Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1892 — SOME SUMMER STYLES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SOME SUMMER STYLES.

MEN SHOW PREFERENCE FOR WELL-DRESSED WOMEN. JRlbbon Garniture to Maintain Its Popufetrlty Mosaic Yokes In Black and Color Ane Often Seen—Dresses for the Street and Lawn. New York Letter.

A GREAT many men L\ are of the opinion Xi-that we women spend too much i time over dress, but y these 6ame men m would bo the very !\V first to condemn us if we appeared in yea, public shabbily attired, writes our New AIT] York correspondent. IT* Solomon, in speaking \ 1 of that virtuous ii woman wh*se chilli dren were to rise up I and call her blessed, ,\ informs us that her II elothing was silk and 11 purple. IVhy should I h not good women be LU> x well dressed? ApInpropriate attire

serves to acoentuate spiritual beauty as it does physical, and no one looks Letter in a princess gown than Bt. Cecilia. To my mind, dress is a great educator. It shows us our limitations and warns ns of the transitoriness of this life by keeping our attention fixed upon our faces and forms wherein we read the signs of age creeping on. Said a wellknown authoress to me one day—a woman famous for hffr beautiful hair—"T have cqt it off; I have no time to take care of it." But, ah, vanity of vanities, I noticed that her doing so had merely accentuated the exquisite Greek contour ■of her head. But speaking of the fashions of the day, I may say that ribbon garniture will maintain its popularity throughout the summer, at times plain, at others reversible, in two colors, moire and satin for edging purposes. Equally popular are embroideries laid on flat. The mosaic yokes either in black or in color are often seen. The large jet nailhead has completely disappeared. Later we shall have the small oblong jet plaques. One of the crazes of the moment is the multicolored pearl ornament, emerald, sapphires, rubies, opals, turquoise, gold, silver, steel, eats-eyes—-you see them all in this passementerie.

Muoh of the embroidery is laid on over a lace foundation. » In my initial illustration I set before you a very stylish gown in a striped wool crepe in steel and silver gray, with silk, the yoke and sleeves being finished with a chenille netting and the bodice being edged with ribbon, which passes <iuite around the back, also a ribbon belt. I heard a male friend complaining that he found it impossible to reach the counter of a well-known gentlemen’s ■outfitter on account of the throng of women engaged In purchasing men’s fixings, collars, shirts, ties, handkerchiefs, and even hats, for the prevailing style of straw hat for men is very like the ,wide-brimmed sailor worn by the women. On the promenade at the watering places you meot two types of women who serve very well as foils to each other. The one is the red-cheeked, robust, English-looking girl who talks athletics, walks with a stride, can pull an oar, steer a boat, time a sprinter, keep a ball score or pass judgment on a horse race. She looks well in these affectations of masculine attire, and she knows it. You meet her any morning wearing a loose-fronted jacket, probably a serge boating coat, which displays beneath it a natty shirt front, stiffly starched, with gold studs and man’s collar and four-in-hand tie. Around her supple wa ; st you will see some fancy leather belt, and from hat to shoes she looks as fresh, crisp, neat and attractive

as a bunch of buttercups right from the green meadows. Her step is quick, elastic, and just a bit man-like. Following her comes another type—the Soft, quiet, womanly woman, lou see her pictured in my second illustration, wearing a chancing red crope, made princess style and set off w.th applique •ornaments of black velvet over tulle. The yoke is of surah of the same shade as the stuff, pleated as indicated. The sleeves, also of the surah, are draped on the shoulders In the same manner as the yoke. In my third illustration you find the red-cheeked, robust girl at a later hour in the day, rigged for a game of tennis. She looks even prettier than she did in her neat and natty promenade costume. In fact, she is the very personification of feminine vigor and grace. Her features may not bo classic, and her nose may be tip-tilt eel, but when she laughs there is such a deep, round, hearty, musical outburst of sp rits and vitality that all eyes look upun the white teeth and o iwry lips wirh mingled envy and admiration. Attired as she is, her dress

