The times., 1898-02-06


neclStie she contrives to concentrate a
brave show of stripes and buttons.
The habit skirt has not varied by a
hairs breadth. or length, either, in the
last two or three years. but the coats
for the present have rather long skirts
and are snade to roll back and reveal
waistcoatS of considerable gayety.
These fasten with big fiat or round
bullet buttons of brass or silver, and
as the waistcoat itself is often either
of silk or satin, or very rich tailors'
vesting, it may be striped or dotted or
even figured ito suit individual taste,
and some of them are even made with
pockets that have flaps, while a full
Jabot OF cream lace and high satin
stock fills in above the top vest but
ton.
Such friyo1ity is only seen, however,
in the riding schools and clubs on af-
ternoons and evenings Of drills and mu-
steal rides. Out of doors severe high
white linen collar is the thing with
either a bright cardinal or plaid ascot
tie filing in below the chin. In the
open air this winter soft hats have been
steadily worn. by riding women in
preference TO the top hat or hard derby,
for the piiable alpine has not half the
weight of either of the others and is
! at once a warmer and better-ventilated
headgear.
On the ice, an old-fashioned garment
the cardigan Jacket, has come into the
most overwhelming popularity. Bril-
liant red wool ones, hand knitted and
fastened up the front with silver livery
buttons ohtnumber all their lively
green and blue and black and yellow
rivals ten to one. Skaters prefer them
to sweaters and find them far easier
to fly about in than costly furs and
heavy cloth coats.
Only the affiuent few sling their mufs
about their throats by jeweled chains,
but newer and certainly far more ap-
propriate is the chance for the woman
of small means to wear her n'rf hung
to her shoulder by means of a smart
vanished or kid finished leather strap,
not quite one-half inch wide and fasien-
ed by most practical silver buckle set
with imitation jewels. or in better
style still of plain polished metal. An
other new. pretty and useful triiie that
appeals to femininity in the January
days of coughs and sneezes, is little
silver bonbonniere for her muff pocket,
or to hang on her purse chain. 1t is
made in the shape of an apple, of silver
gilt, and about its plump sides is en-
erayed the words the discordont goG-
dess read. ITO the Fairest. This
small box opens to hold either ont
ment for chapped lips or useful troches
in case ones throat tickles in church
or the theater.
OF the new black goods there is only
one item of news to give, and that IS
silk and rather thin wool crepor has
somehow crept back into fashion.
Why this lovely material was ever
tossed aside ii is hard ID say, ana IT is
Goubly welcome against the new sea-
sons dress making. Just as highly 10
elderly ladies' can be recommen led the
brocaded bengilines in black and gary
that are certainly not shopWorn, be-
ca use this combination of bengai'ne and
satin was only recently brought out IN
Paris.
Another pretty Partisan idea re have
Just got over is that of wearing Black
glace evening gloves worked with
white silk in three bands about the
wrist to resemble little threadlike
bracelets. All the handsome walking
gloves ia brown, red, or tan have pearl
or gilt buttons, increasing. seemingly,
every week in size. Only two, ur three
at most, of the large, shining discs ap-
pear on the gloves OF heaviest weight,
while four and siN-button siede gloves,
for calling, are fastened very pretuly
by large and perfectly round polished
pearls, in any of the colors in which
have broad stitchings on the back been
received irto favor, and the finer the
three little lines down the back of ones
hand covering the better is the ST.
signified.
A few women still cling to the white
suede or the heavier glace kid gloves
for full dress purposes. callings recep-
tions and the like, and display rather
effective white handgear, stitched and
in falsa
leather: on tlesice and in the skating
rinks, as well as when sleighing, nice
and serviceable heavy gray castor
gloves, with a short fur cuff, are adopt
ed. These have one large metal button.
and the cuff is Of seal or ermine or
broadtail or ehinchila. Now that the
dresden china craze, that wrought such
havoc among the umbrellas and sun
shades, is passing away, We are slowly
but decidedly moving into broad zone
of, carved ivory handles, all of a Japan
ese nature Already the expensive wo-
men, who can afford TO buy umbrellas
afresh every season, are carrying about
remarkable novelties, long of handle,
and every inch below the tip Of the
iyory-lnobbed ribs is most intricately
and deliberately carved. Some of the
very pretty examples have just a shaft
of polished ivory, topped by compli-
Gated but delicious little nitske, the
japanese for carved button; while
others have lovely Buddhas and wor-
shipful japanese ladies daintily cut
out amid shower of wistaria vines or
lotus flowers. These, of course, are the
costly ones. but wait until spring
gowns come in, and then we will see
plenty of good American manufactures,
if not in ivory, then in an admirable
imitation of the true japanese thing