The times., 1897-06-06
COMMENCEMENT COSTUMES.
What a Graduating Dress Costs.
How to Make 1t at Home.


the June bride claims u large amount OF
attention. she is SO soon To PASS over tbe
line that she is already reckoned ainong
the married folks. The girl graduate is
Just cow sorely perplexed about TWO very
important questions namely, what she is
going to say ON the day OF her graduation
and what she viii wear when she says It.
She can be as brilliant as her gifts will
permit her to be in the former case, but
good taste forbids any great display of
finery in the latter AT all the great eli
makes in a womaus life contrary to what
might be expected of her proverbial van
ity, she has always avoided any appear
auce OF elaborateness in her dress. White
is invariably chosen for her christening
robe, her graduating dress, for her we'd
ding and for her burial. The christening
robe is usually of lace, the wedding dress
of silk or satin, and the burial robe OF
soft wool; but the graduating dress is
generally something thin and fluffy. Even
a dainty tinted organdy will be allowable,
as something thin and coul has come To be
the chief requisite.
The Vassar girls viii wear organdies
appear TO read their graduating essays
they will wear the conventional white
But when one has decided TO avoid
color in the graduating dress the qnes-
tion is far from settled, for there Is hardly
a known material which does not come in
white.
Good taste and kindness of heart has
gradually ruled out silk, except in rare
cases as lining. There is a great temp
tation 20 make the white organdes over
silk, and some of the Vassar girls expect
to do this, especially where the same dress
is made to do duty for both reception and
graduation.
The silk lining is of course, much more
expensive. as one cannot buy anything
that viii answer the purpose FOR less
than IS cents a yard. new percaline
that is called veneer silk looks Amazingly
like the real thing. 1t has twilled weave
with a fine moire sheen over the surface
which completely deceives the eye VIII.
laid under the yelling of organdy. IL is
% cents yard. Eight yards, the required
amount Cor a dress lining, viii cost 81.
There Is fine quality OF white organiy.
TO be had at 90 cents a yard, which is very
wide. six yards is sufficient for dress
pattern, making So the price of the outer
material. Thus, for So one can get 'he
material and lining for the dress. and
when one has purchased Il piece of Val
enciennes lace containing dozen yards
at 81 so, and OF insertion at the same
10 h.,,. f.r =
Another quality, which is somewhat
cheaper by the yard, but which comes
In single width, is conveniently woven
with a striped torder, that makes pretty
ruffIing 1t is 80 cents yard As the
border runs the entire length OF bo5h
sides, there are twice as many yards Of
ruffling as goods in every dress pat
tern IL requires about ten yards,
which, at SO cents, would amount to
$3.50. Eight yards of very pretty lawn
at IA cents makes d lining that's entirely
suitable, though not elegant. This ma
terial and lining would cost Sf62, and
as it carries its trimming with II, is
much cheaper than that previously re-
ferred To with the percaIine lining. 1t
is the first season this double-bordeIed
white goods has appeared, and 1T sill
plifies the making so greatly that 1t is
sure to be popular. Like SO many things
that have gone before it, this new or
CANDY is called Marie Antoinette.
Althoughit is most important that every
thing about the graduating gown should be
entirely correct, this need not deter anyone
of ordinary skillfrom attempting il at home.
Indeed, experience has taught more than
one unfortunate that the professional dress
maker makes mistakes quite as often in
the manufacture of such a IA occasional gown
as does the amateur. Education and dress
are so far removed from one another in
the mind Of the modiste that she hardly
deems it worth while to make herself CON
versant with the requirements of the
former. | once knew fashionable dress
maker, who could make street gown that
was beyond reproach, and ball dress that
was glorious dream, but when shereceived
an order for a suitable graduating dress,
being give n carte blanche al TO the materials
and trimmings, she purchased the heaviest
OF faille silk, veiled it with silk fish net,
and made it low in the neck and without
sleeves That was her idea of gradual
ing dress. than which nothing could have
been more absurdly unsuitable.
Although in the direction Of elaborate
ness it is easy to become ridiculous, it
is impossible to err on the side of sim
plicity.
One of the simplest and least expen-
sive gowns is made OF organdy with
ruffles of the striped border. The skirt
has three ruffles three inches wide run
ming around the bottom OF the skirt.
The upper part of the bodice is plain
like yoke to the bust line, and below.
instead of putting in darts to make 1t
fit smoothly. it is gathered into narrow
ribbon belt A wide ruffle of the border
is put around the lower edge of the
yoke, bertha fashion. and crossed toward
the right side with large bow of taf
fcta. Mutton leg sleeves have quilting
of lace at the wrist.
Another one, whichis rather more youth
full in ITS style, has it's three skirt ruf.les
about three inches apart, and each one
slightly narrower than the one below 1T.
The bodice has square yoke, which is also
cut square in the neck, though not In the
least decoliette. 1t has d border or soft
putting around the upper and lower edge
of the yoke. The lower part of the bodice
is gathered TO the yoke above, and passes
under crush belt at the waist The sleeves
are tight and short, reaching to the elbow
with ruffle at the bottom, another at the
shoulder and one half way between. This
style OF dress, with its slightly low ucck
andits haif-short sleeves, is entirely within
the bounds of propnety and is extremely
cool and imple. The tight elbow sleeve
with rufrle Trimmings, by the way, a very
pretty summer sleeve, and one which VIII
gain favor as the season progresses.
For those who wish TO combine graduating