Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-21


 H~ All the women you meet on
 the streets have absentm1nd-
 ed expressions as if they
 were engaged in dreams or cuttings and fittings. Things ana iaces' As one catches snatches of their con versation the monotony Of IL IS nh- pressive; all on the same sup1eee- Christmas finery-
 Several really novel touches nave been introduced on holiday IrochS- Persons of moderate means expect eo wear their gowns after Christmas anu New Years have passed and so cannot afford to 20 extensively into holly and mfstIetOe app1iques and embroioeTIes as ladies of the great world can- For that reason they demand some unique ideas
 A great many fancy dresses are or dered for holiday costume balls, ana the tendency of most of the modlstes Is to supply gowns of the Henry w, Louis XV. and empire periods. The pop ularity of the costume ball will not lah- suish so long as women look well Tn patches and powder.
 Quite a smart effect is inparted to evening gowns by the use of appl1qued knots and lines of velvet ribbon wind ing over the satiny surfaces in graceful, vfneIike lines. Such decorations cannot be too highly esteemed by ladies of slen- der figure, but should be proportion ateIy summed by stout women. The long, sIanting black bands emphasize too strongly the ample curves of women of pronounced embonpoint-
 1t was for this reason that tried to dissuade my plump friend, Mime. Dice arque. from investing in a very allur- ing dinner robe of this type importu- nateIy urged upon her while we were seeking something appropriate for her to wear at the Christmas banquet which her rich bachelor uncle gives for his clients and intimate men friends.
 Mme Dicearque is the only female relative with whom he is on speaking terms. and so she is always asked to help entertain the wives of the guests on those rare occasions when he ex- bands into a show of hospitality. To her it means expenditure which she can i'll afford, for, in spite of his penurious- ness, the old man has an eye for slnartness and is not backward in let ting it be known that he likes to see a well dressed woman at the head of his hoard As Mme Dicearque is :nervously anxious to look her best on such occa- sions in the hope of softening his heart into literally remembering her in his will she always enlists the assistance of some friend in the selection of her Christmas dinner hnery. This year l happened to be the victim.
 At the first dressmaker's shop which we visited they were showing nothing but empire effects in evening costumes. Mime. Dicearque is person of too solid flesh to look we'll fiuttering about in a .afauhanous empire connection, so I was relieved to hear her say:
 .'Oh, monsieur, my good uncle is a most ardent royalist. Never would he hermit me to appear at his table in the costume of that period representing as it does the humiliation of royalty"
 We fled while the forewoman indig- nantiy shook out the chiffon folds of the dainty Josephine robe, with its lines of gold leaf embroidery.
 At the second shop the smiling fore woman introduced us to white velours costume decorated with appliqued streamers and knots of black velvet ribbon The model who wore it was a O. 2 6, 70 s-<,.. C-s43.s