Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 August 1893 — SKILL IN THE SKIRT. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SKILL IN THE SKIRT.

WHAT IS REQUIRED IN MAKING NEW STYLE GOWNS. A Pfrfwt Cunt time In All Other Keeper!* Can Be Spoiled l»y (he 111-Flttinjf or Non-Adaptation of the Aceoinpunylnir Skirt. Mode* for the Month. New York correspondence:

GREEK maidens are forever being held up to us as models of “flowing - lines’’ perfection, P but from even her ES to the hoop distended dame of j/ the Empress Eugenie’s .reign, down to the presi ent day of less in- » Hated draperies, HI the skirt of a cos--11 tume is the one liu point above all Mm others that calls Mi f° r consideration |!\|\ and skill. The \j\W\ bodice, sleeves, kyyi rovers, hretellos, HY\ epaulettes.and the \ Y> puffs, shirrs, JffiatpL, noney - comb and otherwise that go to their creation

may be perfection itself, and yet the whole effect may be spoiled by the ill lit or non-adaptation of the accompanying: Bkirt. The general outline being the same, there is yet something of a diversity in the style of skirts by which taste and choice may be exercised. You are allowed to have your skirt very wide at the bottom or considerably narrower than the widest and still lie well dressed. You may have the trimming br the skirt just as you please; three ruffles on the bottom’ or none; ruffles at the knees or none; ruffles just below the basque, or where the basque would be if you had one—or none; and you can use plain, gimp, or jet trimming, or a ruching of the goods or nothing, at your own sweet will. Some go back to the bell skirt, and trim it at the bottom, at the knees, and below the waist, and some adopt a plain wide skirt with no trimming, or just one

row below the basque jmint This latitude gives variety to one’s wardrobe in that the skints of all one's dresses are not alike in every detail except the mere fabric. Then there are folds with a piping and folds without a piping; there are ruffles of lace of the goods like the gown, of the trimming silk, and ruffles trimmed with Iwiby r ibbon; there are two, three, four, or more ruffles—you'Cannot go amiss. The old adage of cutting your coat according to your cloth may be closely followed in your skirt trimming, and' yet no one suspect it, a priceless boon to one engaged in that exalted pastime of “making over” an ancient gown. But the latest style of skirt is not for the economical if made of new stuff, nor is it so becoming to the petite beauty as to the tall and stately one. It is made of three gathered circular flounces sewed on a foundation skirt with a narrow front gore and two wide back gores with bias edges joined in a center seam. The skirt has the regulation flaring effect at the bottom, and the top has slight gathers at the front and sides, and clooely drawn gathers at the back. It is a decidedly appropriate style tor summer fabrics, ana the flounces may be trimmed with Hamburg linen edging, or just a plain hem ■with machine stitching. The mode will also make up well with silk and woollen fabrics, and it will lit equally well with a round waißt, a blouse or a basque. The ingenious will see in it a chance to combine materials and also a style for using up two or more old skirts. So it can be turned to economical accounts after all, as almost any style can be In the hands of a real artist. Woollen goods are trimmed with braid passementerie, velvet, or jotted gimp. India silk, crepons and the like find favor trimmed with rows of baby ribbon. Skirts are still finished with the usoful velvet binding, which now comes in wider lengths, forming a fa-

cing of two or more inches. Three flounced skirts, of gray material, are prettily trimmed with frills of black Bourbon lace, headed with a row of hand-crccheted gimp. We cannot go amiss. If extravagant in taste and unlimited in purse, the style permits of the most lavish adornmen% If of an economical turn, from necessity or only fi om instinct, there is the widest opportunity to spend precious time and brains in inventing combinations, In ripping and pressing, and cutting and piecing to the heart's content, so that the skirt ufter all mdy

