Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-15

at discount. Not only does the colored
silk petticoat now reign, supreme, but when
a cotton underskirt is worn women neglect
the fair white embroidered ones for smart
little house skirts of tinted lawn, crisp with
half dozen narrow Hounces, graduating
from a three-inch ripple at the foot to one
scarce wider than the finger nail at the top.
Another style OF smart walking underskirt
is made Of brown grass linen with sixteen
to twenty five little founces crimping it's
surface and set on with the Spanish slope.
Turning over the simple, practical and in
expensive summer night dresses one finds
them made chiefly Of striped, flowered and
figured lawn. Every one has girdle of gay
ribbon and the corset covers are made of
lawns In solid colors to harmonize with the
silk or muslin waist beneath which they are
worn. 1t Is no wonder that the little knitted
undervests have gone the way of all under
clothing and blossom out in the grassiest
greens, poppy red, burnt orange yellow and
sharpest purples. great many of these
cheerful little shirts are offered for summer
wear in Shetland wool Of the natural fleece
cream color, the pure white bleach or in a
number of clear odd colors that the north
Scotland dye them. A hand knitted Shet-
land undershirt, IL it is the pure wool and
has come from the Shetland isles, will run
through woman's wedding ring far more
easily than pair of silk hose. The charm
of this wool is that it wears remarkably,
| is both cool and warm as the weather re-
Quires and simply laughs at the wicked de-
vices Of the washwoman.
Straw Fabrics.
Straw goods are getting to the fore. This
does not imply furry in hats or that
womankind Is cutting Japanese floor mat
| ting into summer shirt waists and golf
skirts. The announcement, however, does
| imply that not to her head alone Is fem
ininity now confining practical use of
| straw fabrics. On her feet she Is wearing,
| OF the morning and about her house, the
daintiest little straw slippers that come
| from Switzerland. Sole and vamp, all are
made of fiat elastic straw, dyed any clear
pale color desired. Their exceeding coolness
is one of their great attractions and some
damsels, whose feet are so delicate as to
| AFFORD the experiment, wear about their
rooms gay little straw sabots. A bright
yellow straw parasol, made to exactly re-
semble the roof of a Japanese tea pagoda
is one Of the novelties that the summer girl
is counting among her weapons of seaside
warfare. Such a parasol is mounted on a
| large rough bamboo stick, which is followed
out and Is fitted with series of lenses, thus
producing a species of spyglass, also OF great
value to the summer girl Last on the list
| of straw oddities are the belts made OF an
elastic grass, which serve very pretty
girdles with gingham and pique gowns,
II. Load Jackets.
Little wraps are not what they used to be.
and there Is every sign that the red golf
jacket with its garish green collar and cuffs
1 nd ito a1 h,,tt all hat Ahx.rv and
by the covert coat, will be chiefly used tc
temper the cool summer breezes to the mus
lin clad lambs. They are dowdy trowsy
characterless little shoulder capes that the
importers show and our home designers
and manufacturers have failed TO rush into
the breech. All this proves that nothing now
can save the cape from long period o. OBJ
livion. Perhaps the golfers friend will
vive for a space but the cape as an element
in the feminine wardrobe has run abso-
lutely to seed and Is about to be cast into
outer darkness. 1t has. from flowing wraI
of large dimensions and voluptuous fold
shrunk into poor little frizz Of shoulder
rufiles, while the coat is once more regnant
A good deal Of interest Is displayed In sum-
mer modes. Faille Francaise, heavy Ar
mure. bengaline and Ottoman silk are all
being cut up into handsome belted jackets
with full front ruches of black and cream
lace. The bodies OF the more expensive ones
are chastely adorned with delicate jet ap.
pliques and good many women are wearing
grenadine coats, made over colored silk
/ Innings. These of course are the indulgences
OF the rich, but handsome simple black
coat promises to be very sensible invest
! ment. or course they are beted in with
bands Of Jewels. though heavy and unique