Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 July 1893 — GOWNS FOR THE HOUSE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOWNS FOR THE HOUSE.

GREAT VARIETY OF STYLES FOR THIS SEASON. They Afford an Agreeable Change and Contrast from the Street and Reception Dresses—Hints for Women Who Strive , to Look Pretty. Gotham Fa-hion Gossip. New Y’ork correspondence:

, HE woman who • J strives to look r ■ sweet and pretty should be so in her house gown this year, because her ffljf house gowns may IHA afford a change and W contrast in style from her street and Im reception dresses /MN that makes her I'jjw. especially charm- . /Tlw\ ing i n ' On t * l ® /li Ira Btreet and at the fl IVI smart 5 o’clock tea AJljpk her pretty skirts will spread, and she be all puff and in the house she may be as Em-

pire as she pleases and lovely in quite a different way. The house gown must be put together with discretion and worn with confidence. It is quite a different thing from the neglige of one’s room, and must not suggest the street gown. It may be of materials as rich and as delicate as the ball toilet, but it inust not seem a bit like it. The Empire models lend themselves best to tne ideal house-gown, the bodice part being high-necked and long-sleeved, or only cut out. One charming dress has the bodice surplice front with great sleeves and a high collar, and is made of white grenadine with plush stripes. The bodice ends Just below the bust line. The skirt is ieavy silk, perfectly plain, and falls in close, straight folds from the edge of the bodice. At the back of the bodice are two big rosettes of white satin, from between which floats a long sash of white satin.. A big satin bow is in front. The silk of the skirt is-a creamy white, and the gown is worn with scarlet slipperqand stockings to match. A peat deal of the philosophy of the ideal house-gown is in this dress, and a little study of the design will show just the points that make it a house-gown for all. The material is what would be suitable for an evening dress. The same idea can be carried out in black, the neck being cut slightly square, and the skirt of soft India silk. It is a good rule not to show much of

the arms and neck in a silken or brocade house dress. This sort of thing is charming for the 5-o’clock tea that you are giving, or for the afternoon at home, or anything that calls for the rather “state” dress. Besides these you want the little dresses that are going to make you seem sweet and picturesque, and, incidentally, save street and other dresses. Little Gretchen gowns, with delicate white mull for neck and sleeves, that seem cool and homelike, are made with quite wide short waists. The chief charm of the to home dress is that it shall seem be comfortable. Of course you must be careful not to have these dresses seem theatrical, only dainty and pretty. This reminds me of the little actress who got married suddenly at the end of the season, took a little summer cottage and wore all her stage “domestic-little-wife" dresses and impossible aprons. True to stage effects, she invariably swept the front steps with a broom tied with a blue ribbon, just as all the men were coming home from business, and entirely demoralized the summer population. But, to return to gowns. These little picture gowns may of course be made merely pretty and be used to pose about in and help make your rooms look artistic. For this idea, you have all art at your disposal, and your dress may be copied from any period you like that lends itself to flowing lines and rich colors, or the little gowns may be distinctly useful and suggest that madam does at least the dusting of her own parlor. For the warm weather you must have any number of fresh print, lawn or eveh gingham dresses made for house wear. The very prettiest are the simplest. They can be made of the finest chambray, lawn or print of a dainty color, or white with sprig of a design,

the bodice surplice front with big sleeves and a collar turned away, the skirt quite simple, full on the. belt and not gored a bit and short enough to clear the ground. Such a gown is one that evidently you can get into or out of at short notice. China and wash silks make up in this way daintily, and you may choose rose pink, turquoise blue, and even white. Only beware of crinoline and small waist, or your gown will need a hat and a parasol and be no longer a house gown. Besides these gowhs, in which you are presentable to any one outside your room, are those ' that

