The herald., 1897-08-15
THE WOMAN
OF FASHION.
Trouble Among ClOakmakerS
Over the Length of Next
Seasons Jacket.
BLONDES In BLUE OUT OF DATE
White Winged Hats Ready for Sea-
son When Swallows Home
=. ward Fly.
BLONDES IN BLUE OUT OF DATE

The cloak makers nave had a conven-
tion. The object of the meeting has
nothing to do with strikes or sweat
shops nor anything else of a philan-
thropic nature. The matter to be dis
cussed was the inch on the end of the
winter jacket. This seemingly trivial
subject has assumed an international
Importance from the fact that the
French and the American manufacture
ers cannot agree upon the measure
ments.
There are the "Twenty-four inch-ers"
who represent extreme conservatism,
the 'Thirty inch-ers," or radicals, and
the '"Twenty-s inch-ers' who in
cline to medium ground and are will
ing to compromise. But the extremists
say they will have no compromise, and
as a result there will be absolutely no
correct criterion to go by in the selec-
ton of winter wrap. The manufac-
turers will feel their way very care
fully. testing popular taste until some
accident turns the tide in their favor
and meanwhile all lengths will be in
vogue. Folks who want something diff
ferent from the spring jacket will prefer
the longer wrap, but those who are
compelled to wear the same old coat"
will pray for the continuance of the
bantam jacket until the purse becomes
replenished sufficiently to buy new
one.
The French coats, however, will have
some sort of uniformity about them and
this may be enough of an impetus to set
the fashion in favor of the short coats
for the imported wraps will be of the
twenty-four inch sect.
But why do we talk of coats and such
uncomfortable things in these days of
Sitting in the hammock at a hundred
in the shade"-which is love. by the
way, as the Wizard tells us in his fa-
nous song. Better suited to the season
Is tho subject of loose gowns and fans
with their accompaniment of lemonades
and ices. So far as the gowns are con-
cerned, they are all loose. A tight fitting
dress. or at least one that has the ap-
pearance of being tight would be a GU
riosity this summer. The bodices are
nearly all "pouched" in front and usu-
ally fastened at the side. The fastening
at the side will be emphasized into a
surpice in the autumn, and trimmings
which cross in the front of the bodice
are sure to be very popular. I have seen
several models with lace trimmings
forming a perfect X across the front of
the blouse. Bolero trimmings cross at
the bust line and run up to the shoul-
ders again.
Nevertheless the blouse with bands
of insertion running around horizontally
is still in favor, and for a cool afternoon
gown nothing is prettier or more easily
made.
An ingenious young woman who
makes all her own clothes has lust
finished silk dress which cost her S1.75
in cash. This sounds like a pretty big
story and needs explanation. The cash
was spent for some printed chiffon in a
Persian pattern which had been marked
down to the astonishingly low figure of
twenty-five cents a yard. Seven yards
was sufficient quantity, for the mate
rial was forty-two inches wide. The stuff
was almost as thin as organdy, and was
purchased to wear over a couple OF old
silk gowns which had become shabby.
One of these was pale blue and the
other pink, and she had ribbon to match
each. Around the bottom of the skirt
she sewed a rufIle of cream colored
Valenciennes an inch and a half wide
with band of insertion above it, She
had this lace on an old pink null dress
that was too faded to wear. and besides
trimming the skirt with it she put three
rows across the front of the blouse and
a tiny ruffle OF lace and insertion over
each shoulder. The sleeves were shir-
red down both seams with narrow tucks
and were finished at tine hand with
bands of insertion laid over pink or blue
ribbon (according to the dress she in
tended to wear it with) and little bows.
This costume may sound like the wom-
ans ten-cent cake which was so cheap
because she "had everything in the
house." but every woman knows the
advantage of using up old materials
and bargains" when pocket money is
as scarce as it has been for the past
two years, and there's no false economy
in it either.
White pique is introduced into all
sorts of summer costumes The new
est combination is with red. Red is al
ways picturesque, and with white it is
particularly SO, especially when seen in
the center Of a green lawn or shining
through the vines of a country veran-
da. One such dress has plain, white
pique skirt with a bodice of red denim.
There is narrow yoke of white with a
turn over collar like some Of the linen
ones worn now. The bodice is gathered
on this. and is fastened to one side.
Bands of fine, white braid run across
the front in military fashion and end in
loops that project over the edge.
Hats become more and more winged
as the time approaches when the sum-
mer swallows homeward fly, but the
wings are far from being swallows
wings. They are immense white wings
with numerous points interspersed with
loops and ends of ribbon
Some of the popular actresses at the
few theatres that are kept open all
summer are making strenuous efforts
to introduce the aureole, or harng hat.
1t has some roses under the brim in
front. and if it did not flare so widely
would be almost poke.