The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-01
THE FASHIONS
 A CENTURY AGO.
MANIA FOR CLASSIC AT. TIRE.
The Kutusoff Mantle and Bonnet Leather Footwear Impossible to
 Ladies of Condition-what May
 be Worn at Lord Melville Trial

Centennial Edition New York Evening Post.
 Bird-of-Paradise yellow is favorite color for satin gowns pEmpire.
 The colors most in estimation are pom ceau rose, cachou-nut brown, American green, wfllow-green, and ethereal blue.
 Now that 1sVO Is an accomplished fact, the mania for classic attire has complete ly> >metamorphosed feminine costuma The waist is now lost quantity. for the gown Is drawn in but slightly under the arms. like an infants robe, and thence the skirt falls quite straight, trailing on the floor at the back from a double pleat that falls from a low. open neck, the edges occasionally draped with silk kerchief: or finished with high-standing lace run.
 Long plumes, or short full feathers in evening dress are oftener seen on the hair than either cornettes or turbans. and so much is this style of headdress favored that several distinguished ladies wear 1t at the opera in preference to the opera hat, though that handsome becoming adjunct for the hair is by no means worn are rather devoid of plumage, but instead they are richly embellished with lace and gold or silver ornaments.
 The Kutusoff mantle and bonnet are. of course, named after the great Russian general of whom we are now hearing so much.
 Parasols are made on the same princi- pie as the surprise fans lately invented Il. e.. with a joint which makes them appear to be broken. sliding-like fix ture holds the joint firmly in place when the parasol Is raised.
 Except in morning dress. ladies inva- riably carry their reticules (vulgarly called "ridicules') with them. A reticule contains the handkerchief, fan, card. money, and essence bottle. They are made of figured sarcenet, plain satin, vel vet, or silver tissue with strings and tas- sells to match. 1t is necessary that they be of the same color as the wrap or pefisse.
 Notwithstanding the severity of the winter season, morning dresses continue to be made in white muslin. which is
 more fashionable than anything else. The dress of women should differ in ev- cry regard from that of men. This differ ence ought to extend to the selection of stuffs; for woman habited in cloth IS far less feminine than when attired in soft delicate muslin or light lustrous By way of new ornament. dressmakers are frequently making use of very small pieces of gold, silver. or steel, cut ex- ceedingly thin, and with tiny hole in the middle. They are generally of cir cular shape, and they often deck an en- tire evening gown. They are called Double solss. though introduced, are quite the exception, and as for leather footwear, no lady of condition would dream of putting or anything so coarse: They are quite Gothic, and appropriate to none but the lower orders.
 Physicians and doctors of divinity have declared that the scanty clothing pre- scribed by fashion is indelcate as well as unhealthful, but do they not speak to deaf ears? What doctor, be he D. D., or M. D., could outweigh a fashion-book? The arbiters of taste never seem to care to invent anything to protect women | from cold and damp, and even when common sense forces one to put on heavy | warm clothingsy its, wearer is deemed either insane Of d hopeless invalid. The general mildness of March has
 banished from the promenade those | weighty, gross. furry decorations which so recently were noticed, and which for some reason were continued through one of the mildest winters ever experienced | in our atmosphere-as though our fash | ionable beauties were shivertng under | the chilling influences of Siberian skies. l Dress has become so astonishingly | capricious in France that lady is not | considered fashionable If she appears | more than twice in the same bonnet. | Some variety must be given to 1t either
 by superaddlng fresh ornaments, or new
 modelling the old There are, however,
 many intermediate styles which properly | belong to those to whom Fortune has
 limited her bounty, and who, placed in q
 state of happy mediocrity. should adopt