Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1893 — FANCIES OF FASHION. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FANCIES OF FASHION.

GREAT VARIETY IN THE STYLES FOR THIS SEASON. Bands on Skirt. Grow Llkt the Peach In the Orchard—Stylish ■ Mourning Costumes—The “Swagger" Military CutMany New Effects Are Seen. Gotham Fashion Gossip. New York correspondent:

NEW way of “banding” skirts comes out every week now. This fashion commenced with a few parallel bands of ribbon or velvet, changed to permit a great many of them and now the strips of ribbon can make almost any pattern. This initial, for instance, shows one variatio n. This has a oostume of gray suiting, trim me d with

green Batin dnd silk. Each end of the spiral band of the skirt ends in a large rosette. The bodice has a narrow plastron of green silk which is finished on either side with bands of black guipure insertion. The rest of the front of the bodice is made of cream-colored silk, while the back and sleeves are of the gray stuff. The search for odd effects in skirt adornment has led some daring dressmakers to follow festoon lines about the skirts. These are either trimmed with lace actually festooned held up with bows of ribbons or knots of flowers, or else the ruffles are put on the skirts in wavy lines. Frequently there are only two festoons, the ruffle or puff curving down across the front and the back of the skirt, and being caught up at tho sides. The buncn of ribbon or knot of flowers becomes more and more a reminder of curtain drapery and horticultural collections. But the question just now is not is it pretty, is it graceful, but is it the fashionable thing? If it is, go ahead.

The socond and third pictures in this

column present tastoful models of stylish mourning. The first dress is made of black cashmere trimmed with crape. The moderately wide skirt is lined with silk and garnished with two bands of crape, one four inches wide, the other two inches, with a two-inch space between them. The round bodice is draped loosely with cashmere and hooks in the center. It is trimmed with bretelles of unlined orape seven inches wide, and has a standing collar of crape. At the left in the third picture there is displayed a dress in second mourning. The material is a rough cashmere, and the skirt is trimmed with three rolls of crape around tho bottom. The bodice is plain behind, but has a pointed plastron of crape in front, finished by a roll of tho same on either side, with a socond roll covering the first dart, and continuing to the shoulders. The toilet has a pretty collarette in three parts, oach edged with crape. The puff of the sloove is divided by a crape band and the cuff is made entirely of it. The companion figure is attired in deepest mourning. The fabric employed is a shaggy black foule trimmed profusely with crape. The skirt has a slight train and is covered with crape about half-way up. It is lined with black lusterless silk. The round bodice is entirely covered with crape, back and front, and the circular cape is edged with an eight-inch band of it, which continues up the front. The small crape bonnet supports a long veil, which is embroidered along its edges with a small design in lusterloss black silk. If the fashions keep turning out such horrible examples of tho dreaded ruff.

women will escape the infliction altogether. It is bad enough to contemplate the pictures without risking getting into such things, A fashion to “take” must be introduced in an attractive and not exaggerated form. True it is that the fashion once settled it will be pushed to the niost hideous extremes and stuck to through them all till it dies of its own over-aevelop-ment, but in the beginning there is more sense shown. One of the offered models has a ruff effect of three upright and stiffened frill* that pass stiffly about the neck and down the front to meet at a point at the waist line. The awful part of this is that the frills maintain their stiffness and uprightness all the way, and at the waist even stand at right angles to everything else. The frills are furnished with Vandyke points, and a man may just as well go and lump on a picket fenoe as try to get his arms about a girl bo pro tack'd. The only pleasing effect obtained along the ruff one is the modification of it that

mounts a tiose frill on the top of the long popular choker collar. This requires a very long neck, but that is all right. If the fashion that is requires a long neck, we must all have them and that iB all there is to it. The Henry VIII. ruff is a double frill affair; the sort of thing many a play has accustomed women to. This ruff adjusts itself to any sort of neck. The frills are mounted on as narrow a band as need be to be comfortable. The frills stand out straight from tho neck, instead of upright against it. They staid out so far and the band on which they are mounted is loose enough, so that you really have lots of ruff even if you nave very little neck, and the effect is secured successfully and without disoomfort to you. Maybe Henry VIII. was not stylish, but his ruff suits the idea of style to-day, and now that you have learned how to get into the thing without entire sacrifice of your head, you can go in for it and bo happy. But avoid the other things. Two pretty street dresses are depicted In the fourth illustration. That

