The Portland daily press., 1898-12-27

sng in an arrow point. the front ones
longer than the others. The waist was
in form of an eton jacket wrought with
the lines, the arrowheads pointing up
ward. There were revers and fiat coat
collar, with vest of green and brown
striped taffeta, with a jabot ruffie of
the same bound along the edge with a
very narrow band Of sealskin. The
sleeves were ornamented with arrow
heads and lines and had daring cuffs.
The rich elegance of this suit can be
understood by reference to the Illus
tration. The suit was worn in the street
without other protection, though SO
near to Christmas, but channels vest
beneath it is the secret of its warmth.
The new mantles and oloaks are the
oldest looking garments. Some of them
are SO shapeless and SO monstrously
overgrown that the wearers look hidden
beneath them, great full cloak reach
ing from head to foot, with COLLAR
standing up in the back of the neck al
most to the top of the high comb and
with perhaps in addition to that ruf1e
around the bottom or down the front.
They are sumptu01s, but not beautiful,
only as far as the beauty of the ma
terial is concerned.
For visiting mantle for a matron
there was very novel shape shown In
one house. The garment appeared to me
to be really cut in one piece from neck
to the bottom, with a serpentine f1ounce
set on so as to encircle the garment at
the elbows The material was cisele
velvet of dark prune, with black fig
ures and few smaller ones of hello
trope. The founce was bound with
black satin pipings The very high
medici collar was covered with tibet,
and two borders were down the front.
Where the founce joined the rest there
was handsome line of black and iri-
descent passementerie altogether su-
perb garment, though rather formal.
As the season advances furs are more
in evidence, and yet they do not seem
to be burden. A few of the large man
ties of which l just spoke are of fur or
lined or bordered with fur or else ruff
fled. Yard long seal capes fitting Close
ly to the shoulders are seen. These are
plain, though with full sweep around
the bottom and with the regulation
storm collar. I saw fur collarette yes
terday of long, fluffy fur which had
been dyed pale pink. 1t was SO odd that
everybody looked at it. Fur toques are
very stylish. saw one made of chin
chilla, crown and band in sort Of bang
ed up turban shape. Around the fur
crown was band Of emerald velvet
and large emerald clasp enciroled with
strass diamonds Starting from under
this were two tall gray ostrich plumes
curling over in opposite directions.
There are many toques, turbans and
capotes of fur. It is very popular,
though liable to produce headache.
The newest IN skirts is that they have
a tendency to ornamentation in deep
soallops. One has an underskirt of
white lace in front over pale pink taffe-
ia. The upper skirt is of silvery gray
brocade cut away in two deep soallops,
ending in demitrain at the back. An
other idea is to have three skirts, the
bottom one like deep founce. The two
above are cut without fullness, but
scalloped up at each side over the
founoe. A bow of velvet ribbon is set
at the apex of each scallop. Others have
variations on the Dewey flounoe. Cen
orally it is turned upside down. All
sorts and shapes of founces are set on
the skirts all over, at the top, middle or
bottom, as the case may be.
For the holiday festivities there are
some marvellous inventions in skirts
with from II to 20 tiny rufdes filling
in the places where the deep scallops are
formed. Peplums and tunics and long
pointed pieces at the sides are elaborate
ly embroidered with ribbon and spar
king beads and spangles
Sleeves are wonders. One was long,
tight sleeve with rundown CAPS and
faring cuffs end with jeweled buttons
all down the outside seam. The top
was not sewed to the waist, but looked
as if it had slid down.
OLIVE HARPER.