Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-13
FOR UP-TO-DATE WOMEN
Timely Hints for Summer Wear in Mourn
ing.
Brussels Net Takes the Place OF
Crepe Veils-LusterIess Fabrics
and India Silks.
peeial Correspondents of The Esenlsg Star.

Special Correspondence of The Esenlag Star
| NEW YORK August II, 1898.
| There has been SO much said of late years
| about more sensible fashions in mourning
| garments that one would almost suppose
| that the custom of wearing black was
| gradually on the wane. Therefore. it is a
| surprise to learn that mourning wells, which
| have been condemned by many physicians
/ as menace to health on account of their
| gloom, are not only worn by widows and
| older women nowadays, but have been
| adopted by young girls who are wearing
| black for parents or relatives near of kin.
| All young women over eighteen now wear
| wells when in deep mourning, if they wish
to conform to the present mode.
| But these wells in summer are not of
heavy English crepe but light and graceful
| affairs OF Brussels net. When worn for par
| ents they are boIdered with English crepe,
about an inch wide, and reach quite to the
| hem of the gown, but for sister or brother
they are without the crepe border and only
| fall to the knees AS rule they are
mounted on small, high bonnets. and when
worn by young women the eonnets are
| usually relieved with white, often being
made of white and black crush roses, or
| of black net and trimmed with lusterless
paillettes truly almost bright looking af
fairs compared with the somber mourning
DOunetS OIL the past. II young women must
wear Veiis or even If 1t is only allowed for
them to do SO, it is well that Dame Fashion
has consented to tighten them, for mourn
| ing on young faces should not last long. 1t
soon, fortunately, disappears from young
care-free hearts, and its outward semblance
should then be modified far as is COM
patible with respect to the dead
Even widows are permitted nowadays by
custom to discard crepe in summer, al
though few of then, have yet adopted the
Brussels net VEIL Their caps show more of
white than ever, and all widows nowadays
wear the white lawn collars and cuffs of
the English mourning garb.
Wells are no longer worn over the face
except at funerals, and the black net face
wells are no longer bordered with crepe
as of yore. Many women in the deepest
mourning have abandoned the face veil
entirely for the summer months, and those
who are obliged to wear them to keep the
hair in place have adopted light tulle,
often bordered by several rows of chenille
dots.
The conventional mourning of a few years
since was so severe and heavy that most
women who were wearing black usually
made it rule to go nowhere in summer
where they would have to go out in black
gown, wells and gloves. Nowadays even
widows wear pure white linen gowns at
home, ami there are many sheer black
lawns. which are quite admissible II one
Is obliged to go from place to place. THESE
thin black goods, taken in conjunction with
a heavy face veil. make mourning less OF
pail during the heat of summer.
Dead Finish Taffeta.
Taffeta silk with dead finish makes
most appropriate and suitable mourning
gowns, but although it is cooler than hem
rietta or bombazine it cannot be consid-
cred light and airy. Many mourning gowns
nowadays display an effect of being trim
med. which, taken in conjunction with the
popular fancy for black and white, makes
it difficult for an onlooker to tell what is
mourning and what is not
Lusterless silks of all kinds are worn,
and lusterless greuadine with thin lining
of black India China silk, or even OF
black lawn, is a very cool gown. Women
in mourning go about so much more nova
days and accept SO many more invitations
that they likely as not to need evening
and dinner gowns, and for this grenadine
is ideal III hot weather. One can always
have two waists to it, low-necked and high
necked, and, If necessary, the same lining
will do for both. For black mourning
gowns with unlined shirred grenadine
sleeves and low-cut lining are en- reggie.
SILK crepe de chine is very popular for
cool and handsome mourning gowns. 1t is
preferable to line all of these gowns with
India or China silk rather than with rust
ling black taffeta.
Unburnshed black poplin although not
as cool as many materials, is still often
made up into gowns for women in mourn
ing. In place of the one virtue of cc0ress,
which it lacks, it has many other excellent
qualities, and it is very smart looking.
Black linen, black lawn and black duck
are all serviceable and comfortable mate
rails for summer gowns. For first mourn
ing or course. they are worn with black
innings, but women in second mourning
have them made up over white under
dresses
Black taffeta silk waists are almost in
valuable when summer comes and one is
oh
on all occasions and always look we'll and
their lack of luster makes them most suit
able for travelling or occasions when one
must De out OF doors for any purpose. such
as business or shopping. Still cooler ard
worn by women who suffer from the heat
are black India silk waists which are nm
lined and usually tucked back and front
IL one is slender, and in the front only if
one is stout.
Black and White Blend.
Except in the first mourning Of widows It
is now quite permissible TO wear white
shirt waists and black skirts, and linen
shirt waists of dead white with white col
lars and ties, or black ties in second mourn
ing, are very much worn. Many women in
mourning wear white lawn shirt waists.
but transparent white goods are not con-
sidered suitable except for second mourn
ing among the punctilious.
Black sailor hats are worn, and with
them may wear a black net veil if
veil is worn at all, but spool silk or chif-
fon wells are not worn. If it IS too hot for
black suede gloves the serviceaS,a but IN
artistic, dull black silk may be worn
White gloves, even in channels are not
worn.
Second mourning has so far ugh.ened
that 1t includes not only black and white
but combinations of them, and delicate
lawns in black and white which give a
gray effect. In fact, in Paris gray Is rec
ognized as a mourning color am many of