at the left is composed of dark-blue foulard and trimmed with white lace and apple-green surah. Tho skirt is trimmed in the novel way mentioned at tho description of the Initial, with three serpentino ruffles, enoh cdgod top and bottom with narrow white lace. The ronnd bodice has a pointed yoke of gatherod green silk finished with bands of guipure lace. The remaider is laid in tiny pleats and trimmed with vertical bands of lace insertion three inches .wide. Tho other gown is mado of pale-bluo and white striped organdie, trimmed with insertions of embroidered batisto. The skirt is lined with whito satin and garnishod on tho inside with a pinked satin frill. The blouse waist is plain in back and tho hooks in front aro hidden by a strip of insertion. Tho draped fronts have also two bands of tho same insertion on either t-ide. Theso fronts are loose and are joined in the shoulder seam. The belt is a plain band of batiste. The sleeves have a largo, full puff and a long cuff trimmed with two bands of insertion. Elaborate braiding is tho rule on handsome gowns, and it is so elaborate that it vies in richness of effect with embroidery. Silver and white are often used on dark dresses. Velvet revere and collars und sleoves and boloros are masses of applique work of all kinds. In tho now gown all this means expense. But it is likewise a suggestion for the doing over of old gowns, and though fresh velvet may make a better foundation for embroidery,'still the velvet so old that it can be used in no other way looks well when richly covered with handsome work. The coat of the final sketch is profusely embroidered in military fashion, In considering this garmont it should bo borne in mind that whilo

circular capes and wraps of all descriptions remain as popular as ever, nothing is more becoming to Blonder, youthful figures than the three-quarter jackets. This model Is fashioned of a light-weight tobacco-colored skirt set off with black braid. It is tight-fitting with ample skirts, which have a largo directolro pocket flap on each side, edged with braid and trimmed with three diagonal rows of the tame, finishing in tiny round rosettes. The front of the skirt has a similar rosette in cacti corner. A small pelerine cape is made independent of the jacket and fastened to it with hooks in front. It has a turned down collar, is edged with braid and garnished with two rosettes as shown. The pointed gauntlet cuffs arc trimmed in the same manner.

Fashion, being hounded for new effects, proclaims that she will admit the picturesque Cossack jacket this winter. This jacket hangs from the shoulders and isn’t any protection, but is charmingly pretty, however. They must be of heavy broadcloth. They fit closely and are fastened straight up the front t> the high choker. You may have them lined with the richest silk, satin or brocade, and spend all you want and have on braiding, cording and embroidery. One handsome model is worn with a perfectly plain gown of white broadcloth. The bodice of the gown is heavily braided with gold, and fastens straight up to the high collar with small gold buttons. The skirt is the usual cut and has one band of gold braid at the foot. The jacket slings from the left shoulder. It is a mass of rich gold embroidery, and is lined with heavy white satin, neck and sleeves being finished with sable. The possible objection to such a gown would be that it and the coat idea with its rakish hang is a little suggestive of comic opera. Yet, the ultra dame ventures upon the street clad in a hunter's green and Cossack jacket very early in the fall. Encouraged by the impression the green makes she will soon sally forth in a scarlet one. And then—but wait. Poor fashion is hard pushed these days. Time was when she kept her followers out of breath, now they tread upon her heels and cry, faster ! faster! till the poor jade pants for breath. Copyright, 1883.)

A review of the personnel of the English House of Lords does not show a preponderance of strength or intellectuality.

THE GARB OF GRIEVING.

TWO OTHER EXAMPLES.

MORE CHEERFUL ATTIRE.

OF “SWAGGER” MILITARY CUT.