Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 March 1893 — CRINOLINE HAS COME. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CRINOLINE HAS COME.

SKIRTS HAVE A VERY DISTINCT SPREAD AT THE BOTTOM. Whether or Not This Spread Will Increase Until Ite Exaggeration Brings About Its Dtemtaeal Is • Question —Style* for Early Spring. Gotham Fashion Gossip. New York correspondence:

* E may make as muoh of a fao3 as w e choose, but they are here. The crinolines have come, and the question Is will they get werse and worse, orwill they stay where they are now in the fashionable windows and modistes' parlors? Experience warns us that a fashion never stays where it starts, but 11 goes on and on till 11 s exaggeration brings about its dismissal. But fashions are now

more promptly set aside than they formerly were, and, therefore, are now likely to be given tip before they become monstrous. This fact Is developing a class that will make few radical changes In their wear, no matter how fashions rise and fall. This is going to bring about a state of things where there are no extremists: but that blessed time Is not yet, and our cheeks blanch and our hearts begin to quake with fear when we see so many signs of approaching general use of these dreadful things. All the examples shown in the spring gowqs show skirts with a distinct spread at the bottom. Some of them stand out from the waist smooth and stiff, like an Inverted funnel. Others spread from the waist in a series of foldß, the front breadth being fiat and forming an Inclined plane from the waist to the edge. Then there is a fold that sets out straight to the sides, with no tendonoy to draw towards the back. The side breadths then incline outward to the ground. About three folds, one to each side of the back and one straight

out at the back, constitutes the fullness. A skirt of this kind is extreme and lacks all grace. Others set smoothly out, without folds or fullness, all around to where the back slant comes. Then the material lies in a series of folds, or flutes, arranged with much regularity, and stiffened to keep their places. This skirt is rather pretty. At least it seems to have some motive, and the general tendency of the fullness to the back gives some grace. Occasional examples of these are already seen, out doors, and they do look “floppy,” but thoy will Improve in appearance as the number of them increases. The white crepe de chine robe of the initial has a hand-painted front, which is finished at the top with yellow velvet ribbons. The sleeves are of yellow velvet. It is made over an ordinary princess dress. The back of the over dress has no seam, and is sewed to the lining on one side and fastens invisibly with small hooks on the shoulder and underneath the band. The outside material, as is shown in the picture, is gathered Into folds In the front, which extend to the back, where they are laid In one large hollow pleat, hanging loose from the dress. The bottom of the skirt is edged with a double ruffle. In the front there is a jabot arrangement of pleated material, and around the neck is a pleated ruche. The straight velvet sleeves are very wide and finished with cuffs of the pleated crepe, over whioh fall flounoes of the same. The second illustration shows a dainty princess costume of bengaline in a dell-

cate gray tint and velvet, somewhat darker. In making it the under dress of bengaline must be fitted perfectly, or the velvet will show creases. The front is cut from one piece, the bengaline being taken crosswise, and the side front seams are so curved as to do away with darts. The sides are joined to the front and are slightly gored, while the back has one seam in the center, which is very bias, to form the bell skirt. The sleeves are tight as far as the elbow, and then form a puff. The upper dress of velvet is perfectly tightfitting, and, like the under dress, closes in the back. It is also 11m d with silk and formß a kind of peasant bodice at the top. It is desirable to cut the upper dress from one piece and then fit it over the hips and in the waist. The standing collar is of bengaline and a second, cape-like, of pleated bengaline. The cuffs, collar and the hem of the silk dress, as well as the top and bottom of the velvet overdress, are trimmed with narrow bands of fur. The surplice is jretty, and the kerchief our grandmothers used to wear looks pretty in the pictures, but, eome-

