The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-26
FOR FEMININE READERS
TT SHALL BIZ" Is FASHIONS DE-
CREE AS TO THE EASTER HAT.
Training of the Little Boy.

1t is red straws that would seem to indi-
cate the direction of the s~artorial spring
wind. says the New York Times. Not alone
does this apply to the foundations of the
milliner's art. which lie hidden like the
heart OF a coal in ashes. in a great white
box in the depth of some exclusive shop.
wound round with its scarf of tulle. like a
sunset mist. or spikes OF scarlet flowers.
waiting for an Easter wind to blow it into
flame. This vivid color threatens to run
into gowns and all the accessories of a
toilet. So generally have the forerunners
of summer styles been tinted with red that
the exclusive ones have already begun to
hint at the other extreme of quiet gray in
their costumes.
The perplexity which the offer of red in
wholesale splendor occasions is not TO be
compared. however. with that which comes
from the proposition TO introduce the Pc
culiarities of the dress of sixty years ago.
The woman who studies some of the maga-
zines which guided her grandmother. and
assuming in her imagination some of the
gowns of those women with neatly folded
hands, dainty square toes and apparently
dislocated necks, tries 10 adjust them be-
comingly 10 herself. has an unenviable task.
Not even the most ardent admirer of Queen
Victoria would willingly accept some of the
fashions of the year which the jubilee is
meant TO recall. Only the more memorable
mandate of that more universally auto
cratic old lady could make her adopt the
great Dubious looking skirts which swell
out according to the old fashion plates) so
courageously from the waist and fall in so
Imply around the feet. Still, some of the
features of those dresses have asserted
themselves in the making of the spring
gowns. The shoulder seams are longer.
giving the sloping effect to the shoulders
which is a distinctive characteristic of the
Victorian style. and the sleeves show a de-
cided tendency to grow bigger downward"
like Holiness Strawberries. This appear
ance is sometimes acquired by setting a
little cap of ruff1es so that they flare below
the curve of the shoulder. or by taking the
perkiness, and. incidentally, the crinoline,
from the erstwhile aggressive puffS which
graced the upper part of the sleeve.
Another Victorian fashion which has
found its way into the dresses of thin ma
terial for both spring and summer is the
many-ruffied skirt. The original rufffes
often had their edges pinked In saw-tooth
ference made the skirt look like a Brob-
dingnaggian carnation. The recent adapta-
tons have softened the effect by using
edges of narrow lace or rows of lace inser-
ton above the narrow hens.
Lace insertions will also be used very ex-
tensively on the bodices of the summer
gowns. Some of the models have the ac-
cordion-plaited fullness in the waists of
lawn. organdie and muslins transversed
horizontally with lines of the insertion.
These laces are i'm black. cream or white.
In the same way the insertions are let into
the close-htting sleeves transverSely, thus
apparently helping TO modify the inevitable
snugness which every woman realizes must
characterize that feature of her gown. Tn
small puff or the epaulette of ruff1es or
loosely-looped bows which ornament the
spring gowns is only the last reluctant COM
promise on the part of fashion to the wom-
an to whom the radical tendency in sleeves
80, 20 lAnx 40 tbAt,, anE+ nrab ~ rFn CEf ~ oil
bare.
The same trimming off of s%uperfiuous
cloth seems to extend to the skirts as well.
for. although the model skirts are as di-
verse in cut as in Materials, and though the
full godets at the back are still a feature,
the con%VolutionS which radiated Starlike
around the feet of the wearer last year are
no more seen. The bell shape, fitting close
ly around the hips and falling in full folds
at the back. is the general plan of the skirt,
and the variations depend upon slight de
v~iations from these general lines and upon
the decorations. The trimmed skirts are
found principally made of summer ma
terials. Not only are these ruffied rife in
this direction, but the entire skirt is often
accordion-plaited. The grenadines and some
of the thinner materials among the spring
goods are treated in this way. but it is I'm
the sheer fabrics. the ~organdies. lawns and
thin muslins that this style becomes women
of every stature, and is in itself most be-
witching. Lightweight satin Is also used
i'm this way both for dress skirts and under
skirts. For these accordion-plaited skirts
as well as those made of small rutfies of
knife plating a novel finish is "A series of
rows of very narrow velvet ribbon at the
edge of the killing. This finish is applied
alike to the silks and grenadines as to the
organizes and lawns. and is extremely eff
~fective. Sometimes the lawn plaitings are
finished with appliqued bands of narrow.
fine lace or insertion. Some of the bodices
of these dresses have the full blouse fronts
made even fuller and more ornate by the
application of croswise bows of these tiny
knife plaitings, frequently headed by bands
of the insertion. AS TO color, the geranium
pinksa and scarlets in all their vividness will
be used as much as possible. while the vio-
LET shades will be accorded as much favor
as is given to violet cloths for spring wear.
The more conservative. however, will con-
tent themselves with summer dresses whose
groundwork is the less audaciouS gray.
cream. white and mauve, only plentifully
sprinkled with v~iolets, pansies and geran-
iumS.