The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-01-04
EVENING GOWNS.
Lean Toward the Burne-Jones' Thing,
Tempered by Common Sense.

Lean Toward the Burne-Jones' Thing
Tempered by Common Sense.
Catherine Reid, in the New Century
after attending a performance given by
Matthew Arnold in New York. writes:
1 noticed that the evening gowns
were quite elaborate, with a strong
leaning toward the Burne-Jones' thing,
tempered by common sense. In fact,
this leaning is too strong for most peo-
pie to follow with great care, for there
is nothing more dangerous than to
adopt a picturesque style of dress with
out sufficient means to carry it out.
The Empire style is making a strong
fight for supremacy, and certainly
many beautiful gowns on that order
have been turned out. The way in
which the gowns fall in lines from the
shoulders to the hem-if hem there is
with the exaggerated long trained
skirts, is very graceful. But these same
long lines, when the skirt is not prop
erly curved in at the side seams, have
no style whatever. unless the wearer
of the gown be endowed by nature with
marvellous figure q fine carriage,
and superbIy modelled shoulders. Mere
~ to take straight yards of heavy or
thin material as the case may be, and
hang it from the low cut waist of an
evening. gown does not insure that
gown being in the least smart. even
when the material is of the richest.
One gown that is very popular. and is
one of the most expensive models of
the season, is made of crepe de chine
in pale pink-a transparent crepe de
chine--put over a white satin princesse
lining. The waist itself is cut very low
off the shoulders, and in point in the
back. The crepe de chine falls from
that point, or rather from the top of
the waist, to the hem of the skirt,-the
skirt being certainly two and a half
yards long, in an unbrollen line until it
meets q succession of ruff1es of chiffon
edged with a curious gray lace. The
gown is curved in, and yet seems to
hang straight down. In front there is
a wide stole of the gray lace embroi-
dered in gray pearls. A belt starting
from the front passes underneath this
stole, goes up under the arms to just
where the point of the waist ends at
the shoulders, and there the ribbon is
tied in a wide butterfly bow. fastened
with a rhinestone buckle, and the ends
OF the ribbon-a finger in width-fall
to the hem of the skirt. Over the top
of the shoulders. and the front of the
waist and in little short caps is boil
ero of grayish lace. which lies fiat
against the skin. This costume is in
tended for an evening gown. and yet is
decidedly on the lines Of a wrapper or
tea gown. 1t is a very good instance
of the eccentricity of the present fash
ions for evening. There are some very
handsome brocades, satins and en-
broidered velvets for evening wear, the
velvets with lace insertion and medal
lions; but the smartest gowns are of
transparent materials. Lace-prefer-
ably Chantilly--in black over white or
some light color, and with the most
wonderful embroidery on the lace,
makes one of the favorite models of
the year.
The pattern of the lace is a very fine
one, so there is nothing heavy looking
about the gown. On this lace are
sewed bands of black satin or taffeta
silk. and at regular intervals on the
silk bands are oblong squares of heavy
embroidery in cut jet of the most re-
markable workmanship