The times., 1899-01-08
FRILLS AND FURBELOWS
American Women Like Their
Lingerie Billowy With Lace.
THE MARIG0LD BLONDE
Mid-wintcr shoppers Are Cnptivnt-
ed by the Coauettish Hat of 90
..Comfort skirts" Are Scoring
Their Fair share OF Praisc-Ncw
Ideus in Indcrw


when every woman whose purse has
recovered from the Christmas shock is
busy with the special sales and displays
in undergarments 1t is perfectly evident
at the underwear counters that American
women enjoy the broadest market in lin
gerie in the world. For less than dollar
a woman can buy night dress of cambria
garnished with tucks and embroidery that
a princess would not disdain to sleep in,
while at tie other end OF the same white
goods counter can be purchased somno-
lent splendor that is worthy of a sultana 5
dreams. and that costs nearly the month $
income of prosperous working man. The
rich American women like TO wear hand
made imported undergarments, and they
prefer lace and rufles galore.
The most fashionable achievement OF the
Partisan needlewomen is in night dresses
made of white linen lawn. the sleeves large
and perforated with zigzags OF fine Valen-
ciennes running from shoulder 10 wrist.
At the wrist deep lace barred cavalier
cuff turns back. while falling from this to
the very finger tips is full fiounce of lace
Wide lace edged reyers turn back over
the bust and shoulders and broad scarf OF
lace encircles the neck and ties in vast
line. Such was the style of delicate night
dresses included in the trousseau of the
young heiress who. in December, was mar
ried to the Baroness de Selliere's son. one
and all these gowns as is now the pre-
yailing rule. were made with extensive
trains falling full from the shoulders and
bordered with lace.
Another charming elaboration in this
species Of garment is a huge lace frilled
fichu that, like Martha Washington's ker-
chief passes about the neck across the
bust and the ends meet at the small of
the back with a fiat rosette of winter RIB
bon. This leaves the throat prettlly eN-
posed in a small in front and the sleeve
with this is a baggy affair, its circumfer-
ence fretted with lace and the inside seam
not wholly closed. The two lips of the
seam are edged with lace and at the wrist
and elbow white satin bows catch them to-
getber.
Oldest among the chic importations are
the costly night gowns and chemise that
button up behind. As a matter of fact,
they do not button. but by a series OF mar
row white ribbons they tie up in the rear,
and TO wear colored undersarments is not
countenanced by the seekers after great
refinement in dress.
A new French mixture Of silk and linen
called Diana cloth is what these special
pieces are made of, which in things less
expensive English nainsook, ranging in
price from 20 10 go cents yard. is the "a
vorite goods. For cooling influence next
Summer. the dealers in Undertaking are
already tempting with pure linen lawn
gowns and chemise trimmed and bright
ened only with edgings of pole-tinted fine
dimity. Lace plumage is proved stuf1y and
hot on Summer nights, and this sheer
chaste apparel does not fail in allurement.
Chemise are cut shorter than usual, are
finished at the bottom with a hem only,
ard have no gathers at the shoulder band.
With the present mode in dressmaking,
underwear must be reduced TO the Slightest
possible bulk. Drawers are cut knicker-
boLker fashion, with small frill of lace
over the knee. and they close with q but
toned band just over the curve of the knee.
j: Is the Partisan idea TO embroider the
owners initials in white right tightly
around the button hole. letting the work
Oh the lips OF the hole form part of the
letter and plain gold ball or small jewel
set stud is used by the exquisite TO fasten
this band in place Of the usual bullet pearl
button.
For awhile it seemed as if the prestige
Of the white petticoat was established and
women do still wear them a great deal in
doors. but the silken beauties are more in
solently predominant than ever before. The
preference seems to be for the most glar-
ing primary colors in the stiffest taffeta,
made up perfectly straight, scant skirts,
and the rigidity further increased by a
wide. deeply accordion pleated foot founce.
Short comfort skirts as they are called,
for wear under silk petticoat in the cold
weather, are the prettiest little kirtles that
don't come down so far as the knee and
are not more than yard wide. They are
wool, and many are knitted by hand of a
Scotch yarn. with a bright silk thread
worked in at intervals. They are scalloped
about the bottom. completed with narrow
silk fringe and are hung on silk yokes
that fit the hips snugly.
Milliners have made very successful in
PRODUCTION with a new type of hat they
have named the ninety nine whether in
honor of the young year or because il is
the ninety ninth mode inaugurated so far
is not known The ninety nine is a small
black silk hat, with brim and crown some
what on the Pickwick shape. About the
black beaver crown goes a fold of bright
silk. or velvet. or a scarf of spangled lace
and a handsome bouquet of ostrich plumes
is fastened with a bow and an ornament on
the left. This shining black hat on a blonde
head is an addition to the winter land
scape, and blondes, by the way. whether
the credit is due TO art or nature. are or
the increase. The desire Of every woman's
life just now is 10 boast possession of mari.
gold blonde hair. which tint nature has
uulE given 10 Sucn women as MIS- Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Jr., young Mrs Whitney
Miss Elsie French and few others
Women continue 10 find a great oulet
for their love of pretty things in collections
Of hatpins and neck chains. Flying time
has brought 10 light a charming enterprise
in hatpins with heads OF blonde perfectly
dark, or richly mottled shell powdered with
diamonds or rubies various shapes, and
set with colored jewels
The neck chain that is newcomer con
sists Of black velvet. cord strung az in
tervals with coral beads. The use of coral
by the way, is surely infectious. Heavy
cream and gray lace. studded with rosy
beads, is the sort OF striking decoration
they are using on the mahogany brown vel.
vet coats and gowns. Outside the high
satin and lace collar of her calling dress
fashionable woman will wear as many a!
six strings OF coral beads. lying fiat, at tn,
base Of the throat The dressmakers seen
TO think that coral is a perfect offset tC
black satin or velvet. or even the rict
cloths and reyers, and panels, cuffs. etc.
are incrusted with coral chips cut as fine a.
the smallest jets, while no smarter dancing
dress has been seen this Winter than one
made for Miss Delafield. a debutante OF
pale blue silk muslin, worn over white anC
crystallized with coral chips, in the design
of such fairy fora as is seen down undel
the sea.
TnN ON Intelligence.
Gron the New Orleans Times -Dcmocrat)
Congress should take this subject in hand a
once, and solve the problem by placing botl