Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-08
TEA GOWNS CLASSIC BEAUTY.
Some of the Qualities Required to
Give 1t the Greatest Degree
of Succesa.

Fashions come and fashions go. but the
graceful. comfortable tea gown never
leaves US. 1t is subject to changes. of
course, with every turn of Fashions
wheel, but these only add to it's classic
beauty and serve to make each one a lit
tie more fascinating than the one before.
Any daughter of Eve who knows her own
physical defects quite as well as her at
fractions can be a charming success in a
tea gown If she Is esthetic in feeling as
we'll as In appearance, says the New York
Sun. Many a woman Is a striking swell
In a tailor gown and a dismal failure In
a tea gown, because she Is in harmony
with one dress and not with the other.
II she Is a woman of action. energy and
tense poses the gown should be called a
louESing gown. and worn only in the pri-
vacy of her own room.
The successful exponent of the real tea
gown must be 1.-THE and slender, graceful
and feminine to q degree in all that goes
to make up the daintiest specimen of wom-
ankind. There must be an appearance of
unstudied negligence lurking in every fold,
ground, and then, II she Is a woman Of
leisure and gives herself up to the Ian
guild grace and motion which the costume
allows. she will make a fascinating picture.
The place in which the gown is to be
worn should be the first consideration in
making q selection. The tea gown is said
but some of the new models are very sug-
gestive of the styles of the dress worn two
centuries ago.. The empire bodice is one
effect fitted in with few gathers at the
waist in the back. and two rather long.
full square tabs falling in front. This
model was carried out in Liberty silk
trimmed with gathered frills of inch-wide
pink satin ribbon, each one headed with a
narrow cream-lace insertion. There were
three rows OF this trimming around the
skirt, lows around the sleeves all the way
up. with spaces between. and one row on
the edge of the sacque.
Handsome materials are the thing for
successful tea gowns. but they are made
OF cashmere and nuns yelling. and thin
wool crepons in pretty colors. which, with
lace. ribbon. and possibly fur for trimming.
make very effective gowns; Velvet. vel
crepe de chine, and China silks are all
employed In this department of dress. The
princess is perhaps the favorite shape,
ately trimmed it is difficult to tell how the
real dress is cut, Long stole ends of lace
on chiffon are one of the pretty features,
these falling on either side of the front or
| all around. Such a gown is made of pink
bengaline with stoles of white chiffon trim
med with chiffon ruches and ecru guipure.
Blue panne forms another with a white
silk front and applique trimming.
Daintier than all others Is the white
silk gown with a bolero jacket effect. trim
med deliberately with cream lace. A blue
beEgaline gown trimmed with puffings OF
chiffon over white satin shows a bolero
Of lace edged with fur. Tucked white silk
with lace insertion and frillS forms an
other very stunning variety of tea gown
Purple velvet and white silk lace insertion
and narrow purple velvet ribbon are the
materials combined in still another model
and something simpler. which may be
used for u morning gown. is of red cash.
mere. with red silk collar and front trim.
med with frills of red chiffon edged with
cream lace.
If you want something still more fanci-
full make your tea gown of killed white
chiffon with an overdress of guipure. TIL
bodice portion. also of guipure. should be
cut low in the neck. One pretty white
crepe de chine gown. cut square in the
neck. trimmed around with silver ant
pearl embroidery. has long stole ends o.
green crepe de chine falling from either
side to the hem of the skirt. Sashes o.
crepe de chine. with silk fringe on thu
ends. are pretty. additions to some of tn,
silk gowns. made quite tight fitting. ant
as deliberately trimmed as ar evening
gown. These might be called glorified ties
gowns but there are all grades and con
ditions, just as there are in other gowns