Evening star., 1897-01-16
EVENING DRESS PROBLEMS
Some of the Latest DEGREES Issued by Dame
Fashion.
Nearly All the Summer Goods Arc
Figured-Imftation Pearls Used
in Beaded Trimmings.

Copyright, 1897 by the Bacheller Syndicate.)
Aside from its use as a robe for the So
ciety novitiate white is extremely fashion
able for all sorts of evening dresses. 1t Is
not SO very long since Miss Virginia Fair
appeared at a reception of her compeers
in white satin relieved by brilliant red
roses, for red is also very much In favor Tor
ball room wear. Garlands Of red roses are
used as the apparent support for those bod
ices that stop under the arms, of which, by
the way, there are rot so many this season
as last Not that the society girl has gone
back to the old fashion of breaking the
line of beauty from the ear to the tip of
the shoulder, but the decolletage Is simply
made higher. A dress can be made so as
almost to conceal the collar bone and yet
at the same time reveal the slope Of the
shoulders-that is If they do not slope too
much
An ingenious device which I have seen
used by a thin damsel to cover up that OBJ
1ectionable collar bone was band of pearl
strands put on in the form of necklace
Instead of being clasped tight around the
neck this necklace was fastened 10 the
gown at the tip of each shoulder and
stretched tight across. Any one who cares
to try the experiment to see whether such
a necklace would be of service, may take
stout string a ribbon about an inch
wide, and fastening the ends together slip
1t over the head and Stretch IL ugnt from
shoulder 20 shoulder.
Bands CT six pearl strands caught to-
gether at intervals with a gold mounted
miniature are very fashionable now, and
they will be found extremely useful as
we'll as ornamental for the purpose just
mentioned. or course they are not real
pearls. but in this day of barbaric gems in
colored glass what matters that? great
many such necklaces were utilized as
Christmas presents, and the happy recip-
tents have been wearing them around the
collars of their tailor-made gowns, but in
this new capacity they will be found more
useful than ever.
The low shoulder is still preferred to the
square neck especially for young girls, be-
cause it is more modest and usually more
becoming.
sleeves Still Worn.
Sleeves have not yet vanished from the
evening gown. They generally consist of
small puffs trimmed with whatever orna-
mentation has been used on the remainder
Of the dress. An evening dress of light
blue mousseline which is trimmed with
rows of black velvet ribbon has its sleeve
puffs finished with a ribbon trimmed
f1ounce that passes around the arm at the
lower edge of the puff and then runs up
double on the outside of the sleeve This
dress has five rows of half-inch black vel
vet around the bottom of the skirt with
three rows of two bands each set on al in
tervalS of eight inches running around the
skirt above There is a girdle of six rows
of ribbcn fastened a little to the left side
with two large velvet rosettes. The bodice
is trimmed with bands running around I'm
a similar manner, and a wreath of flowers
relieves the plainness of the square neck
Nothing is more distinctive of the sea-
sons fashions in evening gowns than the
extravagant use of flowers as trimming
One is perfectly safe in putting floral
touch upon any gown no matter what other
trimming may have been used Flowers
are especially popular in combination with
tulle or white satin.
Plain white satin is considered too old
for debutaEte, but when 1t is yelled with
tulle or mousseline it is in high favor,
White taffeta silk may take its place as