The herald., 1898-04-07

net and mousseline de sole. Matrons
will wear grenadines and fine canvas
fabrics. When heavier stuffs must be
employed they will be embroidered In
openwork patterns to show contrasting
Innings, and will be as fine and soft in
texture as they can be made. The best
serges and cashmeres now in the mar
ket have been woven on these princi-
ples When q silk is required, soft
one capable Of lending itself to Cling
ing" effects and without rustic, will
be chosen.
The extremely feminine idea has the
better of the smart" idea and fun
and finsness go hand in hand.
The Average Woman has done a dar-
ing deed; she has meddled with the
tailor gown. 1t Is her decision that 1t
shall not be incorrect to cut that Sc
yerely perfect piece of attire with
Spanish fiounce this season. The new
tailor dress stamped with her approval
has q slim, narrow skirt widening out
towards the feet, with bias fiounce
fiaring slightly from the knees. This
skirt is trimmed with rows Of stitch
ing or with bands Of cloth, and Is worn
with q three-quarter length, square,
cornered jacket or a cavalier coat, In
some instances.
The Average Woman has made up
her mind that the old idea Of permit
ting the overskirt and underskirt of q
dress to be of different shades of one
color or of different colors, or the same
color in different materials or of diff
ferent colors in widely different ma
terials Is Just as rational as the newer
idea Of fancy waists and almost as
convenient. Paris has sent over street
dresses in three shades Of blue for skirt.
overskirt and cloth strapping; In light
and dark green and in contrasting
! shades of grey. Also there are cloth
dresses with grey underskirt and pink
or blue or green or even red overskirt.
Silver and blue satins are offered to-
gether, and grey and yellow, as we'll az
silk skirts, with cloth polonaisea
Probably the most striking new de-
parture in spring dressmaking is that
of making up striped fabrics with q
seam in the middle Of the skirt front,
causing the stripes to meet in acute
angles pointing down. When this in
noyation was pointed out to the Aver
age Woman she said that such skirts
couldn't "hang WE'LL" Good dress
makers can make them hang well, and
the first one the Average Woman tried
decided her in their favor. When she
got home, after a trial in it. she said
to her husband:
EVERY woman I met looked at me-"
That settled its desirability.
It is decreed that navy blue is to be
extremely fashionable. May the Aver
age Woman acquiesce. for color sins
are the commonest and the worst Of
dress sins. Navy blue is needed as a
refuge from the prevalent purple. The
unabated rage for that color indicates
that the Average Woman has no con-
ception Of its deadly effects. I have
met several times the combination of
middle-age, a purple dress, rouged
cheeks and an electric light. People
who have had similar encounters need
no comment. 1t Is merciful to spare
others. Dingy colors, miscalled quiet"
ones, become only the freshest and
most beautiful. The Frightening Of
the world in the last few years by the
adoption of a wider range of colors in
dress is one of the most beneficent
things that has happened; but as has
been the case in other reforms, some
Of the reformers lack discretion.