Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 January 1892 — DRESSES FOR THE DANCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DRESSES FOR THE DANCE

THEY ARE EXTREMELY RICH AND ELEGANT. Now that the Holidays Are l’ast, the Fashionable World Has Taken lo the BallRoom, and There’ll Be No Let-llp Until the Lenten Season. Why Do We Danre?

ingenious l wiiter has been at- % tempting to explain 1 why we dance, that is, we grown people. —He is willing to adthat in nature r\everything y o u n g dances—tho lambkin pr-T gambols on tho / green, the colt leaps / aud prances in the X field, the calf romps IB in tho i asture, and /]/ the children, too, without waiting for Jf\\ the coming of the fl dancing-master, exe/l\ cute nature's rhythlif mic movements in If their play and froiLi icking. “But,” ex|tf claims this writer. “could there be any--4v thing more ridicuJ] lons than the spec* nl tacle of grown folks til? capering about a socalled ball room in

gauzy attire, and keeping time to music with faces serious enough for a funeral?” Possibly not: but it's tiio fashion to do so, and, therefore, we do it Then, again, it's an excuse to wear evening dross, and young or old, without exception, aro aiways glad to have an opportunity to don one of those gauzy, 11 my gowns, as delicate in color as in texture, _ with its garniture of flowers or lace or' embroidery. Tho moment the holidays have passed, the fashionable world sets to work dancing. says our New York lady correspondent, and there is no rest until Lenten days come to check the gayety. Ball dres-es aro extremely rich and elogant this season. For instance, it is a common thing to seo a skirt in sat'n with an embroidered silk muslin tablier and corsage in brocaded stuff, with long basques trimmed with galloon and Louis XV. revers.straight flaring collar and turnedup sleeves. Another lovely ball dress was in pink satin, cut very low and framed with a siik tulle bertha tied with pearls in front and on tho shouldors. The embroidery was likewise in pearls In my initial illustration you will find pictured a very pretty evening gown in pink silk trimmed in a very original manner with white satin ribbons. 1 may say. in a general way, that pink, corn-yellow and Nile-green are the most modish colors for ball drosses, and that tho round cut-out is to bo much affected, although you must not neglect to garnish it with a tulle or game ruche a little more than an inch in width. For young persons, nothing could be more appropriate and more dressy than

the so called sultan-crepes, delightfully lilmy stuffs in silk and woo'. They display the figure to its best advantage and are extremely reasonable in price—quite a consideration when ono has three daughters to dress for the dance. You will find an exquisite evening gown represented in my second illustration, made up In velvet and bengaline on a corn-colored taffeta foundation. The corsage is lined with silk and closes at the back, under the velvet, which hooks Invisibly at tho shoulder seam You may either make the foundation in princess form or with skirt and waist, only you must finish it < ompletely before beginning with the dress itself. You border the foundation with a small ruffle, and after you have fitted this part of the dress you cut the velvet; jacket, bone it and lino it with silk. The bones only reach an inch or so below the waist. You slash the jacket at the second dart, first Indicating the slashing with basting threads The jacket Is edged on the wrong side with a silk band. The embroidery is done on the material. The jacket is made with basques, but it is split at the back and reaches only to the seams of the back piecos. The collar, which must be stiffened, runs down to a point at the back. You rnu-t be careful not to turn up the edges of the basques too much, or you will make them flare out. The moussellne plastron must be made after.a pattern, and It is fastened on one side and hooks on the other. The Valois collar must be lined with linen and finished with velvet on both sides The decolletage is framed with pleated crepe de chine, and the dress is made in three panels in front. The back breadth makes the train. The sleeves are in

crepe de chine, with large bracelets of velvet embroidered. For materials, choose a corn-colore.l bengaline, and either a black or a peacock-blue velvet. In my third illustration you see pictured a very charming ball toilet, made up in white silk daintily embroidered with pearls and trimmed with black satin and white English point Tb« high

