The San Francisco call., 1905-02-19

silk petticoats are now made of wash
able silk. The new washable silks are
triumphs in the art of silk making
and the wash silk shirt waists and
wash silk dress skirts would surprise
the old-fashioned dressmaker Of a few
years ago, who labored under the Inn
preston that silk would spot II wet.
Two-thirds OF the summer silks ara
washable.
They are promising many novelties
in the wash silk line and all women
should do well to watch out for them,
for they will be handsome and we'll
adapted TO nice wear as well as to ,
common wear. ITO imagine that wash
silks are for every day is a great mis-
take" said a modiste, touching with
proud fingers a piece OF silk that lay
before her. "for our new qualities are
as fine as any that ever graced ball
room. They are for evening wear"
The bertha saves many a gown from
mediocrity. And the tea gown Is no
exception to this. With a pretty lace
bertha one can make tea gown dressy
and almost elegant. The bertha should
be OF nice lace and should be care
fully fitted to the gown A great deal
depends upon the fit Of the neck Of
any gown, for house or street. and II Is
by the way the neck Is managed that
one judges the gown and its dress
maker.
They take piece lace and cut tho
bertha out Of it. Or they buy the
handsome lace berthas all made and
ready for use. But a prettier method
and a newer one Is to make a little
yoke of taffeta, with stock attached,
and to trim 1t with narrow rows Of
lace in bertha fashion. Thus one gets
the effect. the finish. the workmanship
and all. combined in one.
In making your negligee, or teagown.
remember that it is governed by very
much the same laws and the same
styles that govern the street dresses.
Indeed. one can take ones street
dresses. and. with very little trouble.
make them over into house gowns. 1t
takes just little remodeling. provid
ing, Of course. that the material be
suitable. One can work to good ad
vantage with an old taffeta street
gown as background And one can
do wonders with an old street dress
OF foulard or India silk.
When making over your street
foulard into a house dress. remember
that the coin dots are fashionable.
And do not forget that the coin spots
add much to the beauty OF material.
Moreover. they change it's complexion
decidedly. so that it looks like new.
A woman who dresses very prettily
at all times took. the other day. an old
street dress Of plain India silk and.
leaving the ruffies precisely as she
found them, she sewed coin dots Of
white taffeta all over the gown She
then took a little OF the material and
attached fri1ls to the blouse waist and
made a gtrdls to wear with II. Now,
by cutting open the sleeves and ar
ranging them to wear with UNDER
sleeves, and fixing the yoke In bertha
fashion. she soon had avery pretty
little luncheon dress which cost moth
ing except the time and the trouble
One might add that she lengthened the
skirt by setting a runfe around the
bottom Of 1t and edginG the ruffie
with deep. soft lace
How to Make Your House Gown.
There is a house gown with Spanish
ruff1es that Is sometimes called Eula-
lie. Very full, very long. open In front
and cut low in the neck, 1t Is a thing OF
comfort and OF beauty. or course. all
then small appointments must be in
keeping and this calls for soft taffeta
petticoat harmonizing in color and for
beautiful embroidered stockings and
slippers whose heels and toes match
the gown.
The embroidered slipper toe Is a
thing which makes the foot look
smaller. while the little brilliant
buckle. set in the middle Of the fat lit
tie velvet rosette, is a form Of slipper
trimming which is much seen.
For the making of the peignoir thers
are many materials. A modiste. who
J had, been engaged to build a trous-
, seau for q very fashionable girl. has
, been asked to select the material for
six tea and room gowns She calls
them tea gowns. lounging robes, XII
monos, peignoirs and room jackets.
And her materials are China silk, jap
, sanese silk, shantung. sheer India mus
Vim, soft taffeta and lace.
5 And to her list she is going to add
, one room dress of brilliant blue satin-
: She will make il in grande dame style.
!. with full shirred skirt. blouse waist
and with an immensely deep sailor col
!, lar of lace. This makes the most ex-
e quisite room gown. one that can be
slipped on all Of a minute when
, morning callers are unexpectedly an
= nounced and when one would look
!. dressy without going to the trouble OF
putting on a tight gown
:. There come very soft lustrous silks
that are handsome for the morning.
( Silk. if well selected. in the oriental
: weaves, wears a long time and 1t IS
so very comfortable that the luxury
loving woman viii scarcely deny her.
!. self this boon.
The long. straight lines are. the
!. thing. Yet there Is something ora re-
turn to the 1850. tea gown, that thing
that was worn before the war. 1t is
!, round in tie skirt, round in the waist
u nd fharo iS uir11a IN which fhe