Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-28
COSTUMES OF SPRING.
THEY ARE IN THE SHOPS NOW
ALL SORTS or CLOTHS.
Killed SKIRTS IN HIGH FAVOR.
NO More Perfectly Plain Garments
Proper Hats and Fashionable
Plumes-The New straws--ReiEn of
the Flounce-HnndI<erch
CCorrespondenee OF the pIsratchN

correspondence or the Dispatch)
NEW YORK, March 27.-Fashion has
taken 10 the shops. for II is spring. and
the spring alluremonts are in evidence.
The popular taste must be even more
critical than usual II something is not
found 20 please. FOR there is such a host
OF pretty things, and quite economical
too. For once the long purse will not
have everything its own way, and those
Of Us with moderate, very moderate. in
comes can wear clothes that are just
as pretty and stylish. 81 not as costly. as
our more fortunate sisters.
Plain cloths and covert coatings stnl
lead the van. 1t seems as If nothing
could be found TO take their places. al
though the dear old blue serge has a
strong hold upon our affections. There
are rivals to these however. in the form
Of canvas and the new variety Of crepe.
The canvas bears a close resemblance IN
point OF texture TO grenadine, and the
modiste who IS up 90 date trims skirts
made Of this material with rows Of rib
bons or little frills set in groups Of three
about the hem and the knees. As for the
crepe, wei. It is worn about the same
way as last year. In fact there is not
enough difference IN style. so far as that
material is concerned, to be worth men
tiOnng.
Here IS a skirt that Is going to become
a oraze-in fact. It already has in
measure-the Killed variety. This skirt
IS vide az the base and narrow up at
the waist. Il possesses very little full
n .l.f.. a.
and very scanty at that 1t is all the
fashion 10 kilt skirts in cloth and In
serge FOR the street and house. and in
satin for evening wear. The craze has
gone so far that killed skirts have really
been made out OF crepe du chine. and on
this skirt were sewn little frills Of lisse
40 5-iDch intervals from hem TO
knees
These are the things that tell us TO
say a good-by 10 the plain sklrt-that is.
the perfectly plain one. il appears to
lie a settled fact that this season even
the simplest OF cloth gowns will show
some decoration. There will be rows Of
braid, a series Of pipings, or, IL nothing
Else, innumerable machine stltchings will
extend their influence 10 a depth OF
shout quarter Of a yard. While there
IS a wide latitude as to shades. the dress
makers say that for the ordinary skirt
NItA NNAkf AAb AAAMhtoL dIt more popular
either IN gray OF in drab. Tho ma
iority OF this seasons coats reach to
the hips. with decorations OF braid. The
coat 90 the waist is favored by many
and really looks well when cut into
very broad tabs fastening over at one
side Of the front with large pointed
reyers. the revers being usually covered
with lace or embroidery in some form.
A black cloth costume with a little coat
rf ha a.,
ing with the revers and collar faced with
lace lined with satin. or some other stuff
Of that sort, and then worn over a waist
coat made OF some pretty light material
The worst OF the popularity OF braid Is
that IL IS likely to make us spend more
money than VIC want 10. Really, though,
] fail 10 recall any fashion. any new one,
that was at the same timS both charming
and cheap. The braiding. rs a rule, needs
expert manipulation The most attract
i've boleros are now to be discovered en-
tirely covered with braidlngs and finish
ed at the neck with a Medioi collar.
have talked Of hounces before, but
81 has become almost an established fact
that fashion IS going back sixty years
in regard 10 these same flohnces. IL looks
very much as II we were going to have
the shoulder scarf and many frilled
skirts with which our eTandmothers man
Beyond question, there VIII be a revival
Of the fully gathered and draped lace
hounces as a trimming for skirts. In
many cases the skirts will be covered
with three deep houDcss, the top one be-
ing lightly gathered at the walst and the
others. OF course. growing wider and
fuller as they near the hem. One cos
tune which / have seen, while, Of course,
very expensive. IS 80 pretty l cannot help
saving a word about Il. It was made
with a glace sink skirt IN q rather bright
shade Of green. the color being most be-
comlngly subdued. however, by the three
founces OF fine cream lace which covered
the silk slip entirely from waist 10 hem.
Each iounca was headed By a small
ruche Of forget-me-nots. and at the waist
there was a very narrow band Of forget
me-not-blue glace ribbon. folded so tna'