The San Francisco call., 1898-03-20

@F Special from New York to The Call
 HE spring girl of '9S has an en-
 tirely new shape.
 Her tailor-nade gown is cut to
 S show every curve of her figure.
 She has given up flowing draperies
 Full skirts and puffed sleeves are now things of the past.
 The slender woman is in despair. It is the plump girl who is in fashion.
 Padding has become an art. Figures are made to order to show to advantage the gown, as well as gowns are made to 1t the figure.
 The new skirt of the tailor made gown IS conspicuous. It bears striking re- sembiance to the pull-back skirt worn about hfteen years ago. It requires prac- tice to walk with grace and ease when wearing 1t. It is fitted this year to the hgure with the same care as the bodice. It must fit the hips without the sugges- ton of wrinkle, and must really cling 10 the figure until the knees are reached If 1t aims to be in the very latest fashion. most elaborately trimmed and frequent ly IS finished with a small accordion plaited ruffie. For frequently this skirt lining takes the place of silk petticoat. The tailor-made girl cannot wear petti- coats if she wishes to be strictly up to date this year. Petucoats tend to hide the symmetry of the figure, and she
 With her new tailor gown the spring girl wears-what do you think ?-bloom- CTS. But not the baggy bloomers of the bicycle girl. Oh, dear no; but almost tight-fitting black satin boomers And for comfort in walking there is nothing in the world to equal them.
 The young person who cannot anoro 70 have her bloomers made of black satin may have them of French flannel light weight serge, or brilliantine. But Tn one ne thing this year she cannot afford 10 pc economical if she hopes to be consldereo really fashionable. She must no longer buy cheap taffeta silk for her skirt lin- ing. Silk which ruStles is no longer the vogue. It has become too common. The high-priced taffetas and the soft silks, which have a delightful swish about them, but no suggestion of rustling, are now the proper thing for Things.
 Of course it isn't every girl who will care to adopt this new and startling fashion of tie tight-ftting skirt. but no matter how she may change it to suit her own particular views she will make her skirt fits tightly across her hips and at least for few inches below them.
 To carry out the fashionable figure the corSets are now made with the bust somewhat higher than it was six months ago. But the straight front IS still in demand. AS for the sleeve 1t must be clinging, like the rest Of the costume. It must fit to show perfectly the shape of the arm AS a substitute for the full sleeve with the generous puff it Is a total failure. Not even the women with well-developed, beautiful arms look upon it with favor. And as for the thin-armed Sisterhood, they weep with one accord at even the thought of it. The good old puffed sleeve has surely died hard.
 Besides the new sleeve being tight fit ting, it is extremely and somewhat un- comfortably long, the pointed puff not unfreQuently reaching over the knuckles. Even the sleeves of the new coat, which have no fancy cuffs, are much longer than they were last year.
 When the girl with the new figure ap- pears on the avenue in her new tailor made gown, she must wear a hat tilted well over her forehead. Of course, this Is her spring hat, and it must be of straw or straw and chenille combined. The fa- vorite shape turns up abruptly at the back, and is trimmed with ribbon loops to give a broad effect. In many of the new spring, hats, the trimming appears to be massed at the back. The back view of a spring hat for the season of '9S is curious ly much more remarkable and effective than the front.
 There are any number of novelties dis played in the shops just now to tempt the tailor-made girl. There are masculine looking vests in plenty, some made of pique and others in fancy cloths, and there are the ribbed silk and satin vests Below the knees the skirt flares a trifle in order that walking may be made a possibility. It is to the lining of this skirt that much of it's clinging effect is due. The lining is made separately from the skirt In fact, 1t is attached to it only at the waistband, and is fitted as carefully over the hips as the skirt proper. The bot tom of the lining of the skirt is often for the young person who can afford