Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1893 — DRAPINGS OF LACE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

DRAPINGS OF LACE.

A FASHION THAT LENDS ITSELF TO ALL AGES. Suitable ft>r 'he Stout and Matronly Outline, the Young Flump Figure, or the Squareness ot Childhood—lllustrations of This Popular Style. Gotham Fashion Gossip. New York correspondence:

jjKjSfX, HERE never has ' been a fashion that J; I so lends Itself to all I ages, types and jJwj 1 styles as does the BSr **■ present popular one of shoulder drapings of laoo. At first thought the fashion Wc, Is particularly jJrFsK. adapted to the very and slender figure, but that is HTK A the case with all styles. As a matter 5 ot fact this one is OS/ 1 almost equally well suited to the stout wjf and matronly outline, the young plump figure, or the

squareness of childhood. It all depends on the way you put the lace on, and since you may put it on nearly any way you like, It Is your own fault it you do not get the right effect The initial picture shows one method. The neck of this pretty house dress is cut V-shaped In front only, and made much more dressy by the addition of a dainty lace fichu. The latter has a foundation of silk on which Is put first a lace frill, then a second ruffle, shirred in the center three times, and the other side lies on the neck In the form of a smaller ruffle. The ends are adorned by a long white ribbon which Is carried around to the back and then to the front again, where it ties in a bow with long ends. Another way, and one of the simplest of the many pretty ones, Is to have just a gathering In epaulette style on the tops of the shoulders, to give the required full effect at the tops of the arms, and yet not to interfere with the contour of the bust and waist. From this simple beginning you may go on and on, and off and off. The epaulette pieces may come from under straps of ribbon that go over the shoulders. The straps may be connected across the chest and the back by more ribbon, from under which falls more lace, continuous

with the epaulettes, thus giving the bodice a square yoke effect, the yoke being outlined by the fall of the lace. Even this simple effect can give several Impressions. If the bust line is deficient, you will have the laoe across the front fall very full and reach right In front to the waist line or a little below, while It narrows up to the shoulders. It the bust line is full, the lace will hang less full, so that the contour can be seen through, and it will be shaped a little differently. A very handsome example of this* sort is shown in the second picture. The toilet there represented is suitable for small receptions and concerts, and is made of pink and scarlet plaid changeable silk, and trimmed with cream-colored lace. The waist is slightly gathered like a blouse, and has a square yoke of the silk taken bias, trimmed with a flounce of lace, long in front and back, but shorter over the shoulders. The seam joining the laoe to the yoke is covered with a velvet ribbon fastened with rosettes, as shown in the picture. All sorts of elaborations and butterfly effects are gotten from a series of ruffles of lace about a short yoke. The first ruffle of lace will set out on the shoulders in a pretty, perky way, from under it another and deeper raffle comes that hangs deeper over the shoulders, and is a little softer and more droopy, to give effect to the perk of the one above. Indeed, this ruffle may be of cloth, crepe, or silk. It may go across the chest, or it may be a modified epaulette and stop after shrouding the shoulders. Still another fall of laoe may or not be added, conning from under the epaulettes and reaching to the elbows, and falling across the chest to the waist line, the back being identical always with the front. The under deep ruffle, for instance, may really outline

the yoke of the gown, while the epaulettes, the ruffle above, the little yoke attached, and the collar thereto may be a blessed little cape affair that can come off all’by itself. The third sketch brings us to such a mantelet of lace and silk rep, with a pointed yoke embroidered with jet The cape is a flounce of lace about eighteen Inches In width, gathered to the yoke. Down the front are lace tabs about one and a half yards in length. Over the shoulders are very deep bretelles of silk, embroidered with jet and shorter ones of lace. The Medici collar is trimmed with lace »lx and a half inches in width, which is gathered in back with a rosette and falls on the yoke. In front are placed two rosettes. The ends of the tabs form a Jabot in front.

Another mantelet has a yoke of silk covered with embroidery of black silk, chenille and metal beads. The cape, composed of two lace each fifteen Inches wide, is sewed to the yoke. As shown in the illustration, the mantelet is profusely trimmed with black velvet ribbon which frames the yoke, passes over the shoulders to the waist In back and is crossed in front and tied in long loops and ends in back. On the shoulders are full bows of the same and it also furnishes the standing collar which is finished with a tuohing of laoe. Quite a similar and equally tasteful way is to have the ribbons continue from the shoulders dowp to a polut front and back, at the waist line. Then the lace will fall continuously from the shoulders following the line of the ribbon. For some figures it will narrow to the points front and back; for others it will keep its width; again, the laoe will not go as far as the waist, but will at just the right place for becomingness pane under the ribbons and across the chest or bust, or just below the bust line. You see, effect must not be hap-hazard. The yoke-like space left between the ribbons, may, of course, be filled with the laoe, laid flat over colored silk, 01

draped softly, according always to the figure. The matronly and graceful figure gathers dignity instead of bulk by careful arrangement of shoulder drapery of lace. This is proven In the last picture. On either side of the collar a band of ribbon starts, which passes loosely over the bust and to the waist line, not coming to a point, but narrowing a little. About the throat and all the way down between the ribbons, laoe or black or white net may be softly draped. On the outside of the ribbons, falling over the shoulders in cape-like effect as deep ns to the elbows, wide lace or net is set, which is wide enough to reach to the waist line, the odge being under the ribbon. All one’s efforts and lace may bo devoted to tho shoulders. Make a triangle on the shoulder. The point being at the side of tho collar, and the sides running down to clasp the shoulder Itself. Fill in tho triangle with lufflosof lace. The top one being, of course, the merest bit of lace edge, and the last passing over the round of the shoulder and lying well out on the puff of the sleeve, lou need not stop here, the sleeve itself can have ruffle after ruffle to the elbow, so that each arm looks like a ballet girl all ready for the most daring dances. I hav<> said lace In all this, but that may mean anything from the finest bit of a priceless mot sei, carefully spread over a fan-like piece of silk and inserted at the shoulder to be looked at and envied by everybody, to great clouds of effective and valueless wash blonde or silk net. The material may bo gauze, or any cheap stuff, or the laoe may be the very narrowest and edge ruffles of fine muslin or mull. As I say, the fashion lends itself to all folk and all materials. You may use oldtime needlework, and turn up yout pretty nose at the girl with modern lace; or you may use fine Hamburg, and one so fresh and crisp and clear that the girl with the yellow laoe will not be able to feel as happy as she should, especially if you look utterly

satisfied. Hamburg Is exquisite on children’s dresses in many of these shoulder effects, but It won't do to take up children's fashions—they are too fascinating. Heavy and inexpensive crochet lace suits particularly the perky and stiff shoulder draping. Fine net, with just an edge of design, should go on very full and soft, and does either tor the matronly or the figure that lacks outline. Only remember to have method In your management and suit your ef> feet to a sufficient cause. Copyright. IRM.

AS IF OUTLINING A SQUARE YOKE.

MANTELET OF LACE AND SILK.

ANOTHER MANTELET.

FOR THE MATRONLY FIGURE.