The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-03-23
THE HON
SOME NEW YORK FASHIONS.

The various spring openings held at
present are most attractive, but just
triae bewildering in the quantities of diff
erent gowns that are displayed. There is
no ons particular style of gown exhibited
but thsre are street gowns, house gowns,
evening gowns, and gowns for every
known and many unknown ocoasions-
eac and all of which are fascinating In
texture, color and design, Undoubtedly
the fashions for the spring and summer OF
1899 are more allurinz than usual. The
fabrics that are used are SO many and
varied that too much monotony Is pre-
vented. and although, OF course, three or
four different distinctive eolors are par.
ticuarly fashionable, as is always the
case, there is wider range than usual.
and this makes more variety Of choice.
The new styles as regards the charge in
the cut of the skirts is very marked-toa
marked altogether to be safe for the gen
crafty of people to attempts; and, indeed,
too much cannot be said as to the danger
of adopting thu present extreme styles
without due consultation rs to ones shape
and sizs for there Is danger of graceful,
almost artistic, fashion being made Il
caricature by amateur dress-making
and poor taste combined. There Is no
rea son why the present exaggerated sty lie
OF skirt should not be modified to be be-
coming to everybod but Internationally
| most of the styles are In ended for slender
people. and consequently are quite I'M
| suitable to stout Cr short women.
Tuere are more midsummer gowns as
they appear to be, exhibited at the first
| than
any other kind except the tailor made
gowns The reason for this is probably,
that people like to get their summer
things out of the way very early In the
senson. Judging from what We see ex-
hibited, IL is to be great year for the
wearing of wash materials Inst sum
M 81 IS Intense heat seems . aksn as
warning of what We are 10 - e,o hgaln,
and everybody is busy preparing for the
worst there are great many more
III aterials, such as are worn by people IN
| tropical climates now being exhlolted.
| There are pineapple GAUGES, nuslins or
| every texture, dimities, Madras snltings,
| qinghams, percaies, and lawns. Many OF
| them are SO woven that they look ike
| silk. an d are of color dark enough to
| wear in tine street even for hard wear.
| The pique are to be us fashionable as
ever and are even lighter in weight than
they were Pique Is ii material that has
stood the test of public criticism, ana is
| hrm Iy esta biished as u good material Tor
| h ard wear 1t Is to be used in the jacket
| and skirt costumes that are sold ready
made Some of the skirts are circular;
others have the attached fiounce OF last
Y ear. and still others are gored. The
Jackets are all short, on the blazer style,
and are to be wcrn open to show the shirt
waist or false front. The jacket finished
all aroung in scailops, with scalloped re-
yers is very smart. There are, too, the
fly -front coats that were seen last year,
and also the cut-aways. the dark piques
are trimmed with bands OF the snlne ma
teriai or with white duck or linen; some
times with black duck or black linen.
The sinartest are trimmed with the same
color us the costume. Harper Bazaar.
ABOU THE HOUSE.
Every housewife knows that hot air
rises. but how many of them remember
it, and lower tho temperature in the brst
and second stories of their houses during
the summer by Systematically keeping the
attic door and windows open whenever
practicable Don't stay in such rut OF
thoughtlessness any longer. When house
cleaning tack mosquito netting ovs. the
attic windows to shut out flies. and so be
ready to add another hot weather comfort
to your list
Mating is a wholesome and cookbook
ing floor covering for bedrooms in hot
weather, but only the better grades are