The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-09
rrespondence OF the indianapolis Journal.


NEW YORK. April I'm spite Of
the late spring and the long. long
period OF chill and darkness that We
have experienced warm days are coming
and before we quite know it genuine sum-
Nor heat will be upon us. The sun is like
ly 10 be tricky at this season. 1t is by no
means unusual Tor him TO d:ssembe as
TO his real intent all through April and
then suddenly TO make us realize what he
can co when he tries This year being the
phenomenal one il has proved itself. we
may well look for pranks even out of the
common. but let cur arbiter of heat and
cold be as capric;ous as he will. the time
Of protracted and regular heat cannot be
far ahead. and wise folk are making ready
10 enjoy the fresh beauty of summer when
at last il shall have arrived. Among all
the accessories of the toilet none Is or
more Importance from either the stand
point of comfort or of style than the par
asol. 1t completes a costume as nothing
else can. IL affords protection and adds 10
the effect at one and the same time. In
skillful hands il even contributes 10 the
success of the social game and lends its
aid 10 the little coquetries of which the
season of holiday making is so apt to be
productive. For all of which reasons IL
must be considered carefully and we'll and
is amply worthy an entire chapter OF its
own.
This year the variety offered is almost
bewildering. Were il not that the different
sorts can be classified and selection so
confined TO some extent at least, such
would indeed be the fact. but. happily.
what suits morning dress can be consid-
cred by itself, what BELTS the carriage can
be set apart and various other subdivisions
can be made. AS, however, 1t is the all
round useful sunshade. the that we
carry day by day as We tread the busy
streets or walk the country roads, that
fills the first and most important need. IL
Is that one which comes first TO my mind.
Plain coaching umbrellas always hold. In
them 1 see little change; they are made of
silk in all colors and with handles that
are big knobs, in club styles, or fashioned
after the heads of animals, they have
been for several years. Yet their popu-
larity shows no decrease. For their pur-
pose they are very nearly perfect, and.
such being the case, they will remain. II
is in the newer and the more fanciful
things that one must look for change.
Parasols that are as simple as those known
as coaching are made of plain pongee lined
with white India silk and are finished with
half-inch double ruffie Of this last. Others
are OF plain-colored silk with borders that
are Powered, the borders being not over
two inches wide, and others again are
made of plain black and lowered silk. the
latter forming a band at the center that
is held in place by fancy stitches, but while
all these take the shape of the coaching
umbrella they are different and show ham
dies of quite another sort. Preferably
these are simple, OF natural furze, cherry,
bamboo or magnolia, with knobs crooks,
but no law can be laid down, as one sees
fFarc OLE h. t~AZ~ IL
gates elaboration TO the parasol of white
or of more delicate tints.
THE USEFUL VARIETY.
For these useful all-around ones green
and dark blue take precedence of all other
plain colors, and, with all-over Powered
designs on medium grounds, of almost all
else. Dark green and dark blue can be
carried with many gowns Flower silks of
this sort are nondescript in color and con-
sequently harmonize with almost all else. If
ones choice must be limited TO one scarce
ly anything better could be found. One
pretty example Is In gray with the flowers
OF the shadowy sort and another in tan,
while countless more might be mentioned.
As have already stated sticks are of SIM
pie wood and are tied about with bows
made of the silk. Tucks are not new. We
had them galore a year ago, but they
here again and are too pretty to be over
looked. Taffeta tucked TO form a border
is handsome and simple and one sees them
used In that way as we'll as the gradua ted
ones that extend TO the stick in the plain
colored silks that are always desirable when
in harmony with the gown but greater novel
~ by far is found in the dark blues and
greens that show narrow border OF fiow-
cred silks, the blossoms being vague and
ShadoWy and the grounds black or the same
dark shade the founda ton silk. IL is in
the parasols of lighter color and greater
elaboration that must look for greater
novelty and change. These palmer ones,
while most essential Of all to the woman
of affairs, do not vary greatly from season
to season, being always plain and little
trimmed
Both the parasols of the carriage and
those designed for the white and light
colOred costumes, which will be worn dur
ing the entire summer at out-of-town re-
sorts, are really lovely and show many
quite fresh and novel features. II is sea-
son of lace and of embroidery and the fact
is apparent In the parasols as in the
gowns. Also there Is new and altogether
charming fashion which utilizes the mate
rial of the gown whenever suitable. One
of the daintiest French lawns / have seen
is pale violet and white and is made with
the gathered rufi1es that so vividly recall
our great grandmothers, the parasol also
being edged with three narrow lace-edged
frils. Others less extravaganza, inasmuch
as they suit not one but many gowns are
of white silk Powered, of silk embroidered
of silk lace-trimmed and of silk with ruches
of ruffies and newer STILL of heavy white
linen with borders of openwork embroidery.
Pretty, quaint-looking ones are made with
both ruches and frills, the silk being finely
tucked in groups and either ruches OF
chiffon or narrow frils of the silk being set
between the groups. The light-colored flow
cred silks are exquisitely charming and
dainty without being over-pershable AS
rule. the parasols are plain in coaching
style, and the flowers are sometimes scat
tered over the whole, sometimes from
outside border only and sometimes a bor-
der and a finish at the top. But however
arranged they are always attractive and
are shown both on plain and MORE grounds.
Others OF quite different sort are made
of plain silks in light colors and are various
ly trimmed
LINEN-TRIMMED PARASOLS
There is a rage for using linen on silk
in all things and it appears in the parasols
as we'll as elsewhere. Most charming
simple ones are finished with a hem and
tuck of natural-colored batiste each edged
with irregular white silk braid. Others are
slightly more elaborate and are lace
trimmed Among these white Is favorite
with heavy cream lace which is set on as
a border, in motifs and in almost every
possible way. Venetian sorts are favorites
and the shapes and designs of the motifs
are without number. An exceedingly
handsome model is Of white MORE with
crescent-shaped bits OF lace applied I'm each
section. Another shows crescents and me-
dalltOnE cOrn hinad and similar things oh