--
ton. Every fashionable woman will
count at least one of these dresses
among her new spring wardrobe.
Some seasons ago, a popular lecturer
on THE Fine Art of Dress" gave this
advice: Wear street gowns the color
of your eyes, and evening toilets the tint
of your complexion" AS the majority
of women have either black, brown, or
gray hair, the wisdom and taste of the
advice is apparent as far as street-dress
is concerned. To dress well means to
dress appropriately for each occasion,
and the seasons fresh goods, which
display any number of very rich beauti-
full materials, makes the selection Of
gowns the color of your hair an easy
matter.
Great use will again be made of pretty
checked fabrics in two and three con-
trasting colors and in varied weaves.
The checks vary in pattern from the
head or shepherds weaves to those
from half an inch to an inch and half
wide. These checks appear in faconne
satins, plain and jacquard silks, a great
variety of all-wool fabrics, and in hand
some silk -and-wool goods of both for
eign and domestic manufacture. The
hardy Scotch tweeds in uncommonly
!, fo
place among popular spring textiles.
The materials will be much used for
cycling, shopping, and travling. Some
of the patterns are really handsome,
and all the pretty heather colors, with
several more in addition, are pro-
nounced fast dye. The durability Of
these goods is almost endless, and for
general utility wear they rank fairly
well with English serge, and equally
with cneviot and the cravenettes which,
aside from their own strong merits as
attractive dress goods, have a very
special value in being entirely water
proof.
There are exceedingly pretty all-wool
'fancies" this spring that sell at the
very low price of sixty-five cents a
yard, these in any number of dainty
color blendings. Finely repped woods
forty inches wide are marked at one
dollar. appearing in black and all fash
ionable colors. Beautifully dyed JAG
guard woods forty-two inches wide cost
one dollar also, and the handsome Pris-
ella cloths one dollar and a quarter a
yard These appear in new designs ard
IL
pensive silks contains faconne taffetas,
India twills. figured armure and birds
eye designs, changeableS in new color
blendings, exquisite dyes in revived
crepe de Chine. fiower-strewn India
silks, the patterns including shaded vio-
lets on creamy backgrounds, dogwoOd
bloom and hawthorn sprays on palest
pink surfaces etc; Habutai and Japan
ese silks with Pompadour devices and
Empire garlands. These with the LIZ
erty silks and satins will make most
beautiful tea gowns, demi-dres toilets,
and fancy waists trimmed with wat
cred or plain satin ribbons and the new
exquisite laces Delicate and lovely
tintings prevail among the lighter wool
lens. A few dyes are in somber color
ings, but by far the greater number
have a suggestion of spring sunshine in
the golden sheen which softens their
color and enriches their effect. Still
other patterns are brilliant with glow
of beautiful interviewer Oriental dyes,
effective Persian devices figuring ex-
tensively among these textiles, which
by many are considered the handsom-
est woolens of the season.
A pretty Lenten model for the house
is the Carmelite tea-gown, a most de-
mure and attractive dress of nuns gray
double-faced cashmere and gray corded
silk Folds of the silk hang straight
from throat TO skirt-hem in front but
are held in trinity below the waist by a
pointed girdle of gray silk cord and cut
steel over the shoulder, front and
back. is a yoke to match, laid over pale
mauve silk This handsome yoke holds
a full but very narrow Vatican pleat
at the back. This drapery is of the
cashmere and falls straight, not being
held by the girdle, which goes under
meath the Vatican pleats. The gown
has wide hem at the bottom, a Medici
collar covered with the trimming, and
the Florentine sleeves have a slasned
puff at the top and fit the arm very
snugly. fiaring into an arehed cuff that
is also decorated with the silk cord and
steel garniture. A dainty feature OF
the beautiful gown is the addition to
the front. collar, and wrists of the
sleeves, of frills Of accordion pleated
nun gray chiffon.
One OF the assured survivals of the
past season is the short jacket under
all its shapes and names, the Eton.
Zouave, bolero, Russian Patrol, and the
French Guard, with its gay military
decorations. This diminutive garment
| is eminently dressy and effective and
Will lose none OF its elegance under its
| warm or hotweather guises. Ir
handsome lace, 1t is most dainty and
graceful with full-dress toilet: In vel
vet it vii be quite as popular as during
the winter season, and even more gem
orally worn, for 1t vii accompany many
| elegant outdoor costumes; and on DENT
dress toilets it is made of countless rfe h
and pretty textiles and is as variously
| trimmed 1t is quickly adjusted. and.
| particularly IL OF velvet, it transforms in
a trice a plain, simple bodice into a