The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-11
THE VOGUE OF THE
AMERICAN MADE FROCKS

Now that the good old summer time
has come, the pretty gowns for warm
days have been brought out and the
white lady" has suddenly MADE her APP
pearance Birmingham is by no means
deserted as yet. and indeed it will be a
month before the streets take on their
look OF desertion. In some respects
however, Birmingham Is like New York
which even in summer has its throngs,
although 1t is fashionable to say that no
one Is In town"
June is the month when the summer
toilette has lost none of its freshness and
the many sweet gowns seen here and the
descriptions of models In the fashion
journals indicate that never before has
the woman of wealth or the woman who
is forced to dress on a slender income
had better opportunities for making her
self attractive by wearing becoming
clothes
The following extracts taken from The
American Silk Journal, one of the most
reliable authorities on dress. point out
an interesting fact. that is that American
frocks are in favor:
word or two on the costumes de-
signed in this country would not be amiss
at this juncture. Many times we have
called attention to the fact that some
| splendid ideas In dress-in fact new
styles have been created by gray mat
ter on this side of the water and what
is better to say is, that at the end of
another decade. the majority of gowns
| for all occasions will be designed and
created by the energetic brains and MIN
! BILE fingers of our fame-gathering dress
making establishments. An original idea
| In frocks was shown recently at the
New York Coaching Parade, spring
feature of the metropolis and an occa-
sion on which the newest in gowns is
worn. The feature of this dress of taft
fetas was the draping of the bodice, with
fullness running around the body, but
defining the lines of the waist and bust.
The sdewise folds, drawn in snugly at
the under-arm seams and hugglng the
lines Of the figure. were shirred down the
center fronts and finished with a line
of putting, on which were set tiny bows
and buckles. The sleeves harmonized
with the body and were of a Partisan
type, modified to suit the costume. They
were exceedingly full to the elbow, but
were shirred closely up the outside of the
arm, the stirring being covered with
narrow bouillouee. This gave the effect
of draped sleeve and retained the ex
oessve fullness. yet, to a marked ex-
tent, defined the shape of the arm.
White taffetas has come to the fore in
this country. and its advent has been re-
ceved with considerable enthusiasm.
Materials for these gowns should be
made of the soft-1nsh and shimmering
taffetas fabrics of the best quality Then
there are the white pongees and Shan
lungs. which are now made up in severe
" tailored coat and suit skirts, which
can be well placed in the category of
stunning gowns These materials are
also widely used in extravaganza cos
tunes, lavishly trimmed with embroidery
and Irish lace
The shirt waist suit, so copiously writ
ten about and referred to so many times
in these columns, has arrived, and evil
IDENTIFY comes to stay, for in practically
every dark color combination, picked out
with white, 1t is seen in the street and
day and night; and once a costume is
popular in this way it Is bound to last
for several seasons. The long coats,
whole costumes of black taffetas and
| peau de soies. can once more be seen In
the designs of arriving fashions. 1t is
said-just how truthfully we are not in
position to say at this writing-that the
fall will see tremendous revival of black
silks for street wear. 1t will be the wise
buyer that Studies this phase of fashion
| In all its points, for to be caught nap
ping with style of this kind prevalent,
would mean loss of many dollars.
As was forecasted many months ago in
this column, the champagne shades are
more than we'll to the fore-in fact, one
might say that the use of this color is
now almost craze, and when a shade
| seizes the fancy of the woman public, as
this beautiful tint has undoubtedly done,
| 1t must run its gamut. From shoes TO
wells. this delicate wine color can be seen,
not only in the metropolis and other east
ern cities, but, carried in the sample col
| lections of the salesman, it has found its
way to the best retail hives of the west
| and has been applied to almost every ar
| ticle of women's apparel, and. what IS
more, sold We hear of the color In milli-
| merry, In silks, and in hosiery.
tn az MApRIED