The times., 1898-02-13

New York, Feb. 12-Four feminine
feet on the fender these days is apt to
imply earnest consideration and mn
Iual counsel on the owners part of the
special tone of blue or purple or green
most promising for spring gowns. 1t is
a fact already quite patent that We are
not to rejoice in any new tint of plum
age in the approaching season of new
cloths. We are only going to have
some slight changes rung on the col
ors for long while popular. Blue will
lead all other shades in the cloth suits,
but 1t need not be blue of any hard and
fast tone. There is the lovely, rich,
bright. abbess blue, or rather still,
roy al plue. linen, toward a gray shade.
reS4lnenbal blue, and nnally IN tile IouI-
AUS ana ulmfJIes, lrlS pIue. Episcopal
purple is the h1gh-soGndlnS tide o. the
neAI coiOr an oIuer OF preference, toi-
lowed oIose by parrot green. Already
Inere are heaps and heaps of crisp
damaSked tanetaS unfoldeo on coun-
ters IN this green and purple, inviting
purchasers. to Indulgence in shirt waists
of this tempting weave, while in ali
these eolors great February sales are
being made in striped and figured silk
grenadines. There is no secret at all
about the fact that grenadine, both in
Gotten and silk, viii prove an ubiqui-
tous summer material, made up as
usual over bright crisp silk and trim
mea with heavy venetian lace.
All lightweight dresses must, of
course, have their top petticoat and
foundation made separate, but the best
of tailbrS have not Yet given up the
sensible practice of lining cloth skirts,
and one and all they are struggling
Naliantly TO make the princess style
go" this approaching spring. Success
in the venture is by no means assured
them, for stout women cannot tolerate
the straight lines from the throat TO
hem and a great many slender women
are inclined to think the severity of the
pattern VIII give fieshless figures a
strangely scrawny appearance, and so
for the present the princess mode
swing doubtfully in the balance.
As time goes on the devotion to the
sash increases, but the general dictum
is that stiff silk streamers are not the
thing. but something limp and airy, as
null, or fine silk nuns yelling is nice
Until further testimony can be taken
from gowns Of undoubted authority.
the zone portion of the sash must be
drawn quite tight and close about the
waist, then a knot like a small rosette
made. and jeweled pin fastened in
There is a great deal of emphasis laid
on that pin, and if true jewels are not
used there a bright strass or rhine
stone ornament answers the purpose
nicely
IT is of,prime Importance to take note
nowadays of the growth of the train.
for it is growing at the rate of at least
an inch week. The sketch of a ball
dress in white crystal silk, splattered
-
an idea of the train up to the present
moment. There is no use denying that
1t here appears graceful and lovely
arrangement of draperies. spreading
out towards the floor, the widths of the
skirt being so carefully gored as not to
throw a heavy gathering or plating of
goods about the waist at hips or back.
a pretty treatment of this special cos
tune is shown in the Countess Kildare
sleeve, as it is for some dressmaker's
reason called. Any arm shows advan-
tageously inside it, and the adoption of
aigrettes and shoulder knots, repeated
in the hair, is a charming fancy of the
hour. 1t is significant too, for feather
decoration promises to be prominent on
some of the spring dancing dresses. 1t
is already possible to buy bordering for
founceS made of ostrich and marabout
feathering, and a very splendid spring
model of a dinner dress recently i'm
ported showed all the trimmings OF
white ostrich feathering on the green
velvet train and bodice
Though there is no wholesale return
TO empire fashions revived about five
years ago. many women who have the
Independence of spirit to choose the
style that most enhances their looks,
have restored the Josephine" gown to
its rightful place. 1nnumerable slim
young girls and slender matrons have
worn Josephine dresses TO dance and
dine in all winter until this has become
an accepted style.
One and all the Josephines are made
with perfectly plain underslips OF silk.
tight fitting and fastening behind.
Over the foundation Of silk falls loose
flowing draperv fastened only at the
bust, of some transparent goods, chif-
fon, soft silk muslin. grenadine, Silk
nuns yelling or whatever the taste or
pocket of the wearer can select or af-
ford. Usually the flowing robe is pow
dered with spangles a wreath of flow
ers finishes the open neck and long
ruclzed sleeves of transparent stuff
complete what can be either a very
costly or very inexpensive little even
ing dress. Absolutely all puffiness has
disappeared from the shoulders of
dancing toilets and there is a tendency
to make the shoulder strap just a row
of roses. a fat fold of velvet or even
trio of strings of false pearls. Across
the bust a perfectly simple straight
line is drawn, not even a shirred head
ing is used. and only very young girls
adopt the bertha.
The decolletage is shaped square.
back and front, in the majority of
cases, and to touch the last detail of
the evening toilet the hair is dressed
Very high The individual who can
not afford cleaning abundant coils to
lie one upon another can fall back up
on the Louis Seize bows, tufts of
feathers and jeweled pins, all of which
make for stateliness and airy effect.
Two of the latest modes of hair ar
rangement both Partisan ideas are
supplied in the sketch this week.
The big rear bow of hair is the most
recent utterance of the hairdresser's
art and is made by the simple pro-
cess of drawing all the hair to a point
just a half-inch below the crown.
There it is tied as tightly as possible,
the hair is twisted into the form of a
simple knot, one loop is pulled out
light and loose. and the whole edi-
fee is made firh by single, but three
pronged hairpin. This pin is SO tuck
ed in as not to show at any point, and
the whole object pursued is to give the
impression of the hair having been
simply tied, not taking support from
pins or other conventional aids. No
fringes of curls, on thrat or forehead,
are permitted with this design that is
eminently smart, but can only be safe
ly recommended to the woman with
handsome forehead and a pretty nose.
The third sketch reveals now Ameri-
can women have at last adopted a