The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-05-07

Dame Fashion

from Paris, the source of feminine
fashions, that the fullness Of the skirt
has not yet reached it's limit. There
seems to be a tendency to expand the
spair Of all stout women. 1t seems,
after ALL that those who predicted,
when the skirts began to become fuller,
that the new fashion would not last
long and would, certainly, not go be-
yond a most moderate limit, were mis-
taken. At first the skirts merely
showed a suggestion of fullness by
fiarng at the bottom. After a while
the zone of fullness began to extend
to the region of the knees and step by
step the fullness assembled to the hip
region Now, SO it is reported from
that the process of gradual expansion
will not drop at the lower part OF the
ness will begin right at the waist band.
Stout women are at great disad-
vantage in following the new fashion.
Even at the time when the fullness
did not reach above the knee short,
stout woman, with modish skirts,
would resemble nothing more closely
than a big bell, with it's rim widely
curved out. What are they going to do
when full skirts, with the fullness be
ginning at the waistband, are the
style? They will have but two alter
natives. They have the choice between
skirts that make them look as big and
clumsy as a barrel or sacrifice stylish
ness for the sake Of securing more
graceful appearance.
The slender and graceful woman. on
the other hand, could not possibly find
any style more becoming to her than
the skirts of the present fashion. The
effect of the graceful lines formed by
the judiciOusly full skirts upon a slen-
der woman is exquisite and far prettier
than anything shown for many years.
There is, however, also an economic
side to the new style. 1t is more eX-
pensive than the style in vogue two or
three years ago, when fashion decreed
that the skirts must be almost skin
tight. For the new style skirt a great
deal more material is required than for
the skirt of two years ago and that
alone has caused considerable in
crease in the cost of dresses. But that
is not all. The trimming and ornamen-
tation of skirts is infinitely more elab-
crate than it used to be, and many of
the materials used, like lace, are quite
expensive, the large increase in the
of material required for trim
ming under the new regime meaning
increase in the cost of
modern skirts.
Some of the latest models imported
from Paris are destined to produce a
regular bell effect. They are fuller at
the hips than below the hips and drawn
in markedly just above the knees, far
ing out again below the knees, reach
ing their greatest fullness at the bot
tom. There is a decided tendency to-
ward introducing odd and picturesque,
sometimes even bizarre effects. and the
means used to obtain that result vary
greatly between the introduction of
unusual materials, the use of bizarre
of ornamentation original and quaint.
Some of the costumes are actually
dowdy. Many Of the costumes contain
peculiar features Of styles belonging
to various periods and which do not
always harmonic very well. 1t must
be said that the result of those combi-
nations is not always happy and artis-
tic, and frequently betrays decidedly
bad taste.
One Of the most striking features is
the fact that in the trimming and Or
namentatiOn of these modern dresses
every resource Of the dressmakers' art
is drawn upon, and sometimes a dozen
different means are used in combina-
ton. There may be insertions, hand
embroidery, laces, ribbons, corded
gatherings, frills, rulings, gatherings
and stitches of every kind and descrip-
ton employed in combination on one
and the same skirt. That the effect of
a skirt thus overturned and over
ornamented is not always pleasing will
not be surprising. OF course, similar
cases were by no means impossible
with the former styles, but there can
not be the least doubt that the extrav-
agance which has ruled in the domain
Of fashion for over a year now has
greatly increased the tendency to rx-
cesses in trimming and ornamenting
dresses.
During the season just ended vel
vets of all kinds were rather an impor-
tant factor among the materials used
for fashionable costumes. There were