is made up of plain and striped woolen' stuff, the stripe being a blue on a white ground. The skirt is a blue serge, but in some cases she wears a red skirt. The skirt revere are edged with silk and held back by a button simulating a ball. The collar of the blouse is of the same stuff as the skirt, and is tied With a silk cord. The cuffs are in harmony with the skirt revere, and-so is the collar of the blouse. The very picturesque hat is of straw embroidered with a p- acock feather. On some of her hats the embroidered ornament is a racquet. A leather belt and low tennis shoes, displaying stockings in harmonious tone, complete this altogether charming outing costume, but it needs the proper type of summer girl to bring out all its beauty. The pale, sad-eyed, delicatefeatured girl wouldn’t look well in it. At the summer resort there is still another type of woman, a type, too, which adds quite as much of charm to the groups on the verandas and at the casinos as the two types already mentioned. I refer to the dignified and refined young matron who is willing to put forward one of her daughters as a sample of her own beauty once upon a time. In this country it is altogether too much the fashion to push aside the young matron for the irrepressible Miss who insists that marriage ends a wom-

an’s reign. Oftentimes the young matron is the most charming of women, keeping her beauty as she does her spirits and vivacity. Her costumes, too, by 1 h ir gentle dignity and softened tones afford the eye a resting place amid all the brilliancy and glare of the summer girl's attire. In my fourth illustration I present a charming picture of the young matron and her younger self offered in evidence of departed glory. The mother wears a green foulard dotted with white, the skirt being set off with a deep flounce, the head of which is held by a ribbon. The jacket corsage lias a fichu of muslin chiffon made as indicated, one end of which extends in a ruffle to the lower edge of the jacket. The little daughter is dressed in a Sootch plaid, red and blue on ivory ground. The skirt has a ruffle on the bottom. The color of the corselet and braces should be in harmony with one of the colors of the pla : d. The yoke and the puffed sleeves are cut straight. The cuffs and lower corsage are bias. You will find still another specimen of still life at a summer resort pictured in my last illustration. The mother in this ease is clad in a very pretty morning dress of striped muslin delaine, gamitured with ribbons. The scalloped and toothed effects must be kept in the perfect harmony here indicated, and care must also be ta';en to cany out to the smallest detail the application of the ribbon garniture. The child wears a charming little dress of whi‘ e cbope with embroidered yoke and cuff's. The draped effects of the corsage need to be done upon a dress form, and then sewed to the yoke. They should drop over the waist line somewhat. The plastron is laid upon the corsage. The skirt has three tucks. Speaking of Scotoh plaids reminds me of a new style of this favorite fabric, called the powdered. For instance, a

large blue and green plaid is powdered over with white spots, which has a soften ng effect. Small lace iigaros, lace plastrons, lace wrist pieces, lace corselets, crossed, edged, conlined and run with ribbon, are extremely • modish. The cream guipure continues its hold upon the summer gown. The cream muslin chiffons or embroidered muslins are much worn as garnitures. The twoshade straws, both as hats and bonnets, are seen everywhere. The towering crowns will be much affected at the summer resorts, but the woman of style will look to brim effects. These are waved, twisted, bent and caught up in ways wonderful to behold. The Eaton coat made sleeveless is worn a great deal with light skirts and waists. It makes a pretty combination for boating and walking costumes. Striped stuffs cut on the bias make up charmingly for summer drosses. It’s possibly too soon to begin talking of autumn and winter styles, but we must think always ahead in this matter of modes, so let me say that Empire gowns are already predicted, sheathed skirts, fitting like gloves, with richly embroidered corselets, with an over dress of filmy gauze, while from the decoliefage hangs an applique bertha falling over the huge puffed velvet sleeves. Copyright, 1892.

ON THE SIDEWALK.

ON THE LAWN.

FOULARD AND SCOTCH ILAID.

SUMMER COSTUMES.