Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-18

It possesses many charms am not poi'
enough to deny, and one or two MODES
| / recently saw of the kind were pretty
| enough to hold their own with any satiI
or tulle gown ever yet planned: how
ever. as il is chiefly Of the latter | woulC
discourse to-day, the muslins must wal
their turn for paragraph.
Just now | mentioned spangles Ihes'
! are found on all or most of the smartes
! gowns, and l know Of no better invest
| ment for the slenderly-pursed than on'
| OF the new net and palette embroidered
! robes. They possess double advantages
| in that they can be worn over various
| and different-colored slips, and II this
| idea is carefully carried out You can gel
! practically three dresses from one over
| skirt, as a friend Of mine with more wits
! than money has lately done.
] L shall unfold TO you the plan my friend
has found so successful. Having pur-
chased her robe-which. by the way, had
| a bodice piece-she further provided her.
self with sufficient net to fashion yet two
other bodices. In addition, she bought
two lengths OF pailletted trimming match
{ ing that on the skirt since steel FOUND
the principal place therein, but of differ
ent patterns. She happened TO have In
her possession a good black satin slip,
and q perfectly plain bodice to match
These she decided were just the thing
for foundation number one. Number two
was of white satin, and number three of
turquoise blue glace. She then turned
her thoughts towards mounting the over
skirt and this duly done. TO the three
bodices. The first of black satin, cut
square both back and front, she had cover
ed with the length Of pailletted net ac-
companying the gown, outlining the decol-
letage with the pailletted trimming but
In lieu Of the net sleeves, which should
by right have found a place therein. she
substituted long black lace sleeves, bought
q box Of steel sequins, and set to work
to outline the pattern of the lace. Very
well they looked when done, as / can
testify from personal experience. The
net sleeves she reserved for bodice mum.
Der two. This was made of net over
the white satin, and cut Ia 1S30-vi2.,
with a rounded decolletage clean off the
shoulders, and a slightly pouched front,
adorned with a big Louis Quinze bow in
steel pailettes. The sleeves were the
embroidered net ones before alluded to,
and they were fashioned in the Georgian
mode. with big doubled frils OF the net.
Round the waist went a twist Of cerise
tulle, finished on one sde-the left-with
a Louis bow and long falling ends. In
both these instances the skirt foundation
Of satin was left perfectly plain, save
for a little foot-frll of the smallest pos
sible dimensions. BY way Of strengthen
ing the edge of the net robe Itself, IL was
run on the reverse side, with narrow
black ribbon, effectually preventing fray
ing at the edges, and that ragged appear
ance which is the chief and worst charac-
terstic of these gowns when they have
been worn few times. 1t is for this
reason, 1 fancy, they have earned the UNI
enviable reputation Of being rather ex-
travagant wear.
The prettiest Of all was the turquoise
blue glace. This had a plain skirt ex-
acty similar TO the others, and with the
same little foot-fril-by the way, all three
gowns were OF the five-gored pattern, now
so popular; and though they rested. per-
haps, a couple OF inches on the ground,
had nothing which really deserved to be
called a train. The bodice linen fitted
tightly, and fastened in the middle I'm
the usual way. over It was draped the
black net, plainly at the back, in front
drawn into deep folds, carried up, and
fastened on the left side Of the bust,
beneath knot OF turquolse-blue velvet
and n steel buckle The round decol-
letage was outlined with the steel pail
lejted trimming before mentioned, and In
place of sleeves were shoulder straps OF