The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-02-04
THE LONG OPERA CLOAK.

THE LONG OPERA CLOAK.
1t is the Most Elegant and Most
important Fashionable
Garment.
.~ Paris, Jan. .13s-At- the opera one has
great opportunity to record some Of
the most elegant gowns worn by the
''grandes dames'' of Paris. The hand
soonest wraps one always gets glimpse
of, too. For the complacent wearer of
an unusual wrap manages to give the
audience Il peep at herself in all, her glory
just as she enters her box cloaked IN soft
furs and velvet. III.
The handsomest wraps are long enough
to entirely cover ones gown. They are
built of velvet, the heavier qualities OF Of
for a rather limited share of popularity.
A very stunning-looking woman Of de-
cided Spanish type was mHch admired in
her long wrap of ivory satin, with black,
satin and fur trimming.
At the front the garment fell III
straight lines from the shoulder Yathout
| fullness at the back Around the bottom
of the wrap there was broad facing Of
black satin cut with an uneven seal
loped edge and berdered with gold apas-
sementerie. Above the black satin fac
ing there were appliaues of black satin
cut in rose form and outlined with gold
that gave the most striking effect. -,
Opera sleeves. =:
The bishop sleeves were of ivory satin,
with band of sable finishing them at
| the hand. Over the sleeves were ''wings''
of ivory white chiffon SHRED into mar
row puffs with a narrow band. 1t
had a short pointed cape slashed tWi zee at
| the back and front. where fell jabots of
ivory chiffon. Round clasps of strass
| fastened the front Of the collar. where
| there was full jabot Of the chiffon fall
| ing over -four sable tails.
Another long wrap was made Of otto
| man in a shade of ''pallissy''-a name: Civ
en- to popular deep shade of turquoise
blue. This wrap. too. entirely enveioped
| the gown. The high Medicis coiiar of
| ermine had cape that was short over
the shoulders. and at the front it was
arranged in jabot fashion. with ENDS
| reaching to the bottom of the wrap At
the back the ottoman was laid in a large
| Vatican plat that was mounted over the
ermine collar and was held by an efiong
| buckle of >strass.. This garment was
| lined throughout with black brocade satin.
Black and White.
Among the gowns I noticed one espe-
| cially. That was of black spangled fuIle
over ivory satin. The corsage was
| blouse Of ivory satin covered with the
1t was cut square-necked and was filed
in with plain black tulle that fitted close
| into the curves Of the shoulders. Over
the tule there were horizontal bands of
cut jet and strass. These continued to
the top of the high straight collar of
plain tulle, that was mounted by frills.
The effect at distance was as though
the bare shoulders and neck were. Gov
| cred with the bands of jet and srrnss.
The sleeves of the satin. covered with the
! embroidered tulle. reached just to the ell
bows. There WAS a great deal of full
! ness in the ivory satin skirt, and yet it
rather chung to the lines of the figure,--. 1t
tulle, with rounded point at the front.
! From the bottom of the yoke the .tuile
fell in deep fcunce to the bottofa of
| the skirt. where it was embroidered and
spangied in a heavy pattern.
The most original feature of this gown
! breadths of black satin that sl0ped gradu
ally ut the waist line. where they were
joined to the ceinture with a round strass
buckle. The high loops that it formed
above the buckle were faced with white
| satin.
| Opera Gown for Girl.
4 gown worn by a young girl at the
| opera was made of white Ottoman silk.
| The skirt fitted close over the hips with
| the fulnesS at the back laid in two nar
row box plaitS. Around the bottom of
| the skirt there was ii fri1l of English ap
plique lace that formed Il point at the
front. At the top of the frill there was
a heading of sable.
The corsage was a blouse of the Otto
| man, trimmed with narrow plated strips
of turquoise velvet, forming plaids. In
| the center of each plaid there was tlF
quoise ornament attached to the velvet
| with gold threads. The corEage opened
| over vest of cream mouSseline de sole,
laid in narrow bias folds.
1t was cut sQuare-necked. and was I'm
| ished with a strip of sable that continued
| down both sides of the vest. The cein-
ture of turquoise velvet was draped. The
short puffeG sleeves were of the Otto
man. trimmed with the bands of velvet
and turquoise ornaments.
\ number of the women wearing decol-
lete gowns carried little colets of fluffy
soft materials that they slipped on in case
| of drafts.
Coral and White.
One that was less frivolous was made
of accordeon-plaited coral velvet. over Il
lining of white satin. Numerous strips
Of sable started at the base of the Medicis
collar and fell between the folds of the
velvet to the bottom of the collet. At
the front OF the c0llet the velvet merged
into two long stole ends that were
trimmed with bands of fur The tall
Medicis collar was of sable. with a facing
of white satin. Striking round coral
clasps fastened this colIet.
Some of the new opera glasses are COW
cred with coral or turquoise leather and
are mounted in gold or mother of pearl.
\ pair that was covered with lizard
green leather and mounted in gold was
| smart.
OF course they try to copy toilettes in
opera glass coverings, and you see leather
in all colors. mounted in ali metals. These
glasses cost fabulously. but many opera
goers own a dozen of them.
Nina Goodwin