The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-29
INEXPENSIVE DRESS
FAD FOR GRADUATES
Fashionable Thing Now
at Most of the Luxurious
Schools for Girls to Make
Their Own Commence
ment Costumes-To Be
Worn All Summer.
HE lingerie gown is the orchid of
fashion, the filmy, frail flower
Of the smart woman's wardrobe,

HE lingerie gown is the orchid of
fashion, the f1lmy. frail flower
Of the smart woman's wardrobe,
but it is more adaptable than
most exquisite things, and may be
worn by the girl with a few hundred
q year to dress on, as well as the
women whose dress allowance runs
into five figures.
The ideal OF a lingerie gown Is a
garment that looks as simple as a
pocket handkerchief and costs as much
as q string Of pearls. In Paris they
excel in this demure style Of frock,
and the bill that comes home from the
couturiere with his sweet simplicity is
enough to take the breath away from
the most extravagant of women. Three,
four and five hundred dollars are mere
bagatelles for these innocent handfuls
OF batiSte and embroidery without a
scrap of lace or a knot of ribbon or
frill or furbelow. 1t Is all In the fine
ness of the material. the smartness of
the design and the delicacy Of the
needlework. Skilled fingers work for
days upon the panels that form these
gowns and a gown of handmade lace
costs less than many of the simple
models in French embroidery.
On the other hand is the lingerie
gown that may be put together for a
few dollars, and If the wearer is young
and the maker is artful the effect is
almost as good as that of the fairy-fine
French article that costs SO much eye
sight and such enormous sums Of
money.
Look at that smartly fashioned gown
OF cream batiSte with the surplice
bodice, for instance. 1t cost very little
and any clever woman could reproduce
1t for a few dollars, and it has all the
salient characteristics of the season.
1t Is mounted over pale green which
shows at the foot of the skirt. The
lace band Is of a deep ecru and the
slight embroidery on the surplice and
across the top of the chemisette is in
the same deep tone. The ceinture is
Of brilliant emerald green liberty satin.
The gown with the fchu-cape effect
is of rose pink mouseline and the
style is ideal for the very slender girl,
the fichu giving breadth to the shoul-
ders and the triple skit Stimulating
more fullness than the skirt really
has. This gown has the advantage of
looking more elaborate than it really
is, as the face on fichu and skirt is
applique. the material then cut away
from 1T, giving an intricate open work
effect which is really very easy to pro-
duce with fine needle, pair Of sharp
scissors and a steady hand. The high
necked chemisette is Of tucked lisse
and may be dispensed with If pre-
ferred, square piece between the
points Of the fichu taking it's place.
The high, deep belt is of MORE ribbon
in a bright rose tone. Either of these
gowns would make good models for
a graduation gOwn-reproduced in
white, of course.
The inexpensive graduation gown
has become fad of late, and last year
many schools and several colleges took
pride in announcing that the gowns of
its graduation classes would cost a
merely nominal sum. In several in
stances the gowns were made by the
girls themselves, thus proving that the
higher education was not synonymous
with the ignoring of the simple arts
OF sewing and making the most of a
little. Some girls object to the over
simple gown on the ground that is
bound to be too much like every other
girls frock and resemble a uniform.
Others say that they would rather