Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-27


my friend, ia disconnected accents. .'sure-
ly, you can suggest something's" For the
moment l was nonpiussed. There the
blouse lay. IN Its neat box. surrounded by
tissue paper. the winter sunshine catch
ing the folds and turning the deep sap
phirc Of It's hue 10 an indescfbably lovely
color and there we stood and looked at
each other. Then a sudden thought
seized me. In the twinkling of an eye
! had that coat out of fits box and ex-
amined IL, my friend waiting breath
ly mean while. II have IT, L exclaimed
excItedy. What you think 1t can be al
tered. be made really presentable, and up
to-date, and all the rest Of IT. Oh, you
dear thing"
As / am morally certain that a fair
proportion of my readers have. tempted
by the absurd prices at which these Rus
sian coats were offered at the recent
sales done the same thing I will explain
now we brought that blouse up to the
mark, at a cost that was absolutely
nil To begin with 1t opened I'm front
somewhat I'm the shape OF V, disclosing
the dress bodice. On either side were the
large revers before spoken Of One good
point II had in its favor. and that was.
that the back. instead of pouching in the
usual way. was plain and tight fit
ting. An ordinary coat-back, in fact.
neither more nor less. The sleeves were
the first consideration. These were care
fully unpicked, and then steamed. in or
der that all marks OF stitching etc,
should be oblterated AS 1 have said.
they were amply full. and the dress
maker. whose professional aid we called
In, found no difficulty in constructing
from them the small coat-sleeve which
fashion now DEGREES must be worn by all
women aiming TO be considered well
dressed. Then came the greatest diff
Guilty Of all-that pouch what was to be
done with II, and what ultimate shape
should the coat assume?
A HAPPY IDEA.
All at once 1 bethought myself OF
model which described at some length
In a recent article. The coat in question,
was cut exactly like an Eton in front,
and at the back had the tiniest and
smartest of basques. extending Just to
the hips. lmprimis, we ruthlessly cut off
the basque of our blouse TO past the hip
line. Then. having undone the gathers
my friend donned her "bargain," and the
dressmaker, acting under my directions.
and with a patience that was little short
OF marvellous. pinned and pinned and
Strengthened and smoothed until that
pouch was merged into as neat and tight
fitting a little garment as the heart Of
woman could desire. The basque was
box-pleated over at the back till II be-
came quite as jaunty as its Viennese
prototype The revers we left untouched,
for they added both grace and distinction
to the erstwhile despised coatee. The
scraps of velvet remaining from the
sleeves were cunningly Joined together
and then covered with some old, rather
coarse. point lace. Thus utilized, they
formed vest 10 MI up the V-shaped
space between the revers. In the place
OF a collar-band-for which there was no
place, by the wayne stitched to the top
OF the vest a big cravatte-like bow OF
accordion -pleated white silk. The sleeves
were replaced. and when finished. / am
bound TO declare that no one would have
guessed the pouched and altogether baggy
origin Of that glorlfed Etonesque gar
ment. But I don't think my friend will
rashly indulge In demode models In n
hurry again.
This Is a hint for those who own cloth
blouses. not too heavy for spring wear.