The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-27
ICnnYright. 1891


the ground still showing traces of the
beautiful snow, as it is known in New
York. the shop windows are filled with
the daintiest, ARREST and finest of fab
RIGS wonderful embroidered muslins
such as were brought years ago from
1be mysterious countries beyond the
seas printed mualins such as Mary
Washington wore, wonderful contrasts
in color in the dainty cotton materials
that seem to have belonged to the days
of Marie Antoinette and Petit Trianon.
And with it all they are so cheap!
When our muslin gowns were brought
by some travelling cousin from China,
they were really worth their weight in
gold. When domestic manufactures
were unknown, cotton frock was al
most as expensive as a wooden one.
But nowadays, when clever American
girls draw the designs, when wonder
full American looms weave the mate
rial. the beautiful. artistic fabric is
within the reach even of the woman
who has to economic.
She is the wise woman who buys her
cotton frocks while it is yet winter
designs and because she can get her
material while it is yet fresh and be-
fore il shows the effect of passing
through many hands. Then, getting
the material so early, the wise woman
can devote plenty of time to choosing
her decorations and to selecting the
modes in which her gowns shall be.
Perhaps she has chosen a dainty white
muslin with little dots thickly embroid-
cred upon it. She goes to no pattern
house for her design. A month ago
there came to her from Paris some pho
tographs of famous French beauties in
their summer toilets, and it is these she
will initiate. Her dotted muslin will be
made after the fashion of that worn by
Mile. Yahne as she energies from be-
tween two velvet curtains. The skirt
IS finished with three tiny ruffles while
the bodice has a tucked yoke and
corsage decorated with frills of valen-
ciennes lace and insertion. The sleeves
are glove fitting, but trimmed with the
lace, while the crush belt and soft col
lar are of white silk Chic? Immense
ly so. And yet while it is in the style
1t does not after a SerVile fashion imi-
tate the gown worn by Dorothy, Gwen
dolen or Cynthia.
Another cotton is made after one of
Anna Held's newest frocks. This shows
q decoration of the dainty ruffieS, EDGED
with narrow lace, while a big white
parasol is made-in the photo, at least
to seem a special part of the toilet. But
it is her jacket of which the wise woman
IS proudest this spring-the jacket over
which all Paris is raving. 1t is the
dainty little coat worn by that wonder
full beauty MaTsy in her last new play.
il is of bright red cloth. showing lapel
facings OF white, but the coat itself is
so cut that. though il fits the figure
there is a certain laXity to the front
which is an ingenious compromise be-
tween the bsgging of the ubiquitous
blouse and the severity of the classic
Jacket. Surely the wise woman could
not choose three better models than
those pictured. for the French actress,
even on the stage. never goes to an eX-
IRENE and always sets the mode. In
England and America the actress imi-
tates the ladies of the great world. In
Paris the most artistic dressmaker
brings all her genius TO bear upon a
toilet for the stage, since she is sure
that it will be extensively copied by
the most fashionable women. AS a
natural sequence the French actress
seldom overdresses, and she takes a
special pride in suiting her toilet to the
exact time and place. When she is sup
posed to he the daughter of poor but
honest parents she does not come on
the stage wearing a Felix dinner dress
but she thinks out what. under such
circumstances. would be proper, and she
assumes it Who Of US hasn't seen the
exact opposite on the English speaking
stage?
By the bye. TO leave the stage. which
few people are willing 10 do, do you
realize that just about now everybody
is taking TO Delsarte again, and young
women are black and blue from tum-
bling UP stairs and tumbling dowr
stairs and learning how 10 decompose
themselves? That's an abominabls
word. But it's a received one De
composition, you must know. is the
ability 10 become suddenly limp and
then Just as quickly to use whatever
part OF your body you wish in the most
graceful way. One of the best Delsart,
teachers announced before a class tbs
other day that she could tell a south.
ern woman the minute she entered &
room and sat down. She claimed fol
her that she sits naturally and hel
limbs fall in easy poses. 1t seems un.
Necessary 10 say that after this va.
told | hlushed. But at the same tim,
L credited it TO my natural Incidence
According TO this teacher. the grea
trouble with the woman Of today is tina
she hurries. Every movement espresso,
her haste, and there is no time FOL
grace. You know you can get TO a place
as quickly by walking We'll and event,
as by trotting and stumbling. It's fun
ny how the novel Of the day talk,
about the bearing OF women. At III,