The times., 1898-01-23
NOTES OF THE FASHIONS
Some First Glimpses at the Com.
ing Spring Styles.
RUFFLEs AND SHIRRSPREVAIL
Checks and Plaids Dominate Cotton
Fabrics-Revival of Barege and
Hair Ne.s-Enameled Reptiles and
Tuue Pompons VIII Be the Novel;
ties of tie Millinery World.

days have come. the saddest of the
year," for one whose duty it is to re o d
the seed time, blooming and harvest OF
fashions. Every woman just now is
far more exercised over good strokes
of business in house linen, and keeping
what is yulgarly known as a skinned
eye on the January bargains in cup
teweling and cocoa mating, than bark
ening to any siren songs of spring chif-
fons and forecasts of Easter bonnets.
And Vet and yet the axis is true to it
self. for on their various ways TO sales
of household treasures they stop per-
force 10 make note of the premature
displays Of ginghams, lappets, lawns.
challies, and what not that the shop
keepers are making on all sides
IL was only 10 be expected that plaids
and checks would overtake and over
whelm the cotton fabrics. All the gay
est Of Scotch combinations are display
ed in the light goods, and from the
mills in Scotland comes a lovely ging-
ham. woven very like a grenadine. This
open meShed material is to make up
over shot taffeta silk, it is plain to see
but the stouter and less expensive
weaVes are quite as enticing as this
novelty. a big, bold plaid is, for eN-
ample, worked out in all the light and
dark tones and tints of lavender. A.
other viii be cross barred in light blue
on dark blue ground, and to make up
with this are truly admirable cottLn
embroideries, either white or of the
color to exactly match the gingham
chosen. With few exceptions. all the
muslins, lawns and organdies are
striped, while in place of the satin>
striped challie. SO widely popular last
summer. the novelty this time is a silk
warp barege. There is cause for con-
graduation in this, for barege is a
charming, durable goods, even more
servicaable and quite as light in weight
as challie, and the new ones seen so FAR
show full dark backgrounds. richly
figured in bouquets of violets. Iilacs,
hyaclnthS and heads and sprays of mig
noEette.
The challis have returned to us very
gaily bedight indeed, printed in what
are called Bourbon patterns, that is
with rows of rosebuds, or lines of shep-
herd crooks tied together with ribbon
bows. They, one and all, are done in
very light colors and seem most suit
able for dancing dresses, in the sum-
mer evenings so far away
Meantime there is more or less anx-
lety on every woman'S part to know
what shape those summer dresses of
hers viii take, and it is proper to as
sure everyone that we have not vet
half done with the ruffle. This is as it
should be, for more can be done with
fiounces to make a cheap cotton dress
pretty and picturesque than any other
resource of the dressmaker
Skirts viii be shaped conservatively
as TO fullness. A spring walking suit
OF the future is sketched this week as
warning. Here We have an apricot
colored foulard with knife plated
fiounces running up to the waist. a
design of black flowers relieves the
bright saffron tint of the silk and black
net edges all the little plaitings. One
thickness of figured net wells the waist
and over all is laid lattice of black
satin ribbon. held. wherever the rib
bon crosses, with large jet points.
This in every respect is a perfectly
reliable forecast and attention must be
called to the fact that the foundation
skirt is cut quite scant, not more than
three yards in measurement at the
foot. A five-inch band of haircloth is
set in at the bottom. and scarcely a half
dozen small gathers appear about the
waist. The girdle and neck finish are
models for anyone to follow during the
next six months. Beside this arrange
ment OF ruffieS we are destined later TO
see skirts made in the form Of one deep
but not very fun fiounce, set -on a hin
yoke, and three fiounces set on this.
edged in turn with little frillings
Already we see pretty black taffetas
house skirts, decorated with flounces of
the same set on in panels running from
hip to foot, or in clusters of three mar
row flutings, placed to simulate long
pointed or rounded oyerskirt. Added
TO these motifs in ruffiing, women are
already wearing, at the end of the sea-
son, a scheme of flouncing that bids |
fair to endure straight on into the |
spring. That is decorating white silk |
or satin, or silk muslin dresses with |
fiuted edgings of black net or chiffon or
liberty silk. Some really exquisite |
evening toilets have been turned out of |
house manufactures. consisting of an |
old white silk under petticoat and body |
entirely oVerlaid with white muslin |
11ounces, each one edged with a ruffied |
frill Of black chiffon. Nothing could at |
once be simpler and more elaborate; |
the full muslin bodice striped with wee |
black fiutings and the white Swiss sash |
edged with them. Bouquets Of white |
lilac are usually caught on the shoulder |
with such gowns as these, jet pins hold |
ing the flowers in place and a white |
set unpainted fan, simply frilled down |
every stick with an inch deep flounce |
Of dusky chiffon, completes the little |
costume.
Really, in behalf of the economical
women who cannot afford to enrich the |
ragman every ten weeks or so. when |
the fashions take a lurch this way or |
that, legislation should step in to es- |
tabliSh some one pattern or weave of |
black silk as the fashion. Here it was.
as We remember only yesterday every
woman felt compelled to buy at least |
a black moire velours skirt to wear her
with soul so dead to the needs of her
wardrobe, that she couldn't afford a
skirt of black silk all covered with
sprawly brocaded designs? Well. now.
forsooth, the moire velourS. or the plain
moire or the brocaded patterns are ut
terly abhorred of the well dressed. and
the manufacturers have got out a new
black silk IT is a crisp watered silk
with great brocaded polka dots or
giant triangles, or long wavelike lines
running and spattered all over it The
brilliancy of it is undeniable, all of
which are shaded from deepest tones
to palest tints on every breadth. They
too, are watered and brocaded, and are
meant for magnificent reception, din
ner and bali dresses. 1t is plain to
see that their advent has been made
necessary by the long trains and for
the beautiful new tea gowns and we'd
ding costumes a wonderful velvet en-
bossed silk is adopted. On peau de
sole ground of palest coral pink or nile
green, long, black fern leaves and
fronds are embossed in velvet. and
these new fabrics, made up with the
ever-insinuating black lace. result in
great splendors of the toilet
There are some new things. even in
the midseason. and one Of them now is
the pretty fancy for facing wide
r,rrl 4 n