Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — STYLES FOR SPRING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STYLES FOR SPRING.

WHAT FASHIONABLE WOMEN ARE WEARING. Handsome Blouse that Can Be Made (ram a Persian Shawl—Very Rich Dancing: Gown—Two Pretty Empire Dresses as Models. Gossip of Gotham Gayety. New York correspondence;

SUCH a blouse as that of the Initial picture can be made very prettily from a Persian or silken shawl, with armholes out in for the sleeves. It is lined and the Vshaped portion left uncovered at the back and front is trimmed with lace and ribbon. Ribbons or silk of the ground color of the shawl should be used here to hide the lining. Such a garment is particularly

suitable for slender figures. The shawl must tall in graceful folds and the ends can be tied behind or out away entirely, making a round waist and hooked at the back. The sleeves are n ade of silk of the predominant color ot the shawl; they are very full and have three stripes near the waist formed of lace over ribbon. Another showy waist was of the Empire form and was made of a yoke of velvet, gathered over the bust line. It had a great wheel-like bow in front with two flat loops spreading to each side. They reached to the shoulders almost. The center of the bow was held by a red jewel. The bow Itself had the upper loops pale yellow, the lower ones bright green, these shades showing in the rainbow velvet of the sleeves. Of course, the bow looked like nothing but a great bright-colored bug, but the woman who wore it seemed to feel all right. Here are two very pretty Empire dresses, which are offered as models for commencement dresses; or they would serve equally well for confirmation service. The first is of crepe de chine and has a narrow tucked yoke from which the full material hangs to where it is cut in the side seams of the tight lining. The seams are slightly curved to conform to the figure of the wearer, and the litilng does not require whalebones. If the silk is doublewidth, three breadths are required for the gown, but if single width, then from five to six are needed. The dress is gathered in front in & perfectly straight

line, and then the point la formed by cutting down the silk in strips. The latter are turned under and tacked down, to make it appear as If the silk is doubled without first being cut. The yoke is alike back and front, and may be tucked or laid In tiny box pleats, which hide th 3 hooks and eyes that close the drees. The back of the drees is either gathered or pleated from the point of the yoke on both sides. The inside of the skirt has a white satin ruffle. The seam where the dress Joins the yoke behind is hidden by a white ribbon that oommences at the armholes and meets in the center In a bow with long or short ends, as preferred. The sleeves are tight and have a full Empire puff. The other dress is in striped silk. At the back there is a square plastron of gathered or shirred white lace edged with a lace ruffle, and pendant from this is the full Empire dress. The latter is lined with satin and fits the figure at the sides. This gown, too, is the same in front and back, and is tied under the arms with a white ribbon bow, the ends of which hang to the bottom of the dress. The skirt is trimmed with a lace flounce headed by a white ribbon and butterfly bows. The sleeves Are tight and have a double puff edged with lace. A pretty gown 1b shown in the third picture. It is cut princess and is made of black peau dp sole trimmed with blaek lace. It has one dart in each front, and the back is cut like a bell skirt. A second skirt is worn underneath, and it has the whole front trimmed with lace. The upper skirt must be the same length as the one beneath, and the three parts seen in the illustration may be separate pieces or may be indicated by velvet ribbon. The waist of the gown must be trimmed similarly. The gown is lined with silk and fastens in the center. It is about three and a half yards wide. A jabot

and bertha of lace are Dut at the peck, and the sleeves are composed of a tight cuff and two puffs. Ribbon can be-nsed to accomplish the necessary ruffles which now go around skirts. It saves either making the ruffle double or the trouble of lining It. Besides, the edge that the ribbon has makes the ruffle set out stiffly, and thus not so much is needed to go around. The prettiest way to put it on is by a heading of passementerie, or even by a cord of braid or a heading of regular

braiding. When there are to be three ruffles, the top one just above the knees, two or inch ribbon is pretty. Many of the ball toilets of the afterLent dances are very handsome, frequently rivaling those worn at the midwinter occasions. The Empire dress pictured was one of the prettiest of these. The material of the foundationdress was light-weight, pale green silk, and covered with white or pink crepe liftse. It could be made in one, or have a separate waist and a pleated skirt, for which eight or nine straight breadths would be required. In both cases the dress is hooked at the back invisibly. If the skirt is pleated it is not necessary to line It, but otherwise it is lined with satin. It is out in the usual manner, not gored much at the waist behind, but laid in pleats. What is necessary to form these pleats must be added to the back breadths. When the foundation dress is finished

the crepe is draped over it, with oqual fullness in Dack and front. The upper part is arranged in folds which conform to Ihe V-shaped neck and are finished by a green ribbon and a ruching of the crepe lisse which is ngala tied with ribbon. From these the ompe fails in straight folds, bias slightly at the sides. Ihe edge is trimmed with two rows of ribbon on which are placed small rosettes of narrower ribbon. The back breadths of the crepe aro held in place by tiny hooks or pretty stick pins. The sleeves are puffed and finished with ribbon to correspond with the rest. Fashion makes poor woman ridiculous, or so the men say, but she may be thankful after all that she is not a foreign minister in London and compelled to appear at a drawing-room in a blue uniform, entirely covered with gold embroidery, aud with a huge gold key fastened to the back of his coat. That woman Is, Indeed, foolish who permits a fashion to emphasize her defects. But what is the poor man to do whose silk tigbts set forth a pair of legs that sadly need a petticoat to hide them. Many a lord In England has to make himself ridiculous like that upon great public occasions. Woman may well afford to Indulge in bustles, hoops, trains and big sleeves, ana to be charitable enough not to talk back when men deride her. A second ball dfess is the subjeot of this last sketch, and It is an elegant and costly one. Pink brocade was the material and ecru tulle and laoe the trimming. The embroidered tulle was arranged, as Indicated, about the skirt In festoons hold by rosettes of pink crepe chiffon. The bodice had a bertha of the tulle and laoe kept In place with chiffon rosettes. You can easily give the needed flare to your last summer skirts, those pretty ones of gingham and satine that yov

had made like umbrella cases for closeness. You may do this, and with sufficient success to satisfy you. Slit the skirt up two or three times as far as the knee or a little above, ihus converting the lower half of the skirt into a series of panels. Now construct a half skirt over which these panels will hang. Let the half skirt have ail the flare you want and be gorgeous with a lot of encircling ruffles. The panels will spread apart and the under portion will show with all the pretty ruffles. You can tack the panels down, and only pretend ruffles except where they really show. Of course, you will make the under part of batiste, hamburg embroidery, or of mull, with nice crisp little wash iace ruffles. The clinging length of the train must be modified and rounded, and the panel effect carried out in the back, too, if you like, or you may have Just one split at the middle seam in the back. The bodice Is now to be turned into a round one, by cutting off the lower part, or wearing the belt of the skirt over Instead of under the waist You will set a wide, crisp ruffle on a belt, the ruffle and the belt being of the same stuff as the underskirt. You will modify the bodice about the shoulders, make it in surplice fashion, or in any of the many possible ways which will bring it in accord with the things that ore now correct. When it is all over you may sigh for the skirts of last summer, but you will for all that know that you have a very pretty gown. Copyright IW3.

FOR DAYS TO BE REMEMBERED.

FOB PAST MIDDLE AGE.

AFTER A SPELL OF BELF-DENIAL.

RICHLY ATTIRED FOR DANCING.