The herald., 1897-11-21
What q Clever Woman
Can Do
SMART FRocKs BY MAGIC
TO RENovATE A PEARL GREY
SATIN COSTUME
Livening Up Worn-Out Velvets-An
Up-to-Date Way Of Arranging
Skirts-Sleevesf for Evening

NEW YORK, Nov. 16.-(Special Cor
respondence to The Herald.) Now that
the chief brightness and amusement of
the season for those whose lot is cast
in cities is from dinner time onward.
the question of dress is much directed
to that of evening wear. Many thoughts
will be devoted to doing up" last years
gowns, which in many cases will not
be at all difficult. 1t is subject which
is we'll worth study, as many women
will, by putting it in practice, make their
present supply Of evening frocks last
them until the beginning of next season,
and will yet appear to have started
completely new outfit.
A plain white satin dress which has
braved the crush and soil of many func-
tionS may now, with small outlay or
money, some thought and work. make a
re-entree in quite fresh guise. First
of all, the trimmings must be removed
Then 1 would suggest operating on the
surface of the satin with some bread
damped and put into the oven. A light
deft rub all over with the GRUMPY por-
ton of this will remove the more az
gressive part of the soil, and If the satin
be a good one-and here let me say that
the dearest fabric ever purchased is bad
satin-there will be no ill-effect from
crush which cannot be removed by
ironing lightly on the wrong side. The
next thing to be decided is what col
ored yelling will best suit the wearers
complexion and best hide any marks
that will continue to cling with unde-
= 10 GhannN 4
saw one gown veiled with red net, the
color of the petals of a geranium. and
the effect was excellent. What is very
up-to-date is to have this over-dress
open at one side, showing the white
satin below. OF course some trimming
down this part of the gown is a neces-
sity.
A few bouquets of fvelvet-petaled scar
let geraniums taken to pieces and sewn
up either side of the net at the opening
make a pretty floral finish. Another
way to arrange is to border the SIDES
with red satin or velvet ribbon and to
sew silver sequins OF ruby heads over 1t,
while with little further expenditure
of time q design in this effective glitter
NAV be continued over the front, even
if it be but a series Of graduated lines.
The back draping of the net must be
arranged similarly to that of the satin
The bodice is the chief difficulty, because
the newest idea Is an adaptation OF the
ubiquitous Russian bodice with fulness
brought to the waist back and front. To
do this without clumsy appearance re-
auires not only skill but experience, be-
cause everywhere else the net must fit,
not tightly, but exactly, but without
fullness. The net, too, must be embroid-
cred before it is used. The dress whlch
l saw was done with geranium net,
wrought over in undulating lines round
the figure with silver and ruby jeweling.
1t had a little full vest of crepe de chine,
and at the back there was no fulness,
Int the folds were drawn down under
folded red crepe de chine sash, which fell
at one side in long ends prettily fringed-
This looked very nice and very smart
and was much more easily manipulated
at home than a Russian bodice yelling
would have been. Chiffon is used as a
yelling, also India muslins and gauZe,
but round meshed net is the smarter and
newer looking fabric. while it goes
better with velvet-a material always
more or less in request for trimming
winter evening gowns.
There is no reason why woman who
IS a clever coorist should not exercise
her talent on making new gowns of old.
Indeed, there is every reason why she
should. since it is to her that the larger
measure of success is sure to fall. Iake'
for instance, pearl-grey satin frock, or
one of cream colOred SILK or SATIN, Wnlch
are things that most women possess. 1t
could be yelled with emerald green net
and have round the waist deep sash OF
male sky-blue miroir velvet, and epau-
let's to correspond, fringed with forget
me-nots. Suppose that black satin or
hroche evening dress is the subject in
hand, as it so frequently is suppose, al
so. that the satin or broche has unmis-
takably seen much service, and that its
Nyearer has q truly womanly desire to
leek smart and we'll in it once again.
Some women would pass it by with
hopeless sigh; others would hopefully
don considering cap, and be sure some
hing would be evolved from the pro-
ceedng. The skirt would possibly re-
auire remaking, for l want to regard TINS
patent as very far gone. 1t would be
Well to sponge it, when ripped, with
weak, cold tea, and iron it, with not too
hot an iron, on the wrong side. An over
dress of black chenille spotted net would
hn the smartest but there is a great
choice in yelling materials. Round the
.,kirt, above the hem, from the knees
down. bands of bright orange satin rib
bon might be run on inside the net, grad
uated in width, the wider at the top,
and these edged with tiny frills of black
Nalenciennes lace run on the outside OF
the net. The same idea could we'll be
repeated on a rather full over-bodice Of
net, drawn down into a shaped belt of
deep orange velvet. Orange velvet tabs
turned over, like reVers, down the left
side of the bodice, and edged with mar
row pulled-on black Nalenciennes lace.
would, / think, make a very striking
looking evening dress out of this old
friend.
A velvet dress that has seen much ser
vice and been professionally renovated
and reworn. cannot be set up again in
life in it's whole state. There are how
ever, portions of it which will be found
very useful in regererating other dresses,
and for this purpose the velvet robe
must be ruthlessly invaded by the scis-
sors II is q subject for operation be-
cause there is nothing more dilapidated
looking than shabby velvet; nothing that
so hopelcssly advertiscs having seen it's
best days as pile that is no longer rich
and immaculate. Suppose, however,
that you can get out Of dear old gown