The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-15

years ago we mad the sad, SenSuouS Eng
lsh version of the aesthetic mode; to-
day We have the more chic and cheerful
but essentially similar French version.
The new summer girl weaIs for evening
no stuffS that are not fine and sheer, cal
culated to lie in long folds, or stealthy
curves with the clinging embrace of low
er. The new silks are called glove skim"
the new veilings are no more than cob
webs; of the new laces, dresses are made
woven in one piece with nothing from
throat to feet to break the natural curves
of the figure.
Yet all the summer girls adornments,
from falling hair and low scarcely fasten-
ed bodice to meshing ruffles that hem her
footsteps seem slipping off her. Her
sleeves, when evening dress allows Them
are open the length of the arm and caught
across with claps or rtobons; at the top
they droop away from the shoulder. Her
Empire sash is tied in a half-made knot
instead of in smart bows. The flower
sprays that trim skirt or bodice are never
punched but cling and trail like wandering
vines.
This looseness is not carried, however to
the soppiness and dishabille of the Old
aesthetic; rather it works with the soft
ness and transparency of fabrics, with the
placing of tissue over tissue in varying
Elusive colors to produce, in spite of GER
tain frank dwellings a curious effect OF
vague charm and mystery.
Towards the evolution of the new sum-
mer girl three conspicuous Americans have
materially contributed Probably the
finest outfits made in Paris this season
have been provided for Lady Cursor, Vice
Refine of India, to wear at the summer re-
sort of Simla, and for Miss Sloane and Miss
Fair, the two Vanderbilt brides. The per-
sonai tastes of all three of these women
run to extremely slender effects, and their
Nardrobes, exemplifying great length of
skirt and, in the case of two the daringly
decollect, have done much to establish and
confirm the present modes.
A Chicago woman now married abroad
who left Paris to accompany Mary Letter
to India, has written to American friends
descriptions of several of the Vice-Rene.s
Simla dresses, all with clinging overslSirts
transparent petucoats and, in case of the
evening dresses, bodices which are nothing
but broad waists bands with wisp of lace
draped over the corsage.
One of the most remarkable of these
dl esses is bail costume of white India
gauZe. The foundation of this dress is pink
silk, showing delicately through the trail
ing clouds of the lighter material. The
gauze skirt is made with a series Of
flounces powdered with gold and caught in
places by pink gauze rosettes. Over this
comes a long redingote of Venetian point
lace, which fits the figure more smoothly
without wrinkles by some material like
featherbone. The corsage is cut very low
and round leaving the shoulders entirely
bare, and being kept up only by strings OF
large pearls. The decolletage is edged 10Y
a hounce of gold-powdered gauze, which
is continued in little fan-like frills crossing
the arms some six inches below the shoEId-
ers. Nobody alludes to these frills as
sleeves.
Following such light example, the sum-
mer girl will wear trailing skirt without
a seam in the back; and, next its peculiar
outline one of the most notable things
about her toilette will be its lavish use OF
exqusitely light and subtle wreaths and
flower sprays.
graceful evening dress for a young
girl is carried out in white embroided
gauze hung over an underskirt of pink
chiffon falling in many small, soft frills.
The whole effect of the toilette is of great
delicacy with gauze corsage falling quaint
ly away from the pink chiffon rucnes
which frame the shoulders. Tiny gauze
sleeves drop off the shoulders, leaving the
task of supporting the bodice to trails OF
wild roses which are thrown over the
shoulders. At the back of the bodice starts
another rose spray, winding about the
left side of the skirt to the front and
thence dropping to the edge of the tunic,
which it nearly encircles.
Another flower gown is of ivory Brus-
sells net embroidered with q light running
pattern of silver thread, sequins and tiny
diamond dew drops. The hem of the skirt
has an application of Brussels lace, giving
pretty broken edge, which falls over an
under-robe of paleSt green chiffon; this re-
veals itself through the net as we'll as at
the foot of the robe in a multitude OF
cloudy frills. The bodice of jewelled net
and chiffon droops from the shoulders in
NiPtOrian STYLE and has mift sleeves
their entire length. and laced across with
green velvet ribbon. a long garland of
water lilies starting from the left should
er falls to the back of the waist, and is
brought around in front, where it is used
to catch up the tunic, which is draped high
on one side.
The summer girl is including Empire
dresses in her wardrobe the most success
full of these having no tunics. One of the
pale blue crepe de chine over whose sur
face plays an old silver light is lightly en-
hroidered half way up the skirt with small
silver paielettes forming vine sprays with
long tendrils. Lower down comes a wide
insertion Of the same embroidery giving a
hint of an under-robe of white flushed with
pink. The sleeves are lattices of pearls.
Simpler dresses are made OF spangled or
spotted nets over plain net or over chiffon.
Delicate, cloudy grey nets are much in IA
vor, usually with some touch of bright COL
OF III PINK cellSe OF plue' "A cleNer Slil can
spangle her own dress with few even
ings' labor, and with the pattern will be
less elaborate than on those supplied by
the shops, the glittering particles will stay
on better and the effect will be even more
desirable for the less formal FESTIVITIES OF
warm weather. Black net spangled with
steel and made up over white is as serv-
iceable as any single item OF the summer
girls wardrobe.
Blue spotted net made up over white net
supplies an exceedingly dainty little dress,
with waist cut in baby fashion, straps
of lace across the shoulders and wreath
of deep red roses around the skirt IL this
gives too much color, a spray only OF the
flowers may be worn, on the left shoulder.
A trihe more dreSsy than this is -frocn
of white point esprit pcppered with silver
spangles and made up. over Il Single -Eiek-
ness of pale green Chiffon coy eiin.s 4 S.ip