Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1894 — GOWNS AND GOWNING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOWNS AND GOWNING.

WOMEN GIVE MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY WEAR. Brief QI ■■Bee a* VAnclea Feminine, Frivo* low, Mayhap, and Yet Offered ta the Bepe that the Beediap May Priwe Beetful to Wearied Womankind. Cl atrip from Gay Gotham New York correepondenee:

VERY designer of women’s oosi tumes in the laud, ,it would appear, is making a great effort to put forward models of paniers and overskirts which shall achieve popularity. The number of jtheee designs increase every day, and meanwhile women remain suspicious and quite unlike Barkis. Still it is plainly noticeable that noth overskirt and panier make headway in

favor, and it is a steady progress, if a slow one. That it is deliberate there is no denying, but if there is any truth in the saw, slow but sure, they wiH prevail before long. Women in general don't like the thought of donning overskirts and paniers, and they are almost sure to speak of Dolly Varden styles with sneering emphasis. Nevertheless, they are watching closely the output of new shapes, as, indeed, they must if they hope to keep to the fore in fashion’s fray. When there comes a cut’of either of the despised styles which pleases a woman, she will surrender and take it up, and as a legion of them are coming, recruits to the army of reluctant acceptors are in direct proportion to the number of new models. In the race for favor, the overskirt has so far outdistanced the panier, and, for that reason it may be, panier devices and effects are now becoming mors numerous and more attractive. In the first two pictures of this column two views of the same dress are shown, to present clearly an ingenious accessory which combines the bertha with the panier effect. It is made of black moire edged with black braid. The bertha is a pointed vest piece with a folded collar, and on either side of it is set a wide bertha rever of the moire spreading over the shoulders and narrowing to the waist. At the back is a box-pleated piece of silk arranged to

fall, in collarette fashion, across from shoulder to shoulder, and attached to the folded belt of silk is a series of curved panel pieces. The two front ones appear to be the ends of the bertha side pieces. Those on the side shorten and those at the back are still shorter and set out slighly. A more useful accessory could hardly be planned, for black moire goes well with almost anything and we are assured that braid will hold its own this summer. As first offered, it is applied, in the described materials, to a simple, street dress of blue serge, but for strictly dressy use the same affair might be carried out in the almost equally popular white moire. Then the pointed vest viece should be a soit pleating of white chiffon, and frilled lace should be used instead of the braid. Even the despised Dolly Varden paniers are heralded in the puffs on the hips which narrow in front and spread wide at the side. Flowered organdies are employed for this style and the closely fitting skirt beneath shows through the transparent folds of the paniers, but scon we shall have the same fashion carried out in stiff brocades and moires. Even now a model is being widely adopted that shows a much-befrilled skirt of striped silk with a paniered polonaise bodice of flowered brocade, made with big puffs draping over the hips and a deep pointed stomacher reaching below the waist line in front to which the panier is fulled. A modification of the same effect shows only the stomacher and the paniers of brocade, epaulette-like pieces being attached to the stomacher,

the whole presenting the effect of a skeleton bodice to be treated as an accessory and worn with a plain bodice and skirt. General acceptance of the overskirt will mean brisk business for dressmakers, and they fully realize it. So anxious are they that the happy possibility shall not escapfo them that an occasional resort is made to the ways and wiles of the professional promoter. Thus, the third illustration depicts an anmiatakahle overskirt -with equally

apparent panier effects, but it is introduced as a Louis XV. skirt To the learned in the history of drees, this may mean overdress ana nothing else, bat as the name is no disguise when the style is seen, the deceit if any were intended, can be forgiven. Let it be then a Louis XV. skirt and this one consists of a foundation bell skirt of satin which is bordered around the bottom with a wide band of velvet The upper skirt is cut a little wider than the lower and is draped in the manner indicated, and the folds of the various looped-up parts are held in place by large velvet bows. The fullness around the hips is arranged so as to imitate paniers. The material of the overdress is tobacco-brown brocaded silk. There is a separate jacket of brown cloth which closes with a full velvet bow and a cut steel buckle. This is sleeveless, and its garniture consists of a revers collarette of brown velvet. The bodice sleeves have double puffs banded with velvet and ornamented with buckles on the outside, and long velvet cuffs. The present craze for ribbon is adjusted to the demands for paniers and the result is a sash effect most unique and effective. The ribbon used is extra sash width moire. Two puffy loops are made, one end short and cut

