Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-04

, tintings. Lovely clusters OF cimatis are
| made by using ostrich plumage and among
the artificial vines Japanese ivy. Virginia
creeper and the beautiful poison oak are
/ copied.
/ There was hiatus OF many weeks in the
reign OF the sash, but now that sweet "trip
perry has come UP to time with new
method In its wearing. Ever so many
lovely girlisb gowns show two broad bands
OF the heaviest Russian lace or spangled
ribbon edged with tiny muslin founces.
which in turn are edged with narrow dark
velvet ribbon. The two broad bands are
caught in at the shoulder seam, run down
to meet at the waist line and then flow out
to the hem Of the skirt. This Is done
usually at the rear OF the gown, and on
evening and house toilets Independently It
Is very good suggestion to follow in the
| renovation OF an old black silk dress for
| instance. The charm OF the invention is
however, that the arrangement Is Just as ef-
| fectively applied In front II you are slim
enough to stand It.
Lovely Hut Uncomfortable.
| The latest prank in sleeve decoration
and this is a regular find for the woman
whose best dress sleeve is giving away at
the efbow-is to make the arm bag in two
pieces of dametrically different goods and
| colors To be more explicit, II the inside
Of the arm is covered, we will say, with
! black silk the outside half is clothed in
gray renaissance lace, or rucked moss-green
velours antique, or very full-gathered gera-
mum red chiffon. The edges Of the outside
| half always overlap the inner portion,
which is usually kept quite smooth and In a
plain dark color. Frequently a silk or vel
vet sleeve in any solid tint will be thickly
aundu u,ith {ato
half or striped with narrow. perpendicular
| bands Of steel beads, or lace, or ribbon, IL
the sleeve is>a light weight goods.
The acme Of smartness in q collar these
days is to have it iSp the neck close and
high, and the height OF it to be cut In a
series OF points or scallops, 80 that the
face Is held in a fair imitation OF a rose
calyx. Flowering out under your chin you
can have big tulle bow, a wide brooch
OF lace or an eighteenth century cravat
failing to the bust, but the foundation of
the collar is hardly more comfortable than
| a seat in the stocks or the hangmans 8
moose.
! The Question of COrsets.
There is a deal Of bother Just now over
the ever-lively question Of proper corset.
Two seasons ago French dressmakers fatty
| refused to fit any customer save over
corset that was short, low at the bust,
high on the hip and boasting only three
hooks in front. 1t is we'll known fact
that as the body is corseted, so will it
grow, but having introduced the princess
, and polonaise the fiat has gone forth against
| the short corset, and a deal Of suffering
| for the martyred feminine figure Is entailed
| by the present demand that nothing but
long corsets are fit for use.
The short corset has been always a gay
| and very frou-frou article, garnished at top
and bottom with frils Of lace, choux OF
ribbon and laced with wide ribbons. The
new corset gives one a shuddering suggestion
Of a straight-jacket. 1t Is wholly unorna-
mented, Hercely boned. very long on hip
and abdomen. high at the back and laced
with fiat, narrow linen strings. but the
dressmakers say that without 1t no polonaise
or redingote will set decently. Evidently
| there Is not even promised yet relaxa-
tiol from this severity of lacing, for the
most attractive new lounging robes belle
| their titles and are as close fitting as call
ing dresses.
| London Coats.
| Equally smart and uncomfortable are the
breakfast coats that hail from England, and
| that feminine visitors at country houses
| wear to the dining room In the morning.
An elaborate black or colored~ taffeta skirt,
| that smacks very much of the elegant
under-pettlcoat, is worn with the coat that is
cut like a short -skirted polonase, fits close
| behind flares, open in front and shows q
gorgeous lace and ribbon waist coat In any
| pretty color that suits your morning looks
the coat is chosen, and 1t is usually made
Of satin faced cloth. In spite of this
seeming elaboration, it Is on the whole a
gay but informal costume, the neck OF the
waist coat can be a fiat pierrot frill and
there are roomy pockets both for use and
abuse in the front OF the skirts. The taffeta
skirt is sufficiently short to show off smart
slippers, and the costume Is worn to
| luncheon as we'll.
| Ermine au naturel is less worn this year
than ever and thrifty women have had
their ermine capes. collars and muffs dyed
a rich seal brown. 1t takes this color glor-
iously and now with the new fiat shawl
shaped shoulder pieces, the head of an an
imal when used is arranged to lie fiat on
the back between the shoulders. A head
and pair Of forepaws is the proper trimming
| for the shawl-shaped points, and women
| seem to have tacitly agreed to use only spe-
cfa colors with their favorite furs. Mink Is
| lined and combined with yellow. chinchila
with pale blue. and sable with automobile
red. The black furs are allied most often
with rosy purples and the popular. EN-
phatic blue.
| Decadence has truly laid Its blightng
hand on the body fashionable and one ex-
preston Of great smartness this season is
| to appear In some perfectly new and &C.
centric color. More daring than automobile
red is wasp red and Merrimac. which is no
color at all. but "a wild discord of greens,
blues and yellows an impression in color Of
the explosion In Santiago harbor. Still an
other oddity are bedroom slippers made OF
mole skin with the velvety fur of the little
beast turned outward and tiny diamond bow
| knots on the toe.
A dress all Of chiffon and depending for
| decoration on painted patterns is one of the
costly glories OF a well set-up debutante this
winter, Painted Liberty silk Is another sub
ject for exquisite dressmaking and the cost
Of such gowns is truly fabulous, for both
chiffon and Liberty silk are most difficult
fabrics to work with.
Not least among the typically decadent
ideas in dress Is that Of wearing a con-
spicuous bracelet with ones theater, call
inu ipn Nm ioht ,.ia