The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-05-29
ideas tor dMomen.

sAauuatuh gowns begins to be discussed
py the young girls who are to graduate
IA June, and there seems to be Just as
much care taken with these gowns as
with wedding gowns. There are several
points of resemblance between the two
80 the girlssclaim. First and
Wnlte is the color always chosen, and
theh, too, all the accessories of the cos
tpme have to be just as. carefully con-
slaered ana arranged for this most inn
portant event for a wedding.
OF late years.. however, there is not
SO much monotony in graduation gowns,
no single material is pronounced to be
the only one, and the monotony of all
white is relieved by different sashes and
ribbon trimmings. OF course all the
ribbons are the same color. This inno-
walton is decidedly an Improvement, for
a lot of white gowns, all made exactly
alike and with no touches of color. are
~singuiarly effective.
AS the graduation season falls in warm
weather, muslin costumes are possible,
and extremely pretty and effective are
some of this seasons styles. To one who
does not understand the mysteries of
dress a white muslin gown is always a
white muslin gown, but to those who
do understand the shibboleth of fashion
there is a great difference every year.
This year the skirts are not so widely
measnrement-but the effect is the same,
owing to the modes of trimming. They
still are fitted with great care as to
the front and side breadths, and the
fullness of the back breadths is still
gathered into a small space just at the
back, but the gathers are further apart
and deeper. Some skirts have a narrow
front breadth and broad circular sides;
others, and these the most becoming, are
made with seven or nine cores, and
kare out at the bottom of the skirt in
almost an exaggerated style.
*
The trimming is put on in many diff
ferent ways. The latest fad is a coll
lection of ruffles an inch wide, hemmed
at either edge, and put on to look like a
ruching. with the stitching directly in
the centre. They are massed in clusters
of three or four, one cluster at the very
foot, and the others at regular intervals
to the waist. Inside the hem is a full
double ruffle. which, of course, makes
the skirts stand out more than ever,
and on the underskirt are several narrow
ruffles, according to "Harper's Bazaar"
All the muslin gowns are made without
1ltil4t5S. dAQ - HOlA otCl AlC dNl
slips. which add greatly to their cool,
light appearance, and even when a silk
slip is used the lawn slip is put over it,
SO as to keep up the airy effect. 1t is
needless to state that all these small
ruffles mean a great deal of work. For
t~unately there is nc rule that they shall
be sewed by hand, for machine stitching
in these days is fine enough to satisfy
the most fastidious.
The waist of the gown has no lace nor
embroidery, but is trimmed with ruffles
like those on the skirt, put on across
the waist and on the sleeves. which are
nearly tight-htting. and finished at the
top with capes edged with the same
ruffIes. yTasls -as
A smart design is of fine white or
candle. the skirt trimmed with flounces
edged with lace; the fiounces,exten from
the waist to the foot of the skirt, and are
On graduated width The objection
against this design for a graduation gown
is that founce are not becoming TO all
figures, and in a class where there are
girls of different sizes it is better to
choose what is suitable for all. The
waist of this particular design has a
ertfa made of a ruffle of the o1gandie
dyed with lace.
Dotted muslins are always effective,
ana can be made UP quite simply. A
seven or n~ine-gored skirt, trimmed with
a cluster of narrow ruffles at the foot of
the skirt, eack ruffle edged with Val
enciennes lace, is a good model to fol-
low, the waist made with entre-deux of
the lace horizontally arranged, and fin
ished with belt and long round ends of
silk edged with narrow lace, the sleeves
~<rorpo rsthH ofro-da,tvz of 1ao p,,ffad
at the shoulder and finished at the band
with lace-edged ruffles.
So
Tucks are again in fashion, both mar
row and wide ones. One style of gown
is tucked from belt to hem, and the en-
tire waist also is tucked TO correspond
sleeves and all. This is exceedingly
smart. but comes under the same diff
Guilty as the bounced skirt-that it is not
becoming to all figures. Clusters of tiny
tucks put between entPe-deux of lace as
embroidery do not interfere so much
with the long lines. and a very charming
gown is made with three bands of lace
insertion, and tiny tucks innumerable at
equal intervals all up the skirt. The
waist has a blouse effect at the lower
part. but the GROWING touch is the
wide. square collar. which extends over
the sleeves and yoke. This collar is
tucked and inserted like the skirt. and is
edged with narrow lace; the sleeves are
tucked and have entire deux of lace put
in 1engthwise, with quite a large puff at
the top. which helps to keep out the col
lar.
Where strict economy has to be con-
suited, picturesque but simple gowns can
be made of white lawn, the skirt trimmed
with one full ruche, edged ON either side
with narrow Valenciennes lace Limitation
and cheap, the waist in surplus folds,
with just an edge of lace at the neck
and sleeves. A ribbon sash of taffeta
not more than a finger wide is all that
is needed to complete the gown.
India silk makes a pretty, a smart, and
a very cool costume, and one that is
quite youthful in appearance if of simple
design.
Of course in different institutions the
girls have their own peculiar fancies. An
entire class will prefer to be gowned in
silk, deliberately made. with a band of
ribbon. the class colors, drawn diagon-
ally across the bust. Inexpensive silks
are to be found this summer. so that the
relative cost over muslin is not really
alarming.
Serge and canvas gowns are trimmed
with hands of narrow silk ribbon. and