should notcome beyond one's own botH doir. The matinee, strictly speaking, has been an intrusion ujx>n the seclusiveness of this gown, and the result, has been that some of our hostesses at five o’clock teas this winter have seemed strangelv neglige, to say the least. This sort of gown is loose, a robe that does not outline the figure but that shrouds and envelops it. It should have plenty of lace close about the throat and wrists, and should have no apparent end or beginning. It must be neither a bunch nor a bungle, and it should give a woman a sort of dignity and suggest entire relaxation and freedom beneath its loose and protecting billowy folds. If a belt is worn it should not define the waist, but should hang low on the hips or clasp the breast. The sleeves must be loose and flowing and make themselves part of the draperies of the gown. Under this head come the Japanese gowns and the loose affairs with flowing sleeves of white China silk that can be slipped on quickly to make one

lovely in case of a fire. Besides all these, you may buy ready-made silk gowns that are short-waisted and made with enormous loose puffed sleeves and very full skirts. They fasten in front and are slipped into in a moment, and are distracting when made of rainbow silk. But everyone is not rich, and so, with the artist's aid, I will set before vou some models which can be attained by limited purses. The reader should bear in mind that cheap materials can be often made up to handsomely imitate the most expensive toilets. By remembering this, a costume which would cost twenty times what you can afford to expend, can yet be described and sketched to your direct benefit. The material used in the costume of the initial picture is green and canary changeable silk, trimmed with green velvet and ecru lace. The skirt is lined with taffeta and is gathered to the waistband in the back. At the bottom it is garnished with three bias folds of velvet of equal width, each one finished by jet passementerie at the lower edge. The bodice fastens in the center, but the vest of velvet hooks on the left side. The fronts are a trifle full and are trimmed with lace in the manner indicated. The sleeves are shbrt elbow puffs and are finished with a full ruffle of lace. Around the bottom of the bodiee there is- a pointed narrow velvet belt finished with jet passementerie. A beautiful dress made of white batiste with very narrow hemstitched stripes, the wider spaces having a design in open work, is the subject of the second picture. The foundation dress is of white silk with a ruffle around the bottom of the skirt. The round waist is cut square in front and round behind, and has bretelles of wide Moorish lace that form a gently rounded collar in the back. With it is worn a broad girdle of pink and green ombre surah forming a baby bow In the back. The balloon sleeves are of surah. A full bow composed of pink, green and white baby ribbon, with long streamers is placed in front. The third model is composed of gray Sicilienne. It is very wide around the bottom and is trimmed with a ruching

of silk. The basque is of green and pink ombre velvet, is cut flaring and trimmed with a fichu of pink crepe lisse edged with cream-colored lace and held in place at the waist by a wide girdle of gilt passementerie. Beneath the belt are two long ends, one of plain crepe lisse, the other entirely of lace. The sleeves are caught by a rosette of heavy cloth-of-gold and are garnished with a puff of crepe lisse ana an embroidered frill of the same. On each side of the basque is an imitation pocket, made like a shell, of cloth-of-gold or gold passementerie. The charming costume next illustrated is particularly suitable to the matron. It is very stylish, the little open jacket being most fashionable. It would look very well made up in blue, with panels of navy striped with red or sky-blue; or, for half-mourning, in black, the panels being of black velvet with a narrow stripe of white. Particular attention is called to the shape of the bodice, which is most novel and becoming, especially to a slim figure. The last sketch is of a dress which can be made either of black or colored crepe trimmed with black tulle or chiffon. The skirt is very wide, is lined with silk and has a ruffle of lace inside. On the outside is a gathered flounce of tulle. The waist has a silk lining, but the back of crepe has no center seam and the fronts are composed of crepe taken bias. The latter must be cut full enough to make numerous tiny pleats that all meet at the waist line. The neck is cut V-shape in front only, and is finished with a plpated'bandeau of tulle, and two tulle ruffles that go all the way around. The balloon sleeves have a tight lining. Copyright. 1893.

WHITE STRIPED BATISTE.

GRAY SICILIENNE.

WITH HOVEL BODICE.

OF COLORED CREPE.