The times., 1901-06-23

middle classes from wearing stuffs woven
in gold or silver, for instance?
The exclusive privilege of wearing rich
materials rested in the court, which was
the inviolable asylum, the natural resort
of eFmine fur, of gold lace, lace and
precious stones. But the middle class,
who could not openly defy the royal
| edicts, replaced the lace, gold and silver
/ lace, etc, by ribbons of ali kinds, to which
| they gave the generic name 'galants.
| Ribbons were seen on the costumes of
| all middle class women, and even of
| soubrettes, on skirts, corsages, sleeves.
and in the hair. The women must have
! their ribbons when their cavaliers had
/ them on their guns, on their sleeves and
| in their hats. The entire French popula-
ton became beribboned.
The taste for fancy shoes, and especial
| ly for colored shoes, is another reminis-
! cence of past days, when light shoes,
/ Venetian slippers, and high-heeied shoes
! of ell shades of velvet were held in high
hcs.or Lastly, there were the 'mouches,'
tiny waters of black taffetas. which set
tied on the rosy cheeks of several gen.
| erations of women. Even this supreme
refinement of coquetry for the purpose of
frightening the lilies and roses of the
complexion was not a modern innovation
bit simply the return of Roman fashion,
50 widely spread that even orators in the
Sribune adopted it.
Nothing is new under the sun! But it
is long since Frenchwomen have had re-
course to this charming strategy, except
at masquerades. VIII not some pretty
society woman some fine day revive the
swarm of "mouches mutines,'' "auda-
cieuses," ''gaiants," and "assassines''
which formerly rubbed against SO many
satin cheeks?
These dead fashions, however, can only
be brought to life again by the magical
caprices of modern taste. In the mean
time, one reads about them as curious
documents.
AS living opposition to all these spec
tres of bygone days. 1 will conclude by
describing scme of the most recent crea-
tions of the ''maitres couturiers" in the
Rue de Ia PaiX, which L shall shortly be
able to admire on the turf.
First, a skirt of pink taffeta, veiled
with mousseline de sole to match, and
covered with another skirt of puce NOUS
seline de sole, trimmed round the bottom
with incrusted designs cut out of black
Chantilly lace. The corsage, which is in
the shape of habit, is trimmed all round
in similar style The front is a kind of
rounded bolero, ornamented in the same
style, and joined at the top by a frill of
black lace, to neck trimming of black
mousseline de sole, mixed with narrow
flounces of black Chantilly lace, the whole
forming large pelerine collar blending
delightfully."- with the subdued pink Of the
muslins over ii.
Another habit is worE over skirt of
black and white striped mousseline de
sole. the stripes being about three finger
widths apart. Round the bottom of the
skirt is a wide frilled fiounce, on which
are application embroideries in green and
white silk. On the habit the bands of the
black stripe are replaced by Chantilly in
sertion. The lapeIs are embroidered like
the skirt and the cuffs of the sleeves orna-
mented in the same manner. The sleeves
are very wide and the under sleeves are
of mousseline de sole very much puffed.
Another novelty is that of small man
ties in the "casaquin" style. which evoke
"reminiscences of a strange past and of
particular grace. This mantle is cara
co" of black taffetas. cut very straight
and piped all around the edges with thick
wooden cord. Having no fastenings, 1t
reveals a lining of white satin covered
with net, embroidered with light flowers.