Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-03-10
TIGHT SKIRTS AGAIN
QUITE THE REVERSE or DOLLY VAR
DENs, IF YOU PLEASE.
Close. Around the Body and Flaring at
the Bottom Delsertean Experts May
Distinguish Themselves Braid and Lace
Trimmings.
[Copyright, 1895, by the Author.l

copyright, 1895. by the Author.]
1t is but two short weeks ago that we
were grayely told that we might conf
dent.y expect the dainty vatican styles
and that everybody would look like
Dolly Vardens, but now we are as grave
ly informed that the tendency is to have
back the close skirts, not exactly what
was once called the sseelskin," but
skirts entirely tight around the body
and faring at the bottom, though there
will be no stiffening put in the lining.
This will make the skirt fall in many
folds close around the feet, and even
street gowns are to be long enough to
dip" When the regulation number of
narrow rufsies, now thought to be fix
ed fact for the coming season, are ap-
piled the result will be rather cumber-
some and will require some Delsartean
study before all women can be properly
graceful in them.
But just now we may make ourselves
happy with the fiat trimmings permit
ted us. Among these are the braids,
plain and ornamental, the lace applica-
tions and embroidery and the passemen-
terie and galloons. The prettiest effects
are often obtained by the simplest
means. For instance, dark green whip
cord dress was made very beautiful by
having four rows of half inch hercules
braid sewed around the skirt, then one
row in up and down design, with picot
loops of narrower braid on the upper
edge. The blouse was laid in tucks and
had barring of black velvet ribbon
around the bust and in form Of bre-
telles. This was overlaid with pretty
design of picot looping done in fine black
soutaebe. The barring gave square
neck effect, and this was filled in by
ivory white bengaline, which made a
stock collar. This is quite novel fancy,
but is wrought out in many other cases.
The neck of a blouse or gown is cut
away and the space filled in with some
contrasting color or material to give a
turtle neck'' effect 1t is generally
more striking than beautiful. The
blouse waists open i'll front sometimes
over two blouses or vests. These always
differ in color and material with the
body of the garment. Braid with double
picot edges makes stylish and handsome
trimming to almost any gown A neat
design had velvet yoke and double fold
down the front outlined with this double
edged braid Sometimes it is produced
in gold braid, but most often in mohair.
1t is thought that braiding will be very
fashionable at least until next fall.
Next to braiding in all its varieties
come the fiat laces. These are applied
more lavishly than laoes ever were be-
fore. Some of the new silk gowns have
five and six narrow ruff1es on the bias.
Each of these is overlaid with row of
some kind of lace. There is new imi-
tation duchesse which is very effective
Valenciennes is favorite, though it is
better adapted to the thin goods now
being made up SO rapidly.
The new bareges are very dainty and
as if they were not in themselves enough
they are mingled with other ideas until
one scarcely knows what to call them.
The colors are usually light and neu-
tral, SO that whatever other color may
be added to them it shows up we'll.
Some of the light ashen gray bareges
have stripes Of blue, lilac, rose green or
other color. These are tucked so that
each tuck stands out boldly. Black with
these tucked stripes makes beautiful
gowns. There are woolen canvases with
dark or black ground with silk swivel
dots in bright colors. This is very strik-
ing.
A new plaid is made in a transparent
silk fabric. 1t is called the "duneen, +"
though the designs are very little differ
ent from those in the poplins and other
stuffs. Green and blue plaids with but
few lines of other colors are very new
and equally pretty. In some of these
plaids there may be seen two or three