Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1894 — WORN BY THE WOMEN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WORN BY THE WOMEN

SOME OF THE VERY LATEST IDEAS IN DRESS. Several Sorts of House Dresses Which Are 8o Inexpensive that Most Women Can Afford to Have a Lot of Them— Easy to Make. Gowns for the House. New Yotk correspondence:

O MANY a woman a new house I gown seems an ex--JL travagance. She t) tjT recognizes the nefvo cessity of having a “best gown, ” and \\ thinks that it ought to be new at |k least once in two (I i i years. She is will--I*l % l ing to use it for MIV—. I second best when "I Uj 4la new one ccmes, M vSs*' l ater she ftlffS will “wear it jl\ | [ around the house." /Mil*-- Her entire ward--35i4~ robe thus consists of best gowns in various stage i of

decrepitude. Wild extravagance permits her a party dress which is renewed many times, and when its .usefulness for such occasions is over, it meets the same fate as the best dress. For especial house wear she may have a wrapper and as, be she ever so saving, there is a time when a wrapper becomes old. she is thus supplied with “just an old wrapper to wear around the house.” This is all wrong. Practice economy in the street or best dress; if you are inconspicuous and faultlessly tidy on the street, that suffices, but in the house you must be as pretty as possible, and not only neat but daintily fresh. This necessitates house gowns, and not one, but many. The old best gown may be made over for street use, Bnd the new best dress may be worn at the theater, but neither should be used as home dresses. This rule will save both these gowns most trying wear and they will last that much longer. There are several sorts of pretty house dresses, which are so inexpensive that most women can afford to have a lot of them, and, while very neat and pretty, are the easiest things in the world to make. First comes the wrapper, which must never be the Mother Hubbard, nor of dark print or wool, nor of anything that will not wash. A pretty kind and one that any one can make is made full right from the collar and is fitted in under the arms a little and over the hips. A surplice, serpentine, or kerchief front is added, but, don’t be discouraged, these big names mean only a scarf-like piece sewed along the armhole and a little way ufi the shoulder seam, and then the two scarfs are tied together over the bust, or crossed over it, carried under the arms and tied in the back. The wrapper may be of any light print or wash goods, and the kerchief front of ruffled white muslin. This makes a dainty breakfast wrapper or room robe. Practical and working house dresses must invariably be snort and of the manv cheap prints, challies or muslins, or the pretty soft flannelettes may be used. These wash, are inexpensive and do not need starching. Always choose light and delicate colors. A gown that goes on as easily as a wrapper is one that is actually made on a broad belt, which fastens in front and is wide enough to reach well above the waist line. To its lower edge a plain full skirt is run, with a hem turned up at the bottom. The bodice is sewed to the upper edge and may be made without darts or fittings, just full on the collar and drawn down closely into the belt. The sleeves have big drooping tope and a deep tight cuff to

the elbow, which is the easiest sleeve in the world to make. If possible, make it out of white or delicately striped wash silk, or black wash silk will do, with scarlet wash silk belt, collar and cugs. It is well to have a folded or sash belt, tying with a pretty bow in front, to protect the placket hole. This one design can be safely duplicated in many materials. It is quick to get into, is easy and looks pretty and trim. Last but not least, you need never worry about the skirt’s slipping in the back,‘that common fault of the old thing, worn about the house. An even more simple house-gown is made all in one and quite plain from collar to hem, back and front It fast-

ens down the front to about the waist, and has attached to the middle of the back a wide stiffened belt That is all there is to it. It needs careful “hanging,” that it may be even all around when the belt is fastened. The collar can be either a high or a turned-over one. The sleeves may be like the other design, or straight ones gathered in at the armhole and at the wrist. Could anything be more simple? You see, it is no matter how simple the little gown is, if it be only fresh and light When you are well supplied with these bits of gowns for “ working round,” turn your thoughts to tne pretty afternoon gowns and the little dinner and tea dresses, in which you may prink up a bit when John comes home or when you have company. You may follow the model of the gown that was all made on a belt, adding a little pointed yoke to the collar, ana letting yoke, belt, and cuffs contrast in color with the rest of the gown. A pretty trained Empire gown is perfectly simple to make, and very pretty for use. Make a sort of jacket bodice, the back having only a middle seam, or being shaped without any. This back is quite short-waisted, so there is no fitting necessary. The front is a variation of the surplice, the knot on the breast being permanent. This bodice is worn over an undergown that is trained and not fitted, and may be a contrasting color and material from the undergown. When put op over the undergown and fastened trimly at the breast line, the folds of the unaergown fall gracefully from under it. One jacket or bodice of this kind may be worn with many skirts. These few hints will help you toward providing neat and practical home dresses, and the accompanying illustrations with their descriptions will serve as equally good guides for the construction of more dressy home costumes, some of them for wear when all housework is put aside. In the small picture at the head of the column there appears a dress of olive-green cloth, with Recamier sleeves and collar"ana full front of green and black brocade. The broad band of fur at the skirt’s

hem is by no means a necessary feature and it can be omitted with little if any loss. The next example is an elegant one, worked out In velvet and glace silk, and the materials used may be either combinations of ruby red ana pale green, or of dark blue with strawberry. The gown is cut princess, the lining of the bodice hooks in front, the panel hooks at the side and the fullness is gathered in at the waist and held by a buckle. The skirt is very wide and flaring and the edges of the fronts are bordered with gold galloon, which is also used for the belt. Next come a pair dressed much less expensively. The chamber robe at the left hand may be made of thin silk or woolen stuffs, and it is trimmed with ribbon of the same or of contrasting shade, which commences at the shoulders in back, crosses in front and is then carried back again to the starting point, irom which it falls down to the bottom on long loops and ends. A full frill of goods comes around the neck and the baggy sleeves have ribbon cuffs. Of course, such a gown is not to be worn outside the chamber. A pretty dress, which is to replace it when appearing in the living rooms, is seen beside it. White cashmere figured with embroidered rosebuds 1b J[u material, and it is garnished with crepe chine figured ip like Banner. The Dell skirt Is garnished with fouP bi«W c§shipere folds and a narrow knife pleating around the bottom. The bodice comes over the skirt and has a plastron in front, which is sewed to one side and hooks at the other. The bretelles are made of crepe de chine laid over rose-pink faille, and are open at the shoulder. At the left side there is a crepe de chine sash faced with pink faille. Copyright, 1894.

Seen in the Shops. Square-cut jacket suits for small boys. Cashmere wrappers having silK fronts. Fancy moire effects in the new ribbons. Jabots of point d’esprit lace and crepe. Moire effects or suggestions in new taffetas. Pin-dotted changeable satins foi fancy waists. Green and navy shades in men’s cr& vats of all grades. Black equestrian tights made in the open-seam style. Low-necked Swiss ribbed undervesti for corset covers. Dressing sacques of French twill and printed flannel. Double-width veilings in black of expensive qualities.

SIMPLE BODICES IN CLOTH AND ILK

SOME ONE ELSE WASHES THE DISHES.

BEFORE AND AFTER BREAKFAST.