be made for us a “thing of beauty ana a joy forever." A rather novel effect is produced by the double skirt sketched in the initial. The bottom skirt has the circular bell shape and is trimmed with four Idas folds of silk. The upper skirt is raised on one side, edged with a ruffle finished with a fold of silk also taken on the cross. Both skirts are made of sand-colored beige, the upper one somewhat shorter than the lower. The blouse is made of plaid silk, taken bias, and hooks at the side. The wide bait sos the same silk. The jacket is quite short and is made separately of mode cloth, lined with plaid silk and trimmed with jet nasieinenterie. it has a raver collar laid in hollow pleats on the shoulders, which is alsotrimmed with jet. The material employed for the aecond toilet is very thin cream-colored woollen suiting dotted with green, and trimmed with pale green silk and vel-

vet ribbon of a darker shade in different widths. The hell skirt is lined with satin and trimmed around the bottom with a deep gathered ruffle, forming points at the top and garnished with four rows of narrow velvet ribbon. The p.mnd waist (its snugly Hnd has a pointed piece in front and hack of gathered green surah trimmed at the neck with two bands of velvet ribbon and edged with w ider ribbon which form butterfly bows < n the shoulders. The brotellos of suiting are garnished with three rows of nam.w ribben. The sleeves are trimmed with four rows of ribbon at the wrist and have a deep, full puff. The belt is of wide velvet ribbon with two' long ends and several loops. The bodice has no collar and Is cut in a slight V in front and back. The skirt in the mother’s dress in the next picture is trimmed round the bottom with a niching of grenadine shirred four times, und the perpendicular stripes of luce or luce grenadine ure put about the top at regular intervals. The space between the stripes is übout two and a half inches, these In front being twenty-one inches long, while in back they measure twentytin ee Inches. All ure pointed and ure three amlahalf inches wide. The skirt itself is of black grenadine made over taffeta silk. The lining of the bodice is tight and the grenuaine is draped over it in front and t»ack, the grenadine huving insertions of the same luce that forms the stripes on the skirt. The toilet is completed by a deep lace collar edged with a loco frill. The bodice has a vest of folded black satin shirred once down the center. The full sleeves are of grenadine with long cuff's; the puff is shirred seven times at the elbow. The material used in the youthful model of the same illustration is sand-colored woollen suiting, trimmed with lace underlaid with pink silk and pink ribbons. The skirt has an insertion of silk covered with lace around the bottom and has a separate foundation skirt of pink satin. The

lace insertion is about three inches wide. The bodies is tight fitting in back, but the front laps over; in front there is a pointed plastron of silk covered with lace, ana a doep lace collar completes the dainty costume. The fourth sketci\ shows a very effective gown of croam linen, with a conventional design in mauve, the bodice being in plain mauve, trimmed with cream guipure. The skirt is formed of five breadths, cut on the cross sO as to avoid any fullness at the sides, tho back only being pleated. The skirt will take seven yards of material and the bodice four yards and a half. The ribbon with which the very full sleeves are drawn in should be of moss-greon to match the hat, and the bow in front should bo of the same shade, or, if this is too trying a color, of dark pansy-pur-ple fancy ribbon. The hat is of mossgree fancy straw, trimmed with lace and cornflowers. It turns up a little at the back, and the trimming is high in the front.

Labt we come to a handsome summer dress madoof white woolen suiting trimmed with ruffles of tame. The circular bell skirt is lined with white satin and stiffened slightly. Around the bottom are three ruffles seven inches wide, pinked at the lower edge and gathered twice near the top to form a narrow puff with a small head. The round waist has a vest of tucked and shirred whito stuff, as shown. The elbow sleeves are garnished with a deep pinked trill. The Eton jacket has pointed revers.-and is edged with white woollen braid and lined with white satin. Tho standing collar is trimmed with braid and the wide belt is also garnished with the same. To reserve for the last word a bit of prophecy: Sleeves are to become still larger. Fall jackets are to take four and a half and flvo yards for the sleeves, and the dresses will not bo far behind. That means that skirts will remain full, for with narrow skirts and these enormous sleeves a woman without an umbrella or any other prop would look as If she must fall from sheer top-heaviness. Copyright, ltku

ALL RUN TO POINTS

BOTH UP WITH THE MODES.

A MODEL IN LINEN.

ALL IN WHITE.