The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-06
For the Momcn.

There is always between seasons
problem for the gownbuilder and when
q woman of limited means is obliged to
face it her decision becomes a serious
matter. At this time there are so
many rumors about what is to be worn
next season-reports of new and untried
fashions and stories to the effect that
old favorites are quite gone out-that
a woman scarcely knows what to think
Just now the problem is how long to
make the skirt. On one hand one sees
the French skirts which trail upon the
ground all around and have to be held
up in front. The other extreme is the
new London dinner and dancing gown
which almost shows the ankles and
which certainly escapes the floor by an
inch or two.
The American medium for house wear
is the skirt which just touches the floor
all the way around. This length is
adaptable to the ACCORDION plated
skirt, also the full, many gored skirt,
each gore of which is cut perfectly
straight
The clinging skirt has by no means
gone out but the very tight effect is not
produced as formerly by an exceeding
ly snug fit; the thin soft materials are
worn and these are so lined and draped
as to cling to the wearer and show the
lines of the figure artistically. But
the skirt which had to be put on with
q. shoe horn is decidedly out of it now.
Her New York friends write a Topeka
woman that the new dancing skirts are
almost all made SO as to escape the
floor and many of them intended for
the cotillion are built to swing clear
and escape by several inches. With,
them are worn the most fanciful and
beautiful slippers with big gauze bows
and JeWeled buckles and lovely fine,
lacey silken hose. For the dressing of
the feet becomes doubly important
when the skirts are ankle high.
The dinner gown is always long and
trailing and there is a rule that the
gossamer effects must be made very
long. Like other fashions this one has
no Justification in practicability. The
thin perishable fabrics like mousseline,
tulle and chiffon which are least adapt
ed to wiping up floors and being tramp
ed upon are conspicuous examples of
the materials which must trail. 1t is
evident that these soft, clinging drap-
cries would be most Ineffective in short
skirts which demand a stuff of some
weight and body. Nets, point de spirit,
and many of the cotton fabrics look
well in short skirts.
How do you get your husband to use
his den?" Topeka woman recently
appealed to a friend. Il went to Chi
cago to select furnishings for a den for
my husband and went to a great deal
of trouble and expense in hitting 1t out
and he never sits in it. He uses any
other room in the house in preference
TO it and although I planned it espe- |
cially for him and studied to give it |
that cosy, home-like, lived-in look, 1t |
isn't used any morn than an old-fash-
toned 'b>st parlor.'
Specially designed wall papers are
quite popular, since they are made aP-
propriate for the room in which they
are to be used. The Muses. is INTENDED
for & music room: a frieze of rolicking
children hand-in-hand is special
nursery paDer, while a frieze OF hens
chickens and animals out of Moan
ark will please the child fond of living
pets.
A conspicuous novelty among the new
bedroom or boudOir papers is an eI-I
feet of gathered or scalloped lace. An
watered silk with the lace festooned at
the top just under the corn1ce. WITH
tiny punches of pink rosebuds. An
other charming less pretentious ERECT
bray. A Dresden pattern on silky +
ground is another exceedingly good
bedroom paper.
Fashion seems to affect wall cover
Ings as well as everything else. Just
now the craze seems to be for green
and blue. One furnishing scheme seen
lately had the lower walls OF gopein
blue, a frieze of figured blue with
dow hangings of English cretonne IN |
conventionahzed green thistle on blue
ground and sofa cushions of green ana 4
blue washable English cotton.
Nearly all the new picture frames are
'old" in style, tres ancien," as the
French say. for the modern man or
woman prefers to smile forth from a |
respectable appearing frame to reposing
In something contemporaneous in style
and setting. While ancient frames are
suitable to old pictures. can not
imagine why they are considered the
most suitable frames for modern pho
tographs Luckily the ancients did
not possess this snobbishness. Had |
they We would have had no art in the
world today but that of the Greek and
Romans, and one quite sympathizes
with Dufayers desire to create a style"
which will be as modern as pleasing. |
and for which end he has announced |
his willingness to spend a hundred
thousand francs.
Among the latest fads of fashion are
the new square calling cards, quite like
signboards impressive, and Ia mode. |
fitting companions for the large sheets
of writing paper engraved in gold. |
Nothing else is in vogue this year but