Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-18
RIBBON GARNITURES
Transforming Old Gowns
With Fresh Trimmings.
STOCKS AND CRAVATS
EPAULETTES FOR NARROW
sHoULDERED BoDICEs.
Couture Sprays Initiate Velvety
Flower Petals-Other

Written for The Evening Star by Katherine An
Gerson.
Between the new spring frock and the old
winter dress-what? Ribbons, says the 1900
girl-ribbon stocks and girdles, ribbon bows
and flowers, ribbons in every conceivable
mode of trimming. Mistress aFshion leads
her followers directly to the ribbon coun-
ter as the fountain of youth for shabby
winter garments, and thereby tides the girl
with a limited income over the most diff
cult season of the year, the few weeks De-
fore spring. No girl likes to don her pretty
light clothes too soon and yet she reallZes
that her winter frocks begin to show wear.
For the shirt-waist suit, so generally
worn for every day. there is an endless
variety of new stocks, cravats and belts
made to wear en- suite, and which freshen
up the suit wonderfully. Many of these
ribbon accessories fasten by means OF
twisted silk loops laced together with mar
rover ribbon in the same shade. They are
effective both in the dull and satin-finished
ribbons, but the latter weave adds just the
necessary touch of newneSS to a frock made
from wooden fabric.
A bodice, the sleeves of which are not
quite exaggerated enough in the matter of
fullness across the shoulders to comply
with the spring styles may be brought up
to date by the addition of broad epaulettes
of ribbon. These epauletteS are made from
narrow. ribbon. latticed and shaped to fall
well down over the shoulder. The inter-
vening spaces are filled in with fancy Mex
lean stitches or equally pretty hand work
done in silk of a harmoniZng color. A deep
folded girdle, the folds fagoted together,
and a stock or flowing cravat, all made
from the same ribbon, give the bodice q
finished appearance and not the look of a
garment brought up to fashionable require
ments by means of patchwork accessories.
latticed work of ribbon is pretty fas-
tenlng for a girdle made to wear with rib
bon epaulettes, and, despite rumors in the
fashionable world to the contrary, high
girdles still being worn.
Has New Vogue.
The vogue for ribbon appeals particularly
10 women who fancy handwork; it affords
them an opportunity to indulge this taste to
more than usual advantage, inasmuch as
their efforts are effective when finished
Nearly every girl can make ribbon flowers,
and from ribbon flowers all the trimmings
in the way of garnitures, wreaths, showers
and hair and hat adornments are developed
Usually the softest grade of ribbon is used
for flowers with few leaves, and, perhaps
the centers purchased now at the ribbon
counters. The chrysanthemum is a fav1rite
flower for ribbon development, the long
ragged petals being easily initiated either
in loops or cut ENDS of ribbon. The large
Uinh DlOSSOm ana Inc WnltG hover are
more often copied than the yellow variety
because of the hesitancy of the majority of
girls to wear yellow. Roses, peoples, tiny
forget-me-nots, seraniumS and violets are
all initiated in ribbon, the foliage which ac-
companies them being made from chiffon
velvet. Sprays of maiden-hair fern mingle
effectively with ribbon flowers, especially
for corsage garniture.
Great Possibilities.
The decolletage of the evening gown Of
fers unlimited possibilities for ribbon deco
rations. One garniture which extended
around the decolletage and well down the
front was fashioned from three shades of
pink satin ribbon. Small Topped flowers
were first mounted upon strappings of
featherbone, at irregular intervals, and
into the spaces were added larger flowers
with ragged ends of broad ribbon A cluster
of the smaller blossoms hung down grace
fully over the shoulders. This same garni-
ture is seen on an evening gown of pale
pink net, in which a scintillating pattern of
shimmering gold appears. The garnture in
this instance was made from gauze ribbon
spangled with sequins and mock gems A
couture adornment worn with this was one
large blossom the center of which sparkled
with the shining spangleS and gems. Rib
bons for fans are made to match the other
ribbon accessories of dancing frocz
A pretty ribbon set for house costume Is
made up of spray for the bodice rib
bon belt and a gracefully arranged cluster
for the hair. The bodice bouquet is of pop
Ply red ribbon, following the poppy clusters
nearly possible and interSperSed with
leaves and stems. This is worn on the left
side. The belt is of three shades of red
blending into each other in the folds, which
are held together with buckle in front.
The hair spray consists of one large poppy
set into bed of leaves, which tumble down
the low couture. The aim of the
girl who wears ribbon flowers in her hair
is to have them look as if they had
just tumbled in among her tresses. and not
as if they were pinned there forever and
ever. A stiff ribbon flower is an abomina-
ton; ribbon flowers were not meant for the
Gibson girl, but for the graceful, artistic,
truly feminine girl.
Hat Trimmings.
The spring ushers in a vogue for having
the broad-brimmed hats trimmed with
flowers, choux, knots and bows of ribbon,
with innumerable flowing ends and irregu
lar loops. A sailor shape in brown has a
large Alsatian bow of creamy white rib
bon across the front, with ribbon flower
in the center covering the knot. With this
may be worn a bodice spray of chrysanthe-
NUNS of white, just verging on yellow, and
with centers of a deeper tint.
Ribbon flowers constitute the largest part
of the trimming on the new hats, and many
of the models have long flowing strings of
ribbon and artistic little chin bows for the
girl who affects quaint styles. Immense
tation of the American Beauty, and small
er blossoms copied after the jacqueminot
rose, are the sole trimming on broad fiat
hats.
In the revival OF foot trimmings there Is
still another use for ribbons. Little up
standing pleatings of ribbon are frequently
used to finish the hem of skirt, especially
when the hem binding is turned up on
the right side, as it is in many of the gowns
of the season. When skirt Is somewhat
worn at the hem-and that Is the first place
that a skirt begins to show wear-a neat
little pleating of ribbon, applied either in
outstanding or the regular pleated ruffie eff
feet, freshens it up and conceals the shabby
portions When the binding is lined with |
haircloth, this method of rehabilitation is
simple the harcloth having just enough
stiffness to keep the ribbon pleatng out in
smart little row all around
Fine limitations.
Velvet ribbons are being utilized for imi- |
tatng flowers which have soft, velvety |
leaf. A trail of misunderstanding geraniums
was made from velvet ribbon in the gerani- |
UNI tints of red. The garniture was ar