The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-16
The NEW SKIRT
OF 1900.
The Box Plated Back and the
Long Tunic Shaped Front
BRILLIANT NOVELTYGOODS

Woman's main concern now is for her
skirt. Waist fashions are so varied
that she cannot well go astray except
in the matter of sleeves. But SO long
as she keeps these within bounds and
squares" the shoulders she is on the
safe side. As to the yoke and the vest,
t. belt and the back, there is little
chance of making a mistake, for fash
ion allows the widest liberty on ali
these questions.
With the skirt it is different. Your
correspondent went into a tailoring es-
tablishment the other day and asked
for a habit-backed skirt. The sales
woman looked up in surprise. why
do you not take the newest skirt?"
asked she The habit backs are going
out" She then explained that the new
e1t skirt was a box-plaited one as to
the back and sides, and plain as to the
front. This" said she, is a compro-
rise between the bOx-plaited all around
and the saddle back"
The popular" skirt will be one with
a tight-f1tting front and sides and
box plait of moderate size in the back,
the box falling apart enough to be
graceful and to relieve the back of its
drawn look. This kind of a skirt is
easily arranged or ''draped,' as the mo-
distes viii tell you, and is aetached to
the band quite as easily. The front and
sides are sewed to the band without
fulness, but at the very middle of the
back there is laid the large, fiat box
plat.
The skirt opens either at one side OF
the box plat or upon the left side in
front. The, front opening is SO much
more popular than the rear opening
that women are loath to disturb it.
The thought that there is no gaping
placket hole is so reassuring that
woman walks in comfort in the public
eye, nor is disturbed by the fear that
her inner woman, so to speak, is ex-
posed to gaze. The most beautiful pet
ticoat in the world never looked hand
some viewed through a placket hole.
SIMPLE AND PRETTY.
Another style of skirt is simple and
pretty. 1t has the box plat in the back
but the front and sides are arranged
with the tiniest tucks running verti-
cally from the belt downward. These
tucks are no heavier than a cording
and look not unlike cording. They be-
gin at the belt and extend downward
to a point just below the hips. When
the tuckS end a slight flare occurs
which allows for the fit of the hips.
This is an extremely becoming style
and an admirable one, in that it looks
well in any material Black serge,
made up in this way, looks very dressy,
| especially when completed with the box
plat in the back.
A black serge trimmed with braid
| arranged in deep point in front, with
| the skirt plated in the back and tucked
| from the waist to a point below the
| hips in front, is quite fine enough for
| a street skirt for winter or early spring
There is still another new skirt, this
| one being a variation of the box plait
| 1t is called the Grecian fold skirt. The
| front and sides are fitted as tightly as
| possible and the skirt is very long,
| quite covering the feet, after the fash
| ion of the new street dress. But it is in
! the back that the newness is shown.
From the belt to the hem there eX-
tends a very large box plat (which is
/ called the Grecian fold
It is different from the conventional
! box plat. At the waist it is narrow,
! scarcely more than six inches wide,
but below the waist it gradually flares
until it is half a yard or more wide
at the hem. The plat is folded in very
deeply, so that there is a deal of full
ness at the back. For those who found
the habit back trying this is very
acceptable fashion, for the flare is be-
/ coming to every figure.
In enumerating the new skirts one
| almost fOrgets the Russian skirt, which
is gathered across the back and con-
ventionally tight in front and on the
| sides. To hold the front and sides firm
and in place there are old-fashioned tie
strings underneath, reminding wom-
dress over her head, precariously, not
sure that she would dispose of the many
tie strings in the right way.
Just as she then steered her head
through a labyrinth of strings, even so
she must do it again, with this differ
| ence=the strings extend no lower than
the hips. Below that the skirt flares
out as suddenly as possible. This is
a quick and easy style for the home
dressmaker, much easier than the Gre
clan fold skirt,