corselet bodice Is of shrimp pink velvet There is a fan to match, of course. A fan has been called a woman’s weapon, but it were more fittingly termed her ally offensive and defensive. At the sale of the famous Judic’s effects there wero found fans enough to stock a fancy bazar; fans of all colors, sizes and materials; fans for high spirits and low spirits; fans to condole with and to cajole with. Wo American women are—so our Epiop an sisters affirm—too nervous to use lans gracefully. A French writer lately mounted how he had seen a New York girl on ono occasion hammer her partner with a valuable feather fan because he had trodden on her train, and. on another, prod an inattentive dancer w til 4t To use a fan violently is cons'dered the depth of bad form, its very shape and mate)ial should tel one that it i< only intend d for beating slow and stately measures. Said a famous designer of feminine costumes: ‘‘Tho ball dress is the most difficult of all dresses to wear with easy grace and elegant composite, for in it a woman needs two rare things to make her appear wo 1, to wit: native and acquired grace. ” 1 agree with him, and if 1 may have my say about ball dresses I would add that a ball dress is like the elegant frame of a picture—it strengthens and emphasizes bad joints quite as much as it does the good ones As our countrywomen are the best dancers in the world, it might bo inferred that thov look tho best in ba 1 costume, but such is not tho case. Tho English woman s > long as she stands still is undoubtedly tho queen of tho ball-room, as our woman are tho oueens of the drawingroom —an excellence duo to their vivacity, intelligence, and spiritual beauty, although it must be confessed

that the American vo'ee has not the depth and softness of the Engl sh voice. In my fourth Illustration I have still another bull dress to present for your consideration. It Is a thoroughly charming costume, being made up In striped gauze. The gauze skirt Is mado over a white faille skirt which Is finishod with a ruching of,tho gauze cut on the cross. These two skirts are made with trains and cut very bias in the middle of tho back, but, In addition, tho side breadths of tho faille are also cut bias The gauze skirt is only bias as stotod. There must bo gores sewed In at the top, and these aro covered by the boullloned gauzo basques cut straight, which surround the entlro corsage and are laced at tho back. Tho waist darts must bp made In tho lining and the gauze Is pleated over It. The gauze for the corsage Is in one piece, cut on the bias, and has only one seam, lliat of tho front, A dress form will be needed to arrange tho p eats. Tho cut out is framed with bands of illusion and a bertha set off with velvet ribbon and fringe; small bouffant sleeves

I must not forget to add that the corselet Is extremely modish for evening wear, and Is often made up In volvot quite distinct from the gown itself, and may be worn with bodices of gnu e, chiffon or crepe. These high corselets aro usually laced at the back. A very pretty way to trim such a corselet for a dancing dross is to have a ribbon sash first around the waist or hips, commencing at the back and then brought up and crossed above the bust, the ends being carried around again to the back and finishing between the shoulder blades and falling to the edge of the skirt. The woman who has hor ball dress in readiness Is about in the same position

as. the little boy at the breakfast table who provided hiinselt with saltdn hopes that somebody might be prevailed upon to give him an egg. A ball dress calls for a hundred and one things to make it a complete costume—lace trimmed underskirts. silk ho-e of harmonious tcnc, silk or kid slippers also in harmony, gloves, flowers, fan, jewe s. and elegant wraps or mant'o for use after dancing or upon leaving the scene of enchantment w hen the last wa tz has expf ed with a sigh in the music gallery. Such a garment must be of ultra elegance and bear the stamp of unaffected refinement. The wrap which is pictured in my last illustration will, 1 think, call forth your praises. It is in white plush, and may be lined either with Nile-green or cornyellow satin morVeilleux. The sawtoothed edge of "this garment Is trimmed with deep ch‘ nlile fringe. The wrap itself is made up of the fronts composing the sleeves, and the (wo sides of the back running to a point toward the waist In order that the pelerine may fit snugly to the figure, you add an inside vest extending round to the ba k. This vest Is quite as long as the garment itself, and hooks in front It is garnitured In front with a border of white feathers forming a co lar and extending down a little below the first point. You can easily make sucb a ball wrap as this yourself and not lighten your purse materially. It will serve you for an occasional night at the opera. Fur may take the place of the feather trimming. Napoleon at 25 commanded the army of Italy. At 30 he was not only one of the most Illustrious Generals of too time but one of the great law-givers of the world. At <6 he saw Waterloo.

VELVET AND BENGALINE COSTUME.

WHITE SILK PARTY DRESS.

STRIPED GAUZEB ALL DRESS.

WHITE PLUSH WRAP.