The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-26

M Oily OI t03 new spring costumes Will
be light in color as well as weight, and
when the weather will permit the re-
moval of wraps, the size of the fashion
able woman will be in strong contrast
to that Of a season or SO ago, when
full. spreading sleeves and voluminous
skirts were the rule. The close sleeves
and the straight, clinging, demitrained
skirts are designed to give the effect of
hight and slenderness.
the touch than formerly, and the colors
brought out in both piques and linens
are very charming. The most fashion
able models will be tailormade, with
plain machine stitched or gimp trimmed
skirts, and coats of the very short,
jaunty, round-fronted order. On these
rather expensive gowns handsome
white applique designs or linen braid in
fancy patterns will be applied very
much as similar decorations were used
ali winter on cloth costumes. Some will
be white throughout, others will have
pink, yellow, or red blouse waists,
revers. collar and cuffs, or shirt waists
of wash silk.
Besides the flat linen collar fastened
at the back, and the turnover shapes
to be worn with fancy string tie, are
those of softly folded silk or batiste,
around which is twice carried an airy
and becoming scarf of India null, point
d'esprit, or wash net, with pleated ends
of net and lace. The genuine tailor
made shirt waist has a style of its
own, like tailor gown. The hand
soonest Of the dress shirt waists for
afternoon wear are made with yokes OF
very beautiful plain or colored en-
broideries, with ruff1es and straps to
match. Beyond these, the models
merge into fancy" waists, which re-
quire more special notice.
The great advance in the taste for
outdoor sports and recreationS mas
caused a heavy demand for fabrics that
will wear we'll through all kinds Oh
weather In view Of this, the manu-
| facturers have made special prepara-
| ton, and the importing houses already
present goodly array of much i'm
proved weaves in mohair, Gamers halr,
serge, .cheviot, tweed, Scotch and Eng
lish fancies, and beautifully blended
meltons and heather cloths. The rough,
double faced Scotch mixtures, for golI
and cycling, are still very fashionable
and some smart but simple tailor cos
tunes for general wear have been made
of these fabrics. Very attractive are
the soft vicunas, likewise used. Whlle
of most serviceable quality, these goods
are remarkably light, and possess the
clinging qualification now SO essentlal
| to dress fabrics of every sort.
=
! The sheath-shaped skirts of intro
ductory tailor gowns are in many IN
stances unlined if the goods are at all
heavy. French designers have found 1t
almost impossible to give them the
proper clinging fit about the hips and
| upper portions with even light SILK
Innings. To provide each skirt with
the necessary flare on the lower por-
| ton, the hem is Silk-faced and TRIM
med with very many rows of machine
stitching, lines of gimp straps ana
| buttons, and other tailor finishings, the
skirt to be worn over silk petticoat
| deliberately trimmed with plated or
gathered frills and f1ounces, which are
generally corded at the edges to aid In
producing the required distended eff
feet Other models of lighter wool
have the usual silk Innings, but to give
| the svelte effect these are devoid of
dressing clinging so closely to the
outer skirt material that the additional
thickness is hardly perceptible.
| Yoke and guimpe effects in silk or
chenille embroidered on cloth or peau
| de sole, chiffon over faille, tucked tat
feta, or liberty satin, polka-dotted ma
terials of various kinds and guipure
net over satin, are more than ever in
vogue, and with a soft becoming scarf
| of net carried twice around the throat
and tied under the chin they form dis
| tinctive features of the new modes.
Very large revers are the exception
thus far. 1t is more common to see two
revers, one slightly narrower than the
other, and of contrasting fabric, like
one of white cloth above a wider one
of dark velvet, or vice-versa. Again,
the revers may be of daintily braided
cloth, tapping over slightly larger ones
of soft corded silk. Black cloth tailor
costumes show vivid contrasts; for in
stance, the vest is of white Venise net
over white silk, the smaller revers of
turquoise blue velvet, the larger shapes
of braid-edged white MORE.
The wash-silks otherwise known as
silk cheviots. abound among spring
importations. The new patterns are
extremely pretty, many of them show
ing the pin and polka-dotted designs
so universally popular. Others are in
soft shades, in stripes of rose-color and
reseda, russell and damask-red, pale
violet and channels color, two distinct
shades of blue or green, etc. The silks,
in tiny hair lines and dots, will be used
in the manner first introduced by Paris
and London tailors, trim, perfectly
fitted shirtwaist being added to travel
ing, morning and tennis costumes of
wooden or lightweight cloth. The jack
ct en- suite this year is close-fitting and
short, and this, with the tailor skirt,
IS formed of silky English serge, which
costs $1.5O a yard, but is extra wide,
requiring but very little material for
both jacket and gored skirt.