The Connecticut labor press., 1920-02-21
Tea Gown
 for Home Wear

The negligee is one article of dress much latitude in the matter of orna- mentation, for while some of these handsome gowns have no trimming, others are very elaborately trimmed. One of velvet, made on exactly the same lines as the one just described. is lavishly covered with Chinese stem cil work. Another is trimmed with large eyelets carrying out design. These, instead of being worked with threads like the English eyelet em- broidery, are bound with different col ored silks. Still another, of black chiffon velvet, has batik work in gold. All of these robes slip on over the head.
 In no dress can art be expressed in quite the same manner as in the tea gown, and women are continually demanding not only greater beauty of design, but of colorings in them. This has brought about some very interest ing methods of hand dyeing to obtain unusual color effects. Both velvets and silks are dyed by dipping a DOT tion of the material into the desired color and wringing it tightly with the hands. The next section of the cloth is then dipped into another shade and wrung in the same manner, and so on to the end of the piece. The fabric is then hung up so that the dyes run into each other, making wonderful shades that vie with the co1ors of the rainbow. The efforts of those who do nI f0 1nfr uncommon colors. This they do through the study of lovely old pot teries and other pieces of art, espe- cially Persian and Indian things. Bronze shades are among the fa- vorites, and some lovely velvets are done in this tone.
 Velvet Makes Stately Tea Gown.
 A stately type of tea gown is of old blue velvet, combined with chiffon. It is very much embroidered, the chiffon being practically. covered with a won- derful design of flowers, ducks and dragons. Many mellow colors of silk blend in this embroidery, although at first glance gold and silver appear to predominate. The embroidery around the neck and sleeves is a cross-stitch of gold and silver threads. The meth cd of putting this garment together is rather intricate, although the lines appear simple.
 In contrast to these stately robes there is the pajama negligee emanat- ing from the dress in which the women of China drink tea. China, however, furnishes only the basic idea for these dresses.
 The pajama negligee is made of bright colored velvets and silks, the trousers tying about the ankles with ribbons of silver and gold. While the splendid tea gowns previously de- scribed are topped by headdress. these gay little Chinese costumes are accompanied by jaunty caps and slip pers that match them.
 Deep Cuffs In Form of Trousers.
 A negligee just imported is of dull orange silk crepe embroidered with a very narrow tarnished gold braid. The lines of the robe are long and loose, the sleeves in this case being flowing and made ineone with the rest of the dress. At the bottom the gown is drawn in to deep cuffs in the form of trousers; these cuffs are weighted and trimmed with the tarnished braid.
 Another gown which came from Paris at the same time has a slip made of tiers of accordion plaited flame colored chiffon. The top of the slip is finished in Empire style with bands of silver ribbon acrass the shoulders. From these shoulder straps is swung a long cloak of brocaded velvet in the same bright tone. The cloak sweeps across the back in cava- Her fashion, leaving the frilly chiffon slip to form the front of the dress.