The record-union., 1899-01-22

H. ~
For the coming spring will be brought
out some soft, delicate French silks
with tiny dot and narrow chen1ile
stripe, matching the dot in color. Some
will have. for example, background
of pale stem green, with chenille dol
and stripe of dark moss green, While
other designs viii show a stripe and
cot, contrasting in color with the silk
background.
Once again the dress reformers are
having something emphatic to say, the
lamentable fashion of trailing street
gowns giving ample reason for disgust
There is a medium between short and
long skirts. and between absurd and
clumsy shoes and those with tooth
pick toes and spiral heels, that is
sought by sensible women. A merry
little woman in a popular shoe store
was recently asked if she wished a
common sense" shoe. well, l want a
shoe with good deal of sense about
it, but don't want it common; on the
contrary, I'd like it to be uncommonly
fine" She was given the prettiest sort
of medium style which exactly tailed
with her description description
which might be applied to other parts
of dress.
The French weaves in Muscovite silk,
even in it's finest, most lustrouS quail
ties, are considerably reduced in price,
but the popularity Of this heavy corded
silk is still evident, as very many of
the handsome costumes, princesSe
dresses, tea gowns and wraps imported
or made in this country, are of this
material. Sometimes they are made
wholly of silk, and sometimes combined
with matelasse or velvet In some fea-
lures it resembles silk warp Irish pop
lin, but is much more pliable. and can
be arranged and draped more grace
fully.
Jetted nets, tulles, chiffons and
gauzes, forming entire draperies over
silk or satin, or used for fancy waists,
sleeves. tunics, guimpes and slightly
dropping vest fronts, are as fashion
able this winter as ever. These decora-
tions do rot have the heavy effect of
former jet wrought, transparent mater
ials, with their dense set designs. The
dangling ornaments used upon the dia-
phanous background, look like black
diamonds and over satin or moire the
Ecintillating effect is greatly enhanced.
4
A very good instance of color combina-
tion is given in a model recently ex-
hibited. The Louis coat, with its open,
rounded front, and a portion of the
skirt, are of soft gray costume cloth,
and what represents an underdress that
shows at one side below the hem of
the skirt proper and between the slash
ed portion, is of dark red cloth, crossed
with lines of silk gimp of a still deeper
tone. The revers and high sloped col
lar are of dark red velvet, silk dotted
with green and the vest is of red cloth
trimmed with braid lacing cord and
small enamel buttons. The cloth sleeves
are very close fitting coat shape with
not vestige of cap, puff or frill at the
top, but with shaped cloth cuffs with
not only deep decided point reaching
over the hand, but so curved at the
top that the upper arching point reaches
within a few inches of the elbow.
Nearly every model is absolutely
without fullness in the back below the
waist, and the figure is fitted in many
cases by a deep side gore just as a hip
gore is placed on the sides of the front.
The underfolded fullness falls easily in
soft lines below where they flare gradu-
ally as they near the lower half of the
trailing skirt. Velvet manipulated in
novel, graceful and most ingenious
ways, silk passementeries en- applique
in wholly new designs, silk and chenille
ruches, pipings, cloth founces, silk lined
with old rose, watermelon pink and
many other colors, are among the new
decorative effects in models for Frenchy
tailor costumes designed for dress wear
Some of the most beautiful evening
gowns seen this season have been made
of crepe de Chine in white or delicate
evening tints. A number of the most
artistic and graceful dresses were worn
in semi-classic style, the flowing. cling
ing skirts ACCORDION plated, the plaits
tapered and reduced toward the top.
giving the greatly desired sheath eff
feet about the hips. The bodice is
usually demi-decollete, the garnitures
lace, plated chiffon frills or rich guip-
ure.
The sleeves on nearly all these gowns
are mere shoulder straps, decorated
with ostrich plumes, a spray of half
open American Beauty roses, or dra-
peries of the dress fabric intermingled
with tulle and loops of rather wide vel
vet ribbon, held by a very brilliant
jeweled buckle.
Sample cards of various dress fabrics
to be in fashionable use next season
show many handsome weaves designed
for spring tailor costumes, including
numberless silk and wool fancies in
new color blendings and patterns.
Among them are Oxford and Melton
ette. suitings, pretty silk-dotted or che
Mile wrought mohairs, old boucle ef-
fects in French double-faced cashmere,
silk looped drap d'ete in finest weaves.
light-weight camels hair, in soft, ex-
quisite monochromes or mixed effects,
indistinct checks in delicately woven
Saxony wool, snowy Vienna-wov now
city goods, genuine Scotch cheviots,
English serges and diagonals, and
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