The times., 1897-04-04
The
0
Woman of Fashion

The styles of season are never complete
until some means have been devised 10y
which a surplus OF material can be slowed
away without any particular use except TO
look pretty and TO be in fashion In other
words. designers must please the manu-
facturers of Stuffs as well as the women
who are to adopt the costumes designed
When we got rid Of the big sleeve, al
though weSighedatthe parting, weconsoled
ourselves that at least we could get along
without quite so many yards OF goods
as we used to buy. This, however, has been
but short-iived consolation, for the alb
Rence OF material from tie sleeve has been
compensated for ten times over by the adj
vent OF the pleat.
Accordion pleats have invaded every
article ofweamng apparel known towoman.
Starting iHnoCently with dress skirts, they
have progressed through myradS of Capes,
bOdiceS, parasols, and even Jackets, To
the realms OF underwear. one would inn
aEine that pleated underwear would be
rather too bulky FOR comfort; hut the fancy
Is French. and is therefore carried Out in
the daiIticSt OF materials. Nothing butthC
finest hayiste or mule is used. and this is
SO soft and thin that ifit were not pIeated
At would be inadequate protection
The very prettiesU thing n underwear
is the pleated Empire chemSe. 1t is
made 20 wear over the corset, and serves
not only as corset cover but as inside
lining for all sorts of thin dresses,
which in their turn, may very possibly
be pleatei II also serves as a short
pctucoat ana, being pieated, il answers
its purpose better Than tae olC-sashioncd
CbemiSeS with EcaHUier skirts
One OF the prettest patterns / have
seen is made of soft hatiSte pleated onto
O broad band OF heavy lace Insertion,
which serves as yoke There are no
sleeves hut ribbon strap and bows in
stead. by which the corSage may be
raised or lowered, according to the style
OF ones dress Near the bottom OF the
skirt is another hand Of lace insertion,
which is pleated in with the rest OF he
material Acrordion-pleated drawers have
also been designed, which. with the ad-
dition of chemSe and petticoat give one
the appearance of a stage dancer OF the
modern type.
The pleated petticoats are usually pro-
vided with ribbons at the back TO pun he
fulness from the front Both skirt and
drawers are Sewed on narrow yukeS. which
are wider in front. as 10 be smooth
and graceful underneath the dress skirt.
; This style OF underwear is extremely
fluffy and pretty for summer weather.
and win serve to make the thin organ
dies and SwisSes stand out gracefully,
but for ordinary wear it would be very
expensive. Not only would the original
price lie greater than the aver age woman
could spend on underwear, hut what
might he termed Its cumulative cost in
Constantly recurring laundry bills would
break even a moderately well filled purse
ii would be better. then. to avoid pleats
when if comes TO underwear, or at most
tc indulge in but one suit which is kept
for best, and being donned only for state
occasions. it need not make its weekly
risit-to the laundry
Silk skirts have not lost their prestige,
and are being made up in light Colors and
weights for summer wear. A light gray
with A idack stripe in it is very useful
for a summer skirt. IL can be simply
made with one widerurfle. plain or trimmed
with rows Of velvet ribbon
Many of the new skirts are made very
fancy. and are pretty for such as can af-
ford them A description Of some of these
may serve in the way of suggestion To the
ingenious woman who makes her own.
One Of the simplest is made perfectly
plain, without flCunceE of any kind, but
with three rows Of rucfiHg sewed on at
intervals of six inches around the bottom
OF the skirt
Another. Il little more elaborate, is made
or striped silk with a pleated flounce OF
very wide lace reaching up more than
half a yard above the bottom. AT the
head of the flounce is q silk ruching. and
near the top a ribbon ; run through the
Iace-holdng it in place
RuchinG is very much used on the new
skirts and VIII be found less expensive
than lace A pompa dour silk skirt with a
box pleated flOunce has a ruche at the
head Of the flounce and another at the
bottom, which is carried up q few inches
between each pleat
Trimmings Of insertion put on in shape
are very Fashionable. One skirt with a
WIDE flOuCC has two rows OF insertion
put on in zig-zag shape, with the lower
edge cut in points Following the line of
the insertion and trimmed with lace
The really sweet thing 70 have in the