The San Francisco call., 1898-04-17

@@ HE illustrations represent nearly
 all the styles in dress, including
 outdoor and evening costume ball
 and house dresses, mantles and
 S garments for morning and even
 ing, cape and cycling costume. Here is a criticism on them:
 If the form of the marone crape dress is simple, it is stylish and becoming but the trimmings are less so. The bits of taf- fetas in marone and white are not pleas ing in effect. should have preferred a trimming of taffetas on the cross, a light passementerie or even a marone guipure following the movement of the corsage and of the upper skirt, and also as a trimming for the skirt.
 The shape of the black cloth jacket is graceful in form, but the collar, which is very high, swells the appearance at +he neck. The trimming behind is more be- coming than that in front, and I would rather not have had the square yoke of white taffetas.
 The mastic cloth cape with four flounces is quite in the new shaprH which l do not consider graceful, and which should never be made except in light and soft mate rials. The collar is unbecoming, which is the case with all collars as at present worn.
 The cycling costume is exactly what it should be-plain, practical and in very good taste.
 The indoor dress of striped mousseline de soie is too much of the sacque shape, but the appearance, which is exaggerated in the sketch, is minimized by the trans parent nature of the material. NeVerthe- less. 1t is too much like chemise, and I would rather see a waiStband round the figure.
 tily composed, and by removing the guimpe it can be converted into a de- collete dress with long sleeves. The only thing I dislike is the rosette on the left side of the corsage. It appears to me heavy and useless: ,,l, | would would prefer a a woman the arrangement of the skirt does very well, but for a short figure l would advise the suppression of the frill of mousseline de soie around the bottom.
 There is no particular feature about the cut of the green velvet mantle. The richness of the Japanese embroidery alone and the harmony of the colors constitute it's beauty The sleeves, cut in at the wrists, appear to me rather heavy 1 would have liked them better fuller and longer over the hands.
 The gown by Honnet, y Rue de la PaiX, is an outdoor dress in marone crepon, in the China crape style, with double skirt The underskirt Is rounded at the bottom, flat in front at the top, and very tight fitting at the sides. The fullness is thrown behind, and the godets,. which be- gin half way down, are behind only.
 This skirt is quite plain at the bottom, and opens in the center ol the apron all the way down, showing narrow band of striped and shot ecru marone and white taffetas. the stripes of which run cross wise. This trimming is very narrow at the waist and widens gradually. The upper skirt Is set in without fullness at the waist and widens gradually down to the bottom. It runs about half way down each side in front, where it is rounded. and is prolonged behind to about forty centimeters from the bottom, giving the appearance of a tail when seen from behind. It is ornamented on each side in front with eight oblong pieces of striped taffetas like that on the underskirt, one above another.
 The corsage Is. blouse or the, same material gathered at the waist, and with two pleats on each side, which are lost beneath the waistband. It opens down the center over a front of striped and shot taffetas in two bands which appear to form one with the trimming of the apron The front is trimmed on each side with the same material. The neck trimming Is of orange taffetas covered with heavy guipure and Is very wide; the is of plain marone taffetas fastened on the left side with bow of the same.
 The sleeves are made with small puffs at the shoulders, but are tight fitting all down the arm. On the outer side are three small squares of striped taffetas The wrists are trimmed with guipure The hat which completes this costume is trimmed with a drapery of chiffon, high est on the left side; white feather en- circles the crown and there is an aigrette set in a strass buckle. On the brfm in front there is a barrette of strass. At Redfern's l have seen an indoor