how. It won't stay in place when ft ts worn by to-day’s granddaughter. Make it a permanent part of a dress and your difficulties disappear. Arrange it in the folds you like, and then sew In all down around the armhole, but nowhere else. The point is free in ths back, or, if you like, there Is only the effect for the front. The ends you leave to cross over the breast and around to the back to be tied. The effect Is demure and pretty, and may be carried out on a wash dress with washable stuff or over a plain velvet or silk bodice, In cashmere of a lighter shade. It is a good wav to freshen up the looks of a bodice that has become somewhat worn. Another novel and pretty shoulder ornamentation Is used on the dress of my third ploture. In this case it consists of epaulette-like revere, whioh are a continuation of the material of the sleeve puffs. At the elbow there is a

cuff formed by turning back the edge of the same piece of material whioh makes the rovers. The revers and cuffs are ornamented with two rows of braid about an inch and a half apart, the space between being filled with a lat-tioe-work of narrow white cord. In this dress the material of the dress was dark-blue oloth, with braid of the same shade, but the costume would look equally well in almost any shade of blue or brown. A pretty and becoming blouse can be made at home by almost anyone, of any light-colored silk or suruh, and will be very nice to wear with a dark skirt. The material used in the example pictured is old rose surah, trimmed with fine white lace. It has a slightly pointed yoke of the Bilk, with three insertions of lace. The front and back are cut rather full, but the side forms and back are tight-fitting. The sleeve is a tight ouff as far as the elbow and from there forms a large wide puff. The waist is finished with a belt of surah and the yoke is trimmed with a ruffle of narrow laoe, while a ruffle of very wide laoe forms the epaulette on the shoulder. The standing collar Is also covered with white laoe. The book of the blouse is the same as the front. It closes in front with Invisible hooks and eyes. Even though you do not Intend to adopt crinoline, you should have your skirts a little wider. They need not be stiffened or wired, nor. indeed be a great deal wider. Almost any last year’s skirt will do If the fullness at the back be distributed all round for greater width. Two entirely moderate and correct examples are sketched. They are both of the silks with narrow stripes of color brightly contrasting with the ground, whioh are so muon worn, as Indeed they were last season. Such a dress, having had the skirt remodeled as suggested, may be further

moderoized by cutting down the bodice and putting in a yoke to match one of the stripes. The stuff out out can go to making a rover or soft drapery to outline the yoke, and add elaborateness to the front, A wide bodice belt could be added to match the ybke and the bodice should be worn under the skirt to give the round effect of this season. If the puffs of the sleeves incline too much to perpendicular fullness, that is obviated by taking them out of the armholes and distributing the fullness, with most of it at the sides of the arm. All sorts of materials may be used in combination this season. One dress showed the skirt of India silk with a lattice-work prttera. The wide bodice belt is of brocade with yet another pattern, and the bodloe showing above the wide belt is again of India silk, but not the pattern" of the skirt. It looks all right, but dressmakers do things with an air that is conv scing. It is safe to remember that the extreme of fashion need not be plunged into at all. The styles for spring seem to admit of no transition from the old modes to the new, but lots of conservative people will adopt cautiously, before they take up any of the startling novelties. If you want to use yards and yards of astrakhan fur for your spring dress you may cover the front of the bodice with a series of horizontal ruffles, each edged with fur, about four in all. Then the top of the collar is edged. The sleeves are a series of flounces, three, that come to the elbow. A tight sleeve fitting under from the shoulder to the wrist. The skirt is made double, the top fitting over the hips and flaring slightly to half way to the knee, here it is edged with fur, and three ruffles are set cn, one below, the other to about the knee. Then the under part of the skirt appears, plain to half way to the hem, and then finished with three ruffles. All the raffles are finished with fur, and since the whole dress flares from hips to hem, you can make use of a quantity of fur. Incidentally you will have a lot of fur on hand for making over next winter. If the style suits you especially, as it will if you are thin and tall, you oan carry it out with silk and lace-edged organdie ruffles. Copyright, 1833.

FUR-TRIMMED HOUSE DRESS.

A JACKET EFFECT.

A HOMEMADE BLOUSE.

MODERATE EXAMPLES.