Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-11
CHRISTMAS, CLOTHES.

NEW IOnh, DeCs o'-Ahc hohuoyc
be bright this year with balls, as usual, and
the dressmakers who ought to know say
that Christmas eve costume dances are
gazing to be a prominent feature. Hostesses
who possess large houses and hospitable
souls have arranged to open their doors at
8 o'clock in tho afternoon OF December "a
to the very young folk. They will frolic
until 8, when the school boys and girls
will arrive for merrymaking In costume un-
til II. to give way at that hour to the
grown ups, and a german. or more probable
still, games will be played.
All this has encouraged the manufacture
OF the fancy dress to such a marked degree
that more interest Is given to the hoops OF
a sixteenth century skirt and coiffures Of
Richard Occur de Lions day than to the
sober realities OF our own time. II 1t Is
permissible to use the expression, fashions
in fancy dresses. then 1t is safe to say that
Mary Stuarts, Marie Antoi inettes. fisher
maidens and Spanish senoritas are quite
out of the running-nine out Of ten women
want to dress as girls on the Dutch isle OF
Marken do wear lofty colts Of the thirteenth
century, appear In the boots and red curls
OF Polish and Bohemian Jewesses The
Japanese Geisha has lost her vogue in favor
OF smart costumes Of the Chinese noblesse,
while wendish peasant toggery and the
gewgaws of feminine brigands Of Sicily
have swept Normandy damsels and Dres-
den shepherdesses quite out Of sight and
mind. -. = - .-.,.r.
Notable Evening Wraps. l.
Meanwhile the mill OF the Goddess Ia
Mode grinds steadily on and over these pet
ticoats Of other days women are wearing
long opera pelisses that are too interesting
to escape mention. To establish this asser-
ton It Is as we'll to tell Of a cloak or two
worn at the opening night OF grand opera In
New York. Mrs Pierpont Morgan undoubt-
edly appeared In one Of the most splendid
wraps, of white cloth edged with chinchilla,
At the back square collar Of the grey fur
folded over the shoulders and from beneath
this the back fell In the Princess fashion.
slightly caught in at the waist. In front a
pair Of huge founces rippled down from the
neck and were faced with dull black silk
webbed over with intricate and lovely silver
embroidery. OF course, the aounces were
bound with fur, the reticule sleeves were fur
trimmed and q collar Of the grey stood high
and staunchly about the tops, even with the
wearer's ears.
As a sort of foil to this in the same box
momentarily appeared pelisse Of black
velvet with enormous hood Of rucked rose
colored chiffon, edged with narrow bands OF
sable. This hood served as head scarf and
when thrown back fell nearly to the knees
behind. Women in the orchestra appeared
down the aisles in shawl capes and satin
opera hoods, tied with sashes of chiffon un
der the chin. BY the scores almost we're
counted the grey wraps and chinchilla is
the fur that the majority were trimmed
with. while nine out Of ten Innings were done
In pale blue Limousine silk that Is soft and
sweet on bare shoulders.
Worn by Society Stars.
The youngest element at the opera, nota-
bly, Miss Sloan and Miss Ogden Goelet, wore
white; especially white tulle. crystallized
with steel sequins, was repeated all over
the house. The favorite addenda with these
were chatelaines OF flowers. From the gir-
die on the left hand the chateiaines fell and
formed Of q series Of blossoms tied In little
nosegays by narrow white ribbons. At the
hip the knots Of flowers are small and grow
ing larger toward the knee they ran In vary
ing tints, from white to carmine.
Any number Of dresses including mag
nificent toilets worn by Miss Pierpont Nor
gan. Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney and others.
were OF brocade, mousseline de sole and
satin draped with white lace, the worked de-
signs Of which were all traced out in the
narrowest black ribbon. Pretty Miss Gut
great woman appeared in rosy brocaded
satin that was buttoned up the back from
shoulders to far below the hips with small
emerald cabochons set round with brilliants.
new southern beauty in one evening set
. fashion by pompadouring her dark hair
high and then drawing, right across her
white forehead, a black velvet ribbon spark
ling with small diamonds, This was drawn
back so that Its ends disappeared in the
thick folds Of her hair, in which a delicate
black aigrette mixed with wired briiliants
waved and glttered. 1t was not after all
an invention Of the beauty to show Off the
exceeding whiteness Of her forehead but a
revival. OF fashion that in the days Of the
Empress Josephine prevailed.
Out Of the sphere of music some new fash
ions are fiourishing apace. 1t is essential
to note that astrakhan Is coming more and
more into smart usage. and this IL because
It Is dyed a most delightful chestnut brown.
Brown astrakhan trims things and forms ad-
mirable capes, muffs, collars, etc., and after
all only an extraordinarily daintily tinted
woman with whom nature has been gener-
GUS In gifts can afford to wear cold gray
chinchilla, dead black Persian lamb, golden
cinnamon bear, etc. For the mediocre In
beauty brown fur Is always an enhancing
soft framing for the face and Is not any less
ocINlCcdulo IMAM Iuc otuCE uyCS VI chih.
Jewels for Holiday Shoppers.
The jewelers. have set plentiful snares for
the holiday shoppers and few are the young
women who now wish to wear anything on
their neckchains but large cut crystal
heart In pretty good imitation OF sapphire
amethyst, topaz, aqua marine or turquoise
Fretted gold or silver covers the top Of the
heart. Beside the heart pendant all up and
down the chain are fastened short sections
OF links. to the ends Of which are attached
an amazing array Of trinkets. They are al
various and In form almost as interesting
As the types Of humanity, but some enjoy
greater popularity than others, and they are
made of gold. silver. STEEL gun metal
platinum and even Of brass. Few of then
are larger or longer than ones thumb nail
and the favorites are crabs, muskets. Z