The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-14
FOR FEMININE READERS
FASHIONS FOR THE SEASON LIKELY
TO CONFLICT IN CHARACTER.
Women suffer in Making After-Din-
ner speeches--A Defect i'm Educa-
tiOnaI Methods-Odds and Ends.


will be a season of conflicting fashions if
the historical revival of dress in the Vic
torian stylav is brought about in accord
ance with the predictions of the authorities
in London, but as Paris, the hub of all things
fashionable. stu takes the lead in matters
of the mode. we may be sure that if ever
the pages of time turned backward
to the ugly skirts and sloping shoulders it
will be a long, gradual and laborious pro-
cess. Women have learned much about
the artistic effect of dress and will not
adopt unbecoming styles with the submits
sive grace of sixty years ago.
However much we may rebel sloping
shoulder effects are 10 be cultivated, if We
can believe the rumcrs. and it all means
that the shoulder seams in our summer
gowns are to be heightened a little. and the
fullness in the sleeves is to droop more
toward the elbow. The really new sleeve
Is tightly fitted, after being either shirred
or tucked. and a small pun epaulet fin
ishes the top. We have not yet become
accustomed to this close model, but whether
we like it or not we must have it. So far
as the new models in skirts have put in
appearance they are distinguished for Va
riety in cut and decoration, but the popular
bell shape. falling in full godets at the
back and fitting closely over the hips,
will not be dropped from the list.
1t is in thin materials that the trimmed
skirt will flourish, and as transparent eff
fects are TO reign supreme this season
trimmings will have a wide fed of useful
ness. Nothing can be prettier than the
new grenadines which are displayed every
where in the shops. in all silk, ali wool and
silk and wool mixed: and in coloring and
patterns there are some novel and striking
designs. Soft shades of red, combined with
black, covering almost entirely u white
ground and shades of blue or white in a
large conventional pattern, are perhaps the
most striking, and then there are all sorts
OF black effects on color and grenadines
woven TO look like lace. In white and pale
colorS there is variety or checks with pin
dots OF silk, or quite plain in basket weave,
like so many of the canvas materials. Can
vas, In all its varying weaves, striped, fig
ared and plain, is decidedly the leading
material in wool for all sorts OF plain and
dressy gowns to be worn in the early spring
and all through the summer. They have
quite superseded the mohairS, which Were
so popular last season, and the only kind
of mohair which is at all fashionable is
very fine and silky quality. Some of the
weayes in canvas are very open In checks
or oval spaces, and there are crinkled silk
stripes clearinghouse patterns in stripes. and
the basket weave, which is extremely pref
ty, besides the plain weave of last season
Other kinds resemble nuns yelling, are
made OF finer threads more closely woven.
and have q hemstitched border over an inch
wide on both edges. Every tint and color
imaginable is to be found in this material.
but pale gray, biscuit color and various
shades of green are the favorite hues
Bareges of the old-fashioned sort, thin
enough to show CLEAN of color through
the meshes, are shown in great variety
and Turkish crepe is another soft, thin
stuff which tempts the purchaser. Crepe
bengaline, a mixture of silk and wool is a
and not to muss, and yet IL has certain
stiffness which makes il stand out i'm pretty
folds. Crepe de chine. soft and lusterless
and spotted with chenille dots will be very
popular for summer gowns. and there are
other thin materials, bordered with colored
silk stripes, which are used especially for
ruffies.
A fashion which Is very popular in Paris
is the checked skirt and jacket of plain
cloth TO match the prevailing color in the
plaid, and the array of fancy checks shown
among the new materials is sufficient PROOF
that they will be popular here. Blue and
white check with a jacket OF plain blue
edged with silver and blue cord and worn
with a white skirt, ma-es cool-looking.
serviceable costume which will be quite
the thing for morning wear en- the first
warm days of spring. Another combination
Is a black and green check with a short,
loose bolero OF black cloth, lined with green
silk and cut out in tabs around the bottom.
and black glace silk vest finely tucked
The revers and collar are covered with
ecru lace.
Tailor-made coats and skirts alike of
cloth, tweed or cheviot are quite as much
worn as ever, and there Is no end of fancy
waists to wear with them. the most pro-
nounced of all being those of bright plaid
silk. made up in the, shirt-waist style Most
cloth skirts are plain, with the exception
OF braid as trimming, but an occasional
one has three tucks directly at the bottom
or trimmed with bias satin folds