The record-union., 1897-03-28

Some of the most attractive toilets
of flowered silk grenadine, French or
candle, India muslin, ETC., are made
with an deliberately trimmed round
waist and a gored skirt, finished with
very deep Spanish f1ounce much wider
on the sides than in front or at the
back The top of the flOunce is finished
with a tiny standing frill produced by
the shirring. The bottom of the fiounce
is either laid in small tuclzs or is fin
ished with a very deep hem.
The hardy Scotch cheviots hold very
favored place this season among pOpu-
lar dress fabrics to be used for cycling,
travelling and walking costumes. The
patterns just opened are very hand
some, some in cream and green, al
mond and brown, etc., others showing
a mixture of fine heather colors, the
surface locking one faint hue at short
distance but showing from three to
five colors on close inspection. This
pretty indistinct mixture gives the pur-
chaser an opportunity to select Ia
vorite color with which to make up
her costume. The wear of a genuine
Scotch cheviot is almost endless, and
for general utility costumes it has only
one very strong rival-English serge
and it ranks we'll with purchasers on
account of its attractive weave and
colorings, and it's most valuable addi-
tional merit of being absolutely water
proof
without seeing it would be absolute
" impossible to gain any real idea Of
the vulgarity in coloring and the ex-
travagance of the vari-colOred trim
mings which characterize the present
display of millinery. The exceptions
are the large picture hats Of black
openwork braid, adorned with dong,
black plumes and toned with some be-
coming color, and the taut black Eng
lish walking hats. The general exhibit
i most glaring and unrefined. Flow
ers. foliage, ribbons Of various widths
and colors, wings, buckles and fancy
pins are literally stacked upon the most
absurdly shaped, coarsely woven
straws. which are the fashionable basis
for profusion, but certainly cannot be
regarded as it's excuse, for the hats
themselves look like gaudy inverted
workbaskets, dyed in the worst possible
shades of red, purple. green, blue and
magenta The upright part of the mar
row crown IS in many cases formed of
bright French gilt openwork basket
braid; the broad brim, for instance, a
vivid red. the fat pancake top of the
Charlotte Russo crown in black or pink.
Then add to this insane-lOoking shape
the conglomeration of garniture above
mentioned, and we have the fOrthcOm-
in or n
see how many sane women viii don this
positively wicked-loOking creation.
Very frequently a towering aigrette Of
flowers add considerably to the already
ridiculous attitude of the hat, a ram
bling conservatory underneath the brim
accentuating still further the senseless
excess of elaboration.
Great favor is shown the double-warp
cashmeres that so closely resemble drap
d'ete. In colored goods the broken
checks with several dyes handsomely
blended seemed to predominate, and
these prove more serviceable than plain
colors for general wear on any fabric
hut serge, which has proved itself to be
the peer of any utility material known.
In finer figured varieties, these corGed
lawns are used for making very pretty
morning dresses, dainty little floral de-
signs being printed upon the repped
surface. 1t is also striped in lovely
contrasts of color, as pink with white
and mauve lilac with cream and sea
green rose and honeysuckle yellow with
reseda. ciel blue with tearose and am
ber brown, etc. French batistes that
are serni-diaphanous and have a silky
lustrous surface are easily mistaken
for India silks, as they are very SINH
larly patterned. Some modistes make
these up over inexpensive silk, while
Others use toile Parisienne dauphine or
plain sateen.
Belts. girdles, very wide centuries.
empire sashes, chatelaines, and every
sort of Eton, Zouave, bolerO and III
garo Jacket will maintain their vogue
during the summer season. There is no
diminution whatever in these dressy
items of the fashionable gown, and
they are as varied in their smart little
fuises as the tops of dress sleeves with
their butterfly draperies, rows of ac-
cordeon- -pleated frills, points, puffs,
slashed effects, epaulets, revers and
innumerable other means of imparting
moderate width to the shoulders, and
so much more becoming to the figure
than the plain fat unadorned coat
sleeve outlining the arm-stout, me-
dium or thin-in severe, uncompromis
ing fashion.
"What is the popular skirt model
is a question never asked by native
fashionable Partisan of her dressmaker
or tailor Each atelier has his or her
own list of models, and each special
manner of making costumes, jackets,
skirts and bodices. Individual require
raents are closely studied, and personal
style. hight, figure and complexion are
considered. A general prevailing eff
feet is of course adhered to by each
designer but in skirts, for instance,
the number of breadths are regulated
by the subject, and the material in
hand, the occasion for its wear, the
style of trimming to be used If TO be
used at ALL ETC., and thus French
gowning is made not only a fine art,