Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-06-02
THE SYMBOL OF WOE.
FASHIONS LATEST E0IcTs CONCERN
ING MOURNING GARB.

FASHIONS LATEST EDIcTS CONCERN
ING MOURNING GARB.
It Is No Longer Necessary to Express
Depth of Grief by the Weight of the
Dress, and the Grape Veil May BE Much
Shorter.
copyright. 1898, by American Press Asso-
ciation.1
Mourning gowns are no longer cut on
lines lacking all grace and giving the
beholder the impression of overwhelm-
ing weight of Grape and heavy stuffs as
well as woe. Time was, and not SO very
long ago either, that a widow was al
most lost to view under the voluminous
folds of Courtauld Grape until she look
ed like somber moving monument
shrouded in moonless night.
Now fashion says that while there is
no limit set to the secret tears and sighs
outward show is not so necessary. Nor
is woman obliged by fashion to i'm
molate herself under such a weight of
heavy garments to show her respect for
the dead or her grief and sorrow That
long veil reaching to the floor and hem
med half a yard deep at each end is now
cut shorter, and even for first mourning
it need not reach much below the waist
Perhaps one might feel for the first few
weeks after loss of loved one that
nothing could be heavy and somber
enough to symbolic the sorrow, but the
;rrht tOg L.
little bonnet drags SO terribly that it
soon becomes physical burden almost
beyond belief and it is matter for sin
cere thanktulness that it is no longer
obligatory.
There is new Grape for mourning
purposes, or rather an old one witb
new feature, and that is that the old
Courtauld or English Grape snow made
waterproof i'll some way. j saw a piece
the other day that had been immersed
in pail Of water an hour and when it
was shaken dry there could not be seen
any signs of the water, and put beside
the rest of the piece not particle of
difference could be found. This is a
great boon to those who feel themselves
obliged to wear mourning.
There are three or four kinds of Grape,
but only the English is used as folds
and other trimming on gowns, and it is
also the only kind for mourning wells.
The Italian and other grapes are lighter
and used as shirrings, ruches and such
like purposes but they would be abso-
lutely useless as folds, rolls or other ao-
cepted garnitures..
While wells are shorter, whole dresses
are covered with English Grape. The
underdress or foundation is of silk warp
henrietta cloth, which makes exactly
the right backing for it. It is rich and
lustrous without being too glossy and
has just the requisite frmness and
weight. The Grape is stretched over the
breadths and sewed in with the seams.
The best form is to have the entire dress
covered with the Grape and left other
wise untrimmed.
One such gown was made by a house
where speciality is made of mourning
garments. This has the skirt cut in half
circular form and covered with Grape.
The bodice was close and the Grape
drawn smoothly over it without darts.
One fold was put down the front over
the closing. The sleeves were nearly
tight, with small caps at the top, each
having very narrow ruching of italian
crepe. The English fabric is called
Grape and all the other kinds crepe.
A short cape made OF the henrietta
covered with Grape was made to wear
with this. The collar to the cape was of
the Tudor shape and smoothly covered.
A fold was put ON in front like that on
the front of the waist. Such costume
is intended for the first or deepest
mourning.
For second mourning there is va
riety of materials and many suitable
ways Of making them. There is mo-
hair and wool cloth woven in such
way as to resemble Grape. 1t is firm and
strong and makes useful gowns for hard
service. 1t is made in skirts very often
to wear with different waists, for even
in mourning the blouse and shirt waist
are found.
One very elegant bodice to plain
mohair Grape skirt was made in pointed
basque shape. The sleeves and vest front
were of shirred Italian crepe, and the
bodice was of plain lines of the crepe
laid on from shoulder to point. This
crepe was embroidered with chenille.
Small caps and frills at the wrists were
made of the embroidered crepe.
A blouse was made of black moire
velours, open in front over vest of shir-
red Italian crepe.a There was sort of
revers of china crepe embroidered thick
ly in lusterless floss. A ruff1e of the
same edged the stock collar. A narrow
gathering of Italian crepe was put
around the pointed cuffs and the caps.
It was suitable garment for young
woman in second mourning or home