The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-15
A RIOT OF ELABORATION IN
THE DRESS MODES OF TO-DAY

outlined with drapery of the cloth in
hood form. The wrap itself is one Of
the shawlshaped capes with dolman
like sleeves. The coat of dark brown
cloth has Indian red velvet cuffs and
collarless finish outlined with fancy
braid. The sleeve is worthy of note,
being of the voluminous order popular
in new coats.
The velvet of regal gown prominent
at one of the openings of Paris models
is white with a soft subtle bloom tinged
with pink. Nine out of ten of the wish
tors who stopped to look at it believed
it to be yelled with a coarse net and
the tenth, it is safe to say, went astray
as to the real character of the material.
The velvet is, as a fact, one Of the
many new plush weaves which are
seen for the first time this fall. The
ground has a slight chameleon effect
obtained by the mingling of tenderly
tinted threads. Over the surface is
thrown a netlike pattern soft to the
touch but deluding to the observer.
The lines of the gown are classical. The
with a pattern borrowed from an old
tapestry and worked in silver thread
and the softest pastel pinks and
greens.
Flounces cut in scallops or points at
the foot are bound, as of old, with a
narrow bias of the same material.
Earlier in the season there was ten
dency toward binding fiounces with a
narrow velvet edge, to give them a
stand-out quality at the bottom, and
this is still seen now and then. A bias
plaid binding is sometimes used on
cloth.
Narrow folds, as in days long past,
ere returned to high favor for trim
mings. They outline and border other
decorations or follow lines of their own
in straight or fanciful designs. On
a rich black net gown the gathered
f1ounces of the skirt are festooned with
narrow black velvet folds and the folds
are looped, coiled and knotted among
the full draperies and trimmings of the
bodice.
Heavy cords covered with the mate
rial of the coat or gown are used on
the most elaborate models. On a
striking Directoire robe of copper col
ored silk and white net the skirt is
of the net richly embroidered in an
artistic blend of pale blues and pale
pinks. The bodice. with it's Directoire
train, is of the silk. Over the hips
there is a pannier Cor, some persons
call it, a draped polonaise effecD,
made up of heavy cords covered with
the copper colored silk and twisted
and turned into curves that follow the
lines of the figure gracefully. The
dTapery of the bodice ends in the same
twining and curving big cords over the
shoulders and tops of the sleeves.
These heavy covered cords are used on
all the materials employed for elabor-
ate garments-gauzes, nets, silks, chif-
fon velvets and thin woods. They CEN
ter puffs, head fiounces. outline edges
and answer all the purposes of bring
ing desirable lines of a gown or coat
into prominence.
The narrow puffs called by the
French 'boui1lonne," which were so
much used for trimmings during the
summer, trim some of the handsomest
gowns this fall. They are still warped
into scroll shapes, knots, ETC., and out
line trimmings and the edges of drap-
cries.
Another popular device for elaborat-
ing trimmings is the use of twists
made of the material of the gown
net, silk or velvet. These twists are
twined and knotted into all sorts of
fanciful designs and decorate lace, net
and gauze f1ounces or border edges of
flounces or draperies.
Little ribbon and silk bows, some
times so small that they suggest tuft-
ings, dot spaces and surfaces that
would otherwise be fiat or too unin-
teresting. They are seen on skirt
fiouncings, bodice Jokes and filling the
openings between insets and orna-
ments. A simple little blouse of white