The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-06-25
THE COSTUME
OF COINCIDENCE
1t Was Evolved for the Aus
trian Court.
A New Shadewy Fabric for the Be-
reaved.
A Net of Sombre SpIendor Trimmed
With Ash Pearls and Crepe
Flowers.

for dressing in the coolest possible
fashion The woman in mourning, who
has the most difficult problem to deal
with, commands first admiration. SO
artfully and becomingly does she accom-
MEDIATE herself TO the demands of the
weather. Black Iustreless crepe de chine,
black liberty silk and coal black French
linen lawn and tailors' linen are the shad-
owy fabrics in which the bereaved find
some solace. The usual scheme of the
gown that signifies full mourning is to face
the foundation skirt TO the knees with an
almost perfectly fiat circular flounce of
the typical weed of grief-that is to say,
English crepe-and then drop upon this an
oyerskirt like drapery of one of the cool
gauzy weaves. None of the hot heavy
crepe is considered essential on the waist,
and the hat or bonnet is of wired crepe or
Brussels net.
If a bonnet is insisted upon only a scarf
of net, hemmed or faced with crepe Dor
der two to four inches wide, depends from
the bonnet-s rear. The mourning head
piece itself is scarcely larger than a mans
palm and has a brim folding back like a
diadem close against the crown. All this,
whether the crown sits fiat TO the head or
rises in the form of small cylinder with
a rather haring top, is pinned well back
on the head and any trimming is done by
the abundance of the falling scarf that
often sprouts in a big creepy pom pom TO one
side of the head.
Young girls in mourning wear the most
charming dead black chip hats quite wide
of brim and heaped with snow white tulle
or tulle dotted in black. Inside the cave
like brim rows on rows of white lisse quill
ing, tipped with black, contributes a back
ground for blonde or dark hair that is in
fallibly becoming. A black sailor with a
crown band OF tucked white silk having
a bow with fringed ends, is much the most
choice mourning covering for summer wear
and the white straw Alpine. wound with
one twist of dull taffeta that literally ex-
plodes into big eccentric bow in front, is
the sort of garden protection that the
woman past the sailor age will most sem
sibly assume.
The best investment for a cool, service
able wash mourning costume is a perfectly
plain black India silk This is silk WOW
en- in France and sent TO India for its dye
and finish and guaranteed TO stand travel
rain, OF long usage with a stanchness be-
yond compare. II must be made on taft
feta on one of the crisp imitation silk
goods 20 get the incest wearing results
but for women of all ages ii is one of the
Far less reliable for stiff device. but most
beautiful of the mourning fabrics. is the
black net TO which is applied large flowers
and ornate patterns cut from true MOURN
ing crepe This is TO the woman in mourn
ing what a spangled or embroidered net is
to the butterfly of fashion. and the airy
; thing is called the Empress Elizabeth
since 1t was first evolved. for the wear at
state functions. for ladies. of the Austrian
court after the death Of the beautiful wife
of Franz Joseph. Shaped skirts and Jack
cts OF this are made, like the lace gowns
so much in evidence, to drop over mourn
ing silkrslips on a finish of swirling chiffon
hounces- For two of our exceedingly
wealthy American widows Venetion dress
makers have built superb coincidence COS
tunes Of net over silk garnished with
sprays Of crepe applied with rows and clus-
tiers OF imitation ash pearls
The coincidence costume. by the way. Is
wardrobe feature since the Countess of
Stafford wisely introduced IT in London.
IL Is toilet of sombre splendor worn for
the reception of those brief painful calls
succeeding funeral. A widow is ant 10
wear on such an occasion a tiny pointed
cap OF white lisse with lisse streamers To
her heels, If her hsid is grey; otherwise
her hair is arranged very simply, parted
from the crown TO the brow and the full
ness drawn back in a soft bandeau effect
EllneT SIDE OF mead.
The tuck and the herringbone are locked
In a deadly struggle for supremacy APP
pearances are in favor of the herringbone.
though the tuck stands almost as strong in
favor as ever 1t is, however quite impos-
sible TO buy decorative silk, crepe or
muslin that its length is not fretted at in
tervals of very few inches with the silk
criss-eross that machinery has been per-
fected to introduce.
Tx- - .1,o
the smartest silk bodies show their Innings
TO bright effect. the hens are set on with
herringbone headings, and the swan song
OF the looms this spring was the wolfe and
grenadine, the organdie and Bingham made
open worked and lace-like by dint of a
herringbone pattern. All sweetly her
r1ngboned at the head of their hens are
our new neckties, whether of soft silk in
cashmere pattern or of silk muslin, and
into such proportions has the neckwear
trade erept that it has guaranteed the
opening of little shops where only collars,
bows, and sailor knots are sold.
The Ascot, that is not more than a
smart bandanna silk handkerchief ar
ranged to draw into a tidy four-in-
hand. undoubtedly leads the way. but
rising star is the automobile of black
satin, powdered with crimson sparks and
drawn at the neck in a four-in-hand knot,
again at the bust in a sailors knot and
then IL secures its two long ends in the
wearer's belt. Only when on exercise bent
does. the shirt waist-clad woman wear a
pique, eheviot, or bingham stock. If pure
ly pastoral or passive pleasures call her
forth she circles her pretty throat with a
stiff neckband oyerlaid with organdie, or
chiffon in fucks and ruches and a snow
1abot, in the form of a complicated bow
or a series Of overlapping fiounces, depend
ing like the ruffs Of a pouter pigeon upon
her breast. Somewhere in this maze of
prettiness she places her pearl neektie pin.
Three pearls. set like a three-leafed clover,
one gem pink, one yellow, and one ash
grey or white, is the rule, and since pref
ty imitation pearls serve as well as the
true ones this is a fashion essentially
within the reach of the majority.
Throughout the summer pearls will con-
tinue the fayorite ornaments, dividing IA
yors only with emeralds. An emerald soli-
taire in Rajah setting is the sort OF ring
that the woman whose little hands are
Drowned by the sun wears to the very best
advantage. Surrounded by a band OF in
fensely black bright enamel constitutes a
Ra5ah setting that shows off the rich gem
OF the stone to wonderful advantage and
the acme OF smartness this summer is 10
wear gloves as little as possible, to wear
rings not al all by day, but at night to
put on the tanned fingers as many splen-
did diamonds, emeralds, and turquoise as
they can comfortably wear.
Artificial Rosebuds.
evening wears, thrust half way under the
top edge OF her decollete bodice, a single
rosebud. SO put together that IT requires a