The times., 1899-06-18
PARADISE GAUZE
AND FOAHY IULLE
Fairy Ball GOWNS for the
Summer Girl.
ElherealIy Beautiful, but Literally
Unfit for Dancing.
KIondiI1e sill. and Mushroom Satin.
The Queen Margot scarf-EIrc-
ton Neck stocks.


year ago, all the crisp rustling taffetas and
heavy satins have been wisely and magi-
cally banished and reduced to wreath-like
skirts of cloudy lace and soft-fnished
swiss downy lissex, and yielding esprit,
giinting sometimes with sequins and flush
ed over so delicately with an underglow of
color from silk foundation slips.
There is nothing aggressive. outstanding,
or defiant about the last evolution OF the
BAH gown, really it escapes the least
chance for criticism, SO plant and flower
like is It's quality and color, though a
word, just word, might be put forth
against its train. All ball gowns have
trains. nourishing, luny tails that foam
cut in countless frilis at their owners
feet. artistic enough to look at, bat shack
les of the worst type 10 wear.
Fashion, however, like her good sister,
Nature, never makes anything without
purpose II trains prove nothing else,
they demonstrate what athletes women
are after all. since in spite OF those men-
acing webs OF lace and chiffon at their feet
soft pitfalls in which strong man would
infallibly fall and founder, women glide
through most intricate measures with new
er so much as a stumble. This is done, be
il known 10 their credit, without ever
lifting an inch of the skirt from the floor
for il is the present cast-iron law of the
mode that this modern mermaid tail can
not must not, be lifted.
Every woman knows she must dance IN
her swaddling clothes without touching
them or not dance at all, and it is grand
but silent testimonial to feminine agility
and fortitude that with forty dollars worth
of the richest Brussels guipure lying fiat
aHr.gsw s-naa mill do
all evening without ever starting thread
in il or even bearing heeting expression
of anxiety on her face.
First in this dream of fair gowns, con-
jured up by a glimpse at any June dance,
is the wraith-like Paradise silk gauze.
There are more costumes of this broche
fabric to the square ballroom than any
other woven goods we have seen 1t is
also the righttul heritage of the creamy
young girls who drape, and frili, and lace
insert it over ivory white underslips, in or
der 10 bring out the many shifting tones
of the gauze itself and display the broched
patterns on the thin yelling that look like
fair ghosts of flowers.
Paradise gauze in pastel blue seems the
invariable choice of the blondish girl, who,
with her darker sisters, seems agreed
against the use of artificial flower decora-
ticn, indeed, against any floral attributes,
in her evening costume. Now and then in
their hair, tucked away in a small close
knot at top of the head, a tuft of tinted
grain, cluster of richly colored fuchsias
or columbine does decorative service, but
these new, straight, close wrapped vest
ments don't seem to demand or need the
aid of floral garnishment.
klondike silk and mushroom satin are
the nocturnal splendors Of the fioclIs OF less
:yirlish bellies, and admirable as these two
fabrics are. they, in common with all 9TH
er solidly woven goods, serve but as the
humble foundation for that universal para
site Of dress. white lace
Klondike silk is hardly more than a rich,
satiny, soft faille, picked out with irreg-
ular splashes Of white and dull gold on
steely blue ground. Not very acute in
tellect but can appreciate the humor Of the
manufacturer, whose novel silk suggests
the snow and gold nuggets of the hard
Northern land. Eccentric as this is. the
strange silk is a strong favorite in polite
and luxurious society. II produces a snowy
eject dropped as an overdress upon lace
or chiffon. and a tribute OF interest must
be paid the lace scarf drapery that has ever
widening power.
Queen Margot scarfs the dressmakers
christen them, in honor OF the Queen of
Italy, who once this spring, in angry haste,
tied a priceless scarf over her shoulders
to conceal the ugly finish of an evening
bodice that she had no time TO change for
state ball The offending body was OF
white chiffon and the Queen, in yexed in
spiTation, so twisted the scarf into trim
ming for the decolletage. leaving long
filmy ends falling to her knees, since she
dared not cut the lace, and knew not how
else TO dispose Of it, that she set ahoat in
one evening fashion.
Scarfs Of Bourbon lace or Briton net
worked In lace braid patterns. are sold in
lengths applicable to the decoration of
evening gowns. and for slim women they
are quite heaVen-sent treasures
Under all these net, gauze, and lace ap
plications, no goods gives a better result
than the mushroom satin referred 10. An
eSempiihcation OF its stout service was
noted in a bali toilet the tailed skirt OF
which was cut from this peculiarly flesh
white satin, and bore to the knees a tor
rent Of small net flowers. each one edged
with line Of pearl sequins. over the hips
as far as the top flower. fell an oyerdress
OF net striped with sequin lines, while the
body OF satin was covered with sequined
net and strapped with ribbon Of ashy grey
satin, just the color OF the side Of q mush-
room.
Decidedly We are in the sllken age OF
dress. A proof OF this is the tailor nan s
graceful surrender TO the public demand
for stin walking suits OF silk. What wo-
men want these days they achieve sooner
or later. and the silk runabout coat and
skirt is a witness TO the power of their
whims, a stern tailor system and measure
is followed in the makeup Of these.
Their seams are strappei with stitched six
their pockets are fore instead of aft and
their small coats are strong accessIons TO
the well ordered wardrobe. The black taf-
feta coat has a tail as jaunty as q wren :.
and its nOtched lapels are always brighten
ed with some sort Of an admiral rever.
Not simple duck, linen. or pique revers,
bear in mind, but really luxurious fold
backs Of cream guipure treated with tinsel,
or white chiffon frosted with fine black
needlework; truly valuable revers that a
woman viii have transferred, by dint OF 4
few basting stitches, to any coat she elects
10 wear.
Under their taffeta coats ye luxurious
females. who are sensible women-fo. a
taffeta coat is the coolest. cleanest, least
wrinkling and most stanchly wearing
travelling wrap purchasable-they shift
many varieties OF silk summer skirt. No
qasaki is the smart silk from Japan, FIND
for hot weather, while herring bone strip
ed satin moids the skirt that gives COM
fort on a brisk day. Moirette and silk
warped Alpine are both solid investments
with every security OF long wear for the
thrifty, and women who can see a fash
IONS approach while yet it is no larger
than mans hand, are making up some
OF their skirts to fasten behind, having
broad yokes over the bust, and worn with
high stocks OF cream Breton net bearing
black silk dots OF variety of sizes.
Truly heroic efforts have been made in
the present season TO down the white glove
and enforce the adoption of a more ser
viceble, less expensive luxury, and num-
Der OF women persist in wearing grew cas-