Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1891 — WOMAN AND HER DRESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WOMAN AND HER DRESS

SOME NEW STYLES TjHAT ARE ATTRACTIVE. Mental Occupation Resulting from a Love of Dress Is a Preventive of Hysteria— Becoming Headgear—The Long Clo«k Appears.

What to Wear in Winter.

CELEBRATED dandy, whoso attire furnished the court of England with more subjects o f conversation than I did the war which ! she was at that time waging, once enunciated the astounding doctrine that it was a man’s duty to dress well even if he ran in debt for it. While such a doctrine must be strongly condemned from a moral standpoint, yet as a bit of popular philosophy it goes to show I how strongly inI trenched t' e human 1 mind is in that love I of praise and commendation at the J Hands of our fellowbeings. The same

feeling was uppermost in the thoughts of that good wife who refused to allow her husband to go on a journey shabbily dressed lost in the event of a railway accident the fact might bo drawn to the attention of the public. Commencing as it did, with an instinctive fondness of personal adornment, this question of dress, like the attire of the ce’cbrated man of fashion above mentioned, has grown to such importance that It now monopolizes a good half of the world's attention. Take from our poems, our novels and cur newspapers the descriptions of the raiment worn by the characters and people therein mentioned, aud yr.-u would leave a tremendous gap. But the time which a woman spends over dress is not lost by any means, though the contrary fs very apt to be the popular opinion. A celebrated physician, an authority on nervous diseases, has expressed the opinion that the mental occupation resulting from a love of dress is a most valuable preventive of many forms of hysteria. It is better to talk chiffons than to mope or discuss unwholesome topics. That being the case, even if you don’t care to order such a costume for yourself, you will have no objection to examine and discuss the handsome costume pictured in my initial illustration —a white silk, striped with pale blue, with a white crepo de chino plastron. With this costume is worn a verj- stylish bonnet of white lace, embroidered with large pearls, which form a kind of diadem in conjunction witli bows of black velvet and black feathers. Speaking of becoming headgear, says our New York correspondent, 1 should remind you that this is jar excellence the season of felts, when the new styles come so fresh and beautiful from the hands of the makers. If you will dis-

cuss this subject of hats with your husbands. brothers, or male friends, you will learn that a felt hat, stiff or soft, cannot rightfully be termed dressy. Only a silk l.at can be dressy- Now, there is a great deal of truth in this, only, of course, when a lady wears a felt hat she may beautify It with appropriate trimming, with really rich garniture. A felt hat calls for trimming. In and of itself it is not a material like silk or velvet, which is a garniture unto itself. Its great advantage is that it lends itself so readily to the formation of quaint and graceful outHm s, and thus aids in setting off the natural beauty of the head, for it should be borne in mind that all art in personal adornment has for its so.o object the enhancing of natural come Iness, the bringing out of Inherent grace, the accentuation of that coloring done by Nature own hand. I have seen some altogether charming head gear in felt this season. “Who hath the choice hath the | ang, ” says the old proverb, and you will be forcibly reminded of the truth of this saying when you come to select a felt, so endless arc the shapes, so different are the Styles, so never-ending the varieties. The point is to get something that will suit your particular sty e. It is a problem not always easy to solve, for whi e anything may look well on Maud’s head, when set upon Helen's class c crown it looks like a fright Close-fitting felts trimmed with feathers, sma 1, black cbques, for instance, or wings, are very becoming to that stylo of young person commonly known as the dainty Miss, but the large-featured, picturesque girl

needs an expanse of brim, whi'e on the other hand, the pert, pretty fate often bear a shape that flares boldly 'up and shows her just as she is. A short figure of the dumpy build should beware of wide brimmed felts They look like extinguishers on half-burned down candles. My second illustration pictures a dashing bit of beadgear in felt, trilamed very high with bows of velvet ribbon.

Such a shape is very becoming to a face that needs no shading or softening of any kind. Such faces, however, are lew and far between. Even the face of angelic type is framed and shaded by wavy tresses of hair. A felt hat s trimmed in a novel manner, will be found represented in my third illustration. This striking piece of headgear is in black telt, and is trimmed with a deep band of blaek velvet ribbon, which forms a large flat bow in front, fastened with a Duckie of brilliants. Plumes of black ostrich feathers are placed high at the back, and a most novel eflect is produced by the boatshaped brim Leing covered with fine white laco. In my fourth illustration there is pictured a very richly trimmed gray ielt, the trimming consisting of a torsade and loops of moss-green velvet At the front there is placed a “battle” of green parrots’ feathers. The felt hat is admirably adapted for traveling purposes, and I have noticed a number such, nattily trimmed with silk ril bon bows in black, brown or navy blue, sitting close to the head. The joint aimed at is to combine stylo with simplicity. Rough felts and beavers are mostly worn by young Misses, although occasionally one sees a face and head that looks woll beneath a broad-brimmed beaver of tho Gainsborough pattern. As the season advances tho long cloak will make its appea'ancc. Cloth will bo tho favorite material, and I need hardly add that those garments will be richly and heavily trimmed The cloak worn by the lady iepresented in my fourth illustration belongs to this class of elaborately trimmed ,-treet garments. It is of a light Havana-brown color, and is

cut out at the neck, front and back, and filled in with cream colored crepe do chino. The shoulders are gathered to form slight frills of no great height, and there are quaint little gussets in front apparently supported by bretellos of the trimming. The passementerie forms a sort of false hood with collar band and long slender pendants. It Is made of beads of various metallic tones and Is full of color. .Tho bottom of the cloak is finished with three narrow tucks, and it is lined throughout with cream colored silk. Now that we nro about to enter upon tho season of theaters, operas, danc.es and receptions, it is quite natural that the thoughts of a lady of fashion should turn to long, loose wraps that completely cover a dress, and, abovdall, shield tho decollete neck and bare arms from tho cold blasts. You will find such a ono pictured In my fifth illustration. It is customary to make up these garments in velvet or plush, although very stylish ones may be made in fancy woolens or in silk, which, of course, must bo warmly wadded. The particular one set forth in my last illustration is in embossed plush of a shade known as Russian green. It is fitted to tho figure at tho back and falls in folds from the wa st' line The front sides, cut out at tho neck, are fastened in the middle by large hooks The left side folds over and is held in position at the waist by an agrafe in old silver. The sleeves are made large, but narrow down a litt o toward the wrist. The sleeves and front and collar of this pelisse are trimmed with fur, or, if you choose, with real or

Imitation feather trimming. It should be lined with o d gold or old roso We shall have the debutantes with us in great numbers this season, and some charming evening dresses hav.s been made up to sultthelr dainty coloring and delicate style it beauty. One was a white Brus els net over white silk, the skirt being made with full folds all around the back and sides. In front there was a lovely trimming formed of graduated fringes of field daisies, hanging cn their long green stems and placed one above the other from waist to hem. It was the ideal coming out dress. Another was a i ale-pink made with a very quaint little de ollete bodice, witli narrow peats back and front, ou lined by tine feather stitching. The neck was edged with a deep turn-down frill of pink chiffon, and there was a wide sash of softs Ik around the waist t ed In a largo bo.v in from The skirt was finished with a flounce of chiffon rom.d the bottom.

STYLISH GRAY FELT.

LACE COVERED FELT.

BROWN CLOTH CLOAK.

PLUSH PELISSE.