The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-03-13

| AT this time OF year Che Woll-uLSaoV"
woman, having chosen her cottoh
frocks, selects her parasOls. Umlke the
| English woman, the American u9esh
| long for very big umbrella Wlun
solid stem and an aSsertlve handle; put
like the French woman, she realizes the
value of her movable background, and
even as q protection against ram ner
umbrella is feminine in appearance, al
though absolutely useful. The big para
sol that protects her from the sunbeams
| is a veritable thing of beauty, with ats
deliberately decorated handle, its chic
trimming, and its beautiful material. Silk
| in especially daintily shades, decorated
with frlls, outlined with very mar
row velvet ribbon, makes the preferred
parasol. But the handles! For them
nothing is too fine. Hand painted p0r-
celain, jade. amber, rock crystal, even
some of the minor gems, amounted i'll
chase gold or silver, all of these are
allowed to make beautiful that part OF
| the parasol which is held in the hand
of beauty. Oddities are, of course, much
10 the fore. and my dearest friend. writ
ing me from Paris, says: "The duck
head. of which have drawn you a tiny
sketch, is specially liked. 1t is repro
duced in wood, gold, silver. or crystal
with ieweled eyes and gold collar. and 1t
has for its only rival the rabbits head,
which is, however, not nearly so chlc.
Another very smart handle you see,
| am something of an artist am sketcn-
ing these for YOU is of natural wood,
with the natural cherry leaves and cher
ries. wrought out in some substance
which looks like the real thing and which
is Droperly colored. Dresden China
handles-some long, some showing the al
WAYS fashionable round knob-are III
vogue and greatly Fixed, for they har-
monte particularly well with the always.
useful parasol of white trimmed WITH
black. Speaking of the crutch handle,
that is still in vogue for mems sticks or
umbrellas. the materials for them beng
either natural wood, tipped with gold or
silver. or. as in the case of one which
| show you, of tortoise shell, with
band and point of gold. There must be
very little gold or decoration of any kind
upon n mans stick or umbrella.
BAD FORM IN UMBRELLAS.
No well-bred man would have such
thing as n Jewel in the handle of his UNI
brella or stick, for then he would look
like those oyerdressed South Americans.
who are in the slang of the boulevard
called .'Rastaqueres." Don't be deluued,
when choosing your umbrella into getting
that abomination, which, / am told, 1p-
peared on the streets of New York dur
ing heavy rain-stOrlns, the plald SILK
one 1t is absolutely bad form, and cen
tainly did not have its birth either in
France or England. Paris would laugh
at its unsuitabiity; England at the fact
that If would not wear we'll. To the
red umbrella there is not attached so
much Indignation, but, after all, the
well-dressed woman prefers to carry in
the storm an umbrella of dark green,
dark blue or black silk. The umbrellas
having watches or pencils concealed i'll
their handles are desirable as a caprice,
but certainly not for much wear. BY
the by, if you can only get one parasol,
let that be Il fluffy looking one of black
chiffon or black muslin. If you can add
| two to your wardrobes. let the second
one be of Write silk, trimmed with ruff
| ies of the same decorated with lines
of black velvet, and only choose cOlors
when your palasols are many in number.
ApropOs of trimmings, it is horribly bad
form to tie knot of ribbon or a cluster
Of artificial flowers on your parasOl. If
yOu fancy wearing chou of velvet
on the side of your bodice with a gilt
tering brooch just in the center. then
similar chou may be put on the stick of
your parasol, but not if DIT is very
elaborate one. Few women realize how
becoming yellow parasol is. And yet
all women should understand it, since
sunshine is becoming to everything fe-
| minnie The old idea that yellow was
| only adapted to brunettes has died away
since Worth proved that Sarah Bern
hardt and Ellen Terry, both blends, but
exquisite in toilets of clear, pure yell
| low.
VEL / 0M AND I OWE