The courier., 1901-10-26

FASHION LETTER
Lady Mod;sh on Shirt Waist Suits.
Lady Modish in Town Topics.

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liar alluring grace-a puzzling is ne sais
quoi-about certain women have en-.
countered at Newport and in New York,
which at once charmed and perplexed
me. Many other women wore exquisite
gowns, yet it was perfectly clear that
they lacked the essentially graceful
quality of their more fortunate sisters.
Their gowns were admirable in style,
but they possessed q rigidity Of bodice
that was absent in those I 30 much ad.
mired. At recent dinner four out OF
six of the women present wore gowns
which possessed this distinctive feature,
the secret OF which when learned proved
astonishingly simple. The gowns are
called-and the title is somewhat mis-.
lsading as applied to dinner costumes
"shirt waist suits" l cay misleading.
bscause to the uninitiated shirt waist
suit suggests the golf links, . pedestrian
tour or days shopping afoot. The
name is fitting one, nevertheless, for
the distinctive feature Of these suits is
boueless waist. which resdily accounts
for the undulating grace 30 much ad-
mired, and to which l have 30 often re-
ferred as q necessary adjunct to woman
ly beauty. With the boned corset and
another set Of stiff whslebones on top Of
it, the wonder is that the feminine torso
has shown any grace or freedom OF
movement Whatever. A clever creator
Of beautiful things for women inaugu.
rated the innovation, and venture to
predict that it is only question OF
months when the foolish and beauty
marriIg boned Innings viii be done
away with altogether. The idea Of
these boneless waists is to fit the well-
corseted figure with absolute perfection.
leaving all its beautiful ffnes unchsnged.
And this 10 the only point Of resemblance
between the new shirt waist suit OF
fashion and the shirt waist suit - We
ueed to know it.
Evening gowns Of this style are the
lovelieet things possible, and both large
and small women among the fashion
sbles are rapidly adopting the idea, to
the absolute exclusion Of all others. As
looked the other day at some Of the
recent creations Of Eugene. who is re-
sponsible for this charming innovation,
l wondered how it was possible that
women ever consented to encase them.
selves in the old.style whaleboues.
A geranium scarlet gown Of crepe de
chine, with short-sleeve bodice fast.
ened in the back, was simply q dream
Of beauty. There were the tiniest Of
tucks at the shoulders and down tie
back. while the front was embroidered
in a grape design to the belt line. The
skirt also showed this design in front
panel. and had q shaped tiounce on
either side. widening en- train in the
back. The embroidery was all done in
red silk and there were quantities Of
all sorts Of founces on the silk slip un.
derneath to make the desirable spread
at the bottom. The waist-as are all
the waists Of this sort-is worn over
perfectly fitted boneless clip. with the
desirable effect l have already men.
toned.
Hand embroidery is having the most
remarkable run, and is seen on the
sheer linen blouses, over silk slips, col.
ored or white. which are very popular Tor
evening wear with handsome skirts.
Another evening waist Of great beauty
was made entirely Of narrow VaIen.
ciennes insertion, fastening in the back
and having short flounced elbow. sleeves.