across at the edge, the other three yards long. The loops are set on the hip, the short end is brought to the front, the corner turning back in rever fashion, and the long end is carried to the back. Here it meets the other long end, a big tie is made of the two ends with drooping loops and ends to reach the edge of the skirt—and there you are. The illustration last dascribsd merely suggests how bows break out everywhere. It is now possible to have them all around the edge of the skirt, to have one on each side of the bodice for paniers, a huge one at the throat, and the entire bonnet of one. This, too, is all at the same time! In telling of a contest it is fair to give both sides, so in the last two pictures there are shown two new costumes which do not include overskirts in any form. These are at the left side in each case. The first is made of black velvet, black b2ngaline and rich black lace; the skirt is trained, lined with silk and trimmed with two full ruches of fine black crepe lisse. The bodice has a square yoke of bengaline and is garnished with lace that crosses in back and front over the yoke. The immense velvet puff sleeves are finished with deep lace frills. The other member of the opposition is a street dress of dark blue cheviot trimmed with black watered silk. Its plain skirt is garnished at the bottom with five narrow rolls of moire. The bodice has revere and turned down collar of watered silk, but the narrow basque is made of cheviot. The standing collar consists of folded moire hooking with a small head in back, and the cloth plastron in front is hidden by an enormous cravat-bow of watered silk with lace-trimmed ends. Since the struggle for and against the overskirt seems to be going in its favor, it is politic to return again to consideration of overdresses. At the right, in the fourth sketch, there is a tasteful example of its use on a youthful costume. It consists of an underskirt of silk or satin draped with an accordion-pleated overskirt of gauzy

crepe lisse that is lifted at the left side. The right side of the bodice laps over and is fastened with a spray of rosee and foliage. The fullness at the top it draped in front, but the back is plain. The lower parts of the sleeves consist of a series of gauze puffs, with two larger puffs lined with silk at the top. In the last picture at the right there is seen the familiar form of overskirt which opens at the side. These are now often seen on walking dresses and promise to be more plentiful. For those who object altogether to the overdress there is a compromise in the shape of a lace affair that fits closely over the underskirt to about the knees, where it points off into vandykes. From under the vandykes a ruffle set on the underskirt escapes in pretty fullness. This model, as you see, avoids all fullness about the hips. Something of the same effect is obtained by an overdress made entirely of ribbon set lengthwise with alternating insertions of lace. The ribbon ends in pointed pieces, and the whois fits closely over the under silk skirt. Yet another quaint sort goes on over the head. It is only a square of silk or silk-lined velvet with a hole cut in the center and a belt set in incasing a draw ribbon. The overdress is flipped on over the head, the draw ribbon tightens the belt, and the four corners of the square fall prettily, one to either side of the front and one to either side of the back. The same idea is carried out in light wash silk for summer dresses. A little cape affair made on the same plan, and cuffs to match, complete the garniture of the gown. Copyright. 1894. The laughing jackass, when warning his feathered mates that daybreak is at hand, utters a cry like a troop of boys shouting, whooping, and laughing in a wild chorous. The night jay has a cry like one lamenting in distress. The United States stands. ahead of all nations in the value of cattle.

COLLARETTE, PANIERS AND BERTHA COMBINED.

OVERSKIRT WITH PANIERS SUGGESTED.

A COSTRASTED INDOOR PAIR.

A LIKE COUPLE OUTDOORS.