The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-06

1t becoming to have all cloth gowns made up elaborately with embroidered 1iounces, with silk velvet, satin or fancy braid trimming, so the original idea of the tailor-made gown seems to have been entirely lost sight of.
 It seems passing strange in view of the fact that country life Is supremely fashionable at the moment and when. in order to enjoy country life simple and appropriate clothes are a necessity that there should be this craze for such elaborate styles.
 Conservative tailors have a different story to tell, of orders received for the plainest tailor gowns made on the regu- lation plan of years, with coats and skirts to match and with little or no trimming, the smartest of the gowns secured by the perfection of cut and fit and by the material chosen. This sum- mer there are all statements to the con trary, any number of smart gowns being made of cheviots. serges, Oxfords mix lures and materials that will stand tha hardest kind of wear, the skirt in side pleats or seven gored. with decided flare on With attached fiounce and a medium length half-iitting coat No trimming except the turndown collar and cuffs
 Fancy waists worn with these gowns are most attractive and are made in silk crepe de chine and chiffon. The white batiste or fine India linon waists look exceedingly smart with the solid colors. but with the mixed cheviots a more effective contrast is obtained with the brighter colors. Elaborate lace, silk and fine Persian lawn are extremely pretty. The heavily embroidered and richly trimmed muslins and linens do not look bad
 The cloth costumes are so varied in styles and color that 1t would seem nec- essary To provide three or four in order to have always the appropriate one to wear for each occasion. Smooth cloths are more fashionable than usual for this time of the year. and are made in elabo- rate designs or after exceedingly plain ones. The long coat is rarely seen with light colors, and instead Is a blouse coat with belt and the fronts made to hang over the belt in front if long g-waisted effect Is desired. Broad pleats in the skirts are arranged novel fashion for those women who have not taken kindly to the f1ounce skirts, and the gathered shirred and even puffed skirts have yielded to common sense and can now be made In the height of fashion with out so many countless yards materials,
 The soft cloth looks well made up In such designs as gives lengths to the fig ure and at the same time show the beauty of the material. They also look well in more elaborate styles, such as the gathered and shirred effects at the side and back Bands of velvet ribbon edging the fiounces. or In graduated widths around the foot of the skirts, IS a favorite style of trimming. but cannot be said to be only suitable with cloth; in fact. 1t Is used on taffeta or yelling even oftener. Braiding and braid are both fashionable this season. and are used on ali materials. when used on cloth the best are gained. when the pat tern is unobtrusive and the braiding must be we'll done the fancy braids are all effective. but as with the braiding the rule should be that there Is notJ much used. the style of jacket permit ]