The San Francisco call., 1905-02-26

comes decidedly awkward.
The box plated cloth skirts hold their
own well and. with very little change.
are the same as last season, save that
the boxes are larger and are stitched
fatter around the hips. There are the
little tucked hip, as of yore, and there
are the very full skirts with the shirred
hips. The fitted hips one also sees with
box plaits around the knees.
In every case the skirt flares around
the knees and around the foot and in
the majority of cases it is trimmed
with flounces which are put on rather
plain. The f1ounces are more like fat
bands made slightly full. There are two
styles of fiounces, the full and frilled
and the plain. And both are fashion
able.
To quote from an authority at the
dressinalers convention:
Make your skirt of anything, no
matter what. Cut it off so that it clears
the street, but don't make it too short.
Now trim it with rules TO make it look
dressy. You will have a handsome
skirt, no matter what your material
may be, taffeta, fculard, Japanese silk,
vcile or canvas
l1dDuSO1lc IplfOf-Nlsa(tc STOWuS.
One of the spring innovations is the
French neck. This is very much like
the Dutch neck, but not quite SO low.
1t is worn with street coats and street
suits To make the French neck take
any gown you have and remove the
collar. Finish it around the neck with
a cording. Then throw a white lace
collar around the neck, let it lie fiat
and you have the approved French
neck
If a woman has pretty throat she
can wear the Dutch neck with her
spring cloth suit. Her spring coat will
be made without collar and will be
finished with a fiat collar of lace.
which will be fastened in front with
an old-fashioned brooch. A hand
some miniature can be worn if one
happens to have such an article in
tho family.
There is a new use for the buttons
of spring and this is in connection with
the new skirts. The skirts are trimmed
with deep fiounces. The fiounces lap
in the middle of the front and are fin
ished with two big buttons. This may
fiounce comes together or is closed
right in the middle of the front and
there is pointed finish. Two big but
tons covered with cloth or velvet ac-
centuate this big point of cloth.
One of the triggest of spring suits
was finished around the neck with a
wide lace collar. which was buttoned
right IN the middle of the front with
a great big velvet button. Could any,
thing have been odder? This great
handsome deep lace collar of elegant
design fastened under the chin with an
immense velvet button. The button
hole, by the way, was worked ruth
lessly through the lace.
What are the new laces ?" asked
woman shopper of the head of the
lace department. A polite look of sur
prise greeted her. Madame" said the
head Of the department. I'VE do not
handle new laces here. The novelty
laces will be found upon the bargain
counters and at the notion department.
Here we keep the old laces and the
laces of standard makes. This year
We have old laces of China and Rus
sia."
But, all the same. there are pretty
novelty laces which might worthily
find their way into any wardrobe.
These, come in the limitations and
are in new forms and patterns. You
can do an immense deal with the
handsome laces, which are made of a
combination of two kinds of lace,
heavy and fine, and which look really
elegant in consequence of their make
and pattern. They are novelty imita-
tions and come cheap.
The standard laces of the year in
clude the Oriental list, which are intri-
cate and beautiful. They are nearly all
hand worked. in colors, and they are
fascinatingly lovely. One can use them
to great advantage in the making of
the cloth gowns of the season. They
form the most beautiful revers, which
are turned back from vests Of pale silk.
Nothing dressier could be fancied.
Vests for Spring Wardrobes.
In the spring wardrobe there should
be vest or two of cloth of gold or sill
yer and a vest of white satin brocade.
These vests can be sleeveless and but
toned down the front with little gold
buttons. or with big flat velvet buttons.
Either way they make a very impor
tant addition to the wardrobe and one
which no woman can neglect.
A woman who is getting ready for
Newport season has laid away in her
trunk a dozen beautiful little silk vests
to be worn with the little blazer and
Eton coats They take the place of the
shirt waist and are smarter They need
only a stock with them. They are in