Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1892 — THE CORRECT IN STYLE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE CORRECT IN STYLE.

’TIS WHAT STRIKES THE POPULAR FANCY. Woman’* Will Ignores Man’s Criticism— Good Taste in Dress tl»e Evidence of Superior Refinement—Some of the Prettier Things About to Reign. For Autumn Wear. New York correspondence:

HEBE is the man, 'asks the poet, who has power and skill to stem the torrent of a woman’s will? All summer long the men have been railing at our trailing gowns and assuring us that we looked like Turkish brides with our ■heads wrapped up i in white veils; but I did we yield? Did ; we lay aside a single fashion or fad to please the men? Not a bit of It. Since the days

when Socrates stole away to sit at the feet of Aspasia, philosophy has been powerless to make a so-called reasonable being out of a woman. As the great bard of Avon makes Borneo exclaim: “Hang up philosophy unless philosophy gan make a Juliet!” Thefasnion is in reality the woman herself. A man may wear a cowl and be very far from a monk, but a fashionable gown is a long step toward a great lady. The reason why woman are more refined than men is because they pay more attention to dress, to the art of adornment. You may affect to despise dress, but when once you have tasted the supreme satisfaction of a perfectly fitting gown you are converted forever. In reality the woman of fashion is often far more practical and economical than her plain sister who affects to despise modes. By studying the fashions you become an expert in tissues, you know which wear the best, which are least likely to fade, or to lose their finish. I was struck with the truth of this upon returning to town. On the train with me were two ladies, one an ultra fashionable woman and the other a plain sister. The latter had provided a cloth traveling dress with a train, and, the day being damp, it was soon a mass of wrinkles. She looked very dowdy, indeed. The ultra fashionable woman wore serge of a becoming gray tone which just grazed the ground, and when she stepped from the

-.ar after a whole day’s journey her gown looked as smooth and neat as if she had just left her own room. The other woman, too, bent down one of the upstanding loops of her hat trimming and she looked a bit out of gear; but the fashionable lady’s gray straw tourist's hat sat on her head as neat and natty as you please. In the initial illustration you see a very pretty gown for afternoon indoors, a stamped surah, salmon toned, with black florets. The lace plastron has a transparency of plain foulard. There are two skirts, the under being ornamented with a ruching and openwork galloon, the upper with the galloon only.’ The sleeves are garnitured with lace, the lower sleeve having a band of the galloon. At the front the pleats are held in place by a ribbon rosette. During September we shall have to content ourselves with old conceits. The queen bee of fashion is brooding; she has withdrawn to her thinking chamber to hatch out new ideas and fancies. What will they he? Ah! if I only knew, but a,t this moment I can only guess, perhaps we shall sit in grand state this winter with square-toed shoes thrust solemnly out from under short skirts, or mayhap we shall find ourselves wearing bag' gowns or paniers. Who can tell? Anyway, the flying hour has quite enough to carry it along till the new styles have .been promulgated. What could be .prettier than a gown in a percale or in a satin finish stuff, sky blue, water green, pink, sulphur or mauve, skirt and corselet in one, coming up over a plaited silk blouse with ribbon belt? In my second picture you will find an extremely fetching outdoor gown for a Septem-

ber fete, in embroidered batiste, the underskirt being in plain batiste. The corselet is made from a strip of the embroidered material, and must be boned. It closes at the back like the gown. Two plaited ruchings ornament the corsage yoke-style. The sleeves are very full and hare ribbon bracelets, and the open-work silk gloves should be of the shade of the ribbon used for garniture, and they may, if you choose, be sewed to the sleeves. Among the types at summer resorts you are sure to find the bookish girl. She scorns such frivolous things as tennis, although she confidentially informs you that she looks well in a tennis costume. She is not overfond of young men, they are so dreadfully “lacking. ” This is a favorite word of hers. I never could make out exactly what it means. To the bookish girl the subject of dress is by no means a distasteful one, for •he accepts the decrees of fashion, but

not blindly. She feels that a woman must not destroy her individuality t® please the giddy throng. The third picture shows this type—the bookish girl. She wears a very pretty gown in plain and striped surah. As she is almost invariably tall and slender, the corselet and«blouse effects are very becoming to her. Speaking of books reminds me of the rumor that literary societies are to be the great fad of the coming winter season, and you will be expected to dress for the occasion and not make your appearance wearing a gown in a frivolous tone, or dislaying any gaudy or flippant style of garniture. Black will be the favorite color for these meetings, and I need not add that black has a hundred charming possibilities, while these dainty shades usually have but one. It is a pity that children can’t live outdoors all the year round; it would be better for them and better for those who grumble at their presence. Children are like birds —outdoors their voices are pleasing and we never tire of listening to them, but behind closed doors these shrill little notes are apt to become a bit too sharp and soon rasp our nerves. However, we are often toosevere in our judgment on children, and are inclined to close an account of their petty misdeeds. We ought to bear in mind that the sweetest nuts lie inside of bitter rinds. “ Mamma, ” asked a wee tot of seven,

“weren’t you ever bad when you were' little?” “Yes. my darling, I suppose I was.” “And was papa bad, too, when he was a little boy?” “No doubt he was, sometimes,” replied the mother. “Well, all I dot to say is bofe of you is very ’fected. ” In the fourth illustration I present the little tot as we all know her, noisy" at times, but full of the possibilities of a well-equipped young lady a few season® hence. I have often thought how different the history of the world might have turned out if Grandmother Eve had only had a childhood. I know of nothing more ridiculous than for parents to get an idea that their children are too good to play with their neighbors’ children. Are not one-half of the bumps to which phrenology gives high-sounding titles the result of tumbles had belore we reached our teens, and would we not find, if the truth were known, that ideality often owes its existence to a severe fall from out a sweet apple tree? But the tot here presented is for the nonce on her good behavior. Good clothes, says an old proverb, make gcod morals. Tne dress worn by this little miss is a sky-blue crepon, which has the look of being made of a single piece. The •waist and skirt are joined, and the seam is hidden by a ribbon belt. The corsage is crossed over a pleated plastron. The right side is ornamented with a ruffle which continues down the side of the skirt and also around the bottom of the skirt. The dress should be lined with thin silk or satinette. I was lately asked how many toilets are necessary for each day at the springs. I would reply that the ultra fashionable woman begins the day by dressing for a trip to her favorite rill of health. Fof

this purpose she arrays herself verysimply, without the least attempt at ornament, and if she wears a hat it should be something in keeping with her gown. For instance, in my last illustration I give you the correct idea of such a bit of headgear. It consists of old-lace-colored guipure over a round form gathered in the center and set off with a large Dow of double-faced ribbon, to which you add lace loops. Such a hat is suitable for a young married woman and should be worn with an ivory-white gown trimmed with the same guipure. Now you return to your room and dress for breakfast, which toilet must be several degrees more elegant, but yet kept within the bounds of refined simplicity. This costume suffices for the morning concert and promenade. At midday you dress for luncheon, still another rise in degree of elegance, more richness in color, more intricacy in ornament With this costume, after putting on a carriage hat, you go for your afternoon drive, returning at 6 to dress for dinner. Now let loose the reins of fancy and send the plummet to the bottom of your purse. Put on the richest and the best of your gowns which are not decollete. At 9 make ready for the dance by donning a ball costume, feathers, lace, and jewels. Copyright. 1892.

OUTDOOR GOWN.

VERANDA TOILET.

child’s dress.

BEFORE BREAKFAST.