Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1894 — GOWNS AND GOWNING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOWNS AND GOWNING.

WOMEN GIVE MUCH ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY WEAR. Brief Glances at Fancies Feminine, Frivolous, Mayhap, and Yet Offered in the Hope that the Reading May Prove Beetful to Wearied Womankind. Gossip from Gay Gotham. New York correspondence

EVERS of one sort or another are an important feature in spring dresses k and they promise to •continue during the i summer. The most I common sort are i j wildly flaring and y sharp pointed, and ' the outside points often reach nearly to the shoulders. Another and novel sort of waist adorn£ment is shown in /the initial picture. CThis dress is of thin ,) woolen suiting and its gored skirt is lined with silk and around the

bottom. The fullness in back is laid In boxpleats, but the front fits snugly over the hips. The skirt garniture consists of a deep gathered flounce, with sides curving upward, and just touching the boxpleats. The bottom of this flounce is tucked three times. The bodice has fitted lining and a vest of pique or of white watered silk, which is bordered with double bretelles slashed near the shoulders and forming a round collar in back. Plain balloon sleeves and turned down collar finish this dalnty oostume. This vest is one with the collar, but those which are accompanied by shirt-front and tie are for the most part cut high, and show very little of the shirt at the throat. For wear for receptions with brocade coats, the waistcoat is of silk to match the ground of the coat, and the bosom showing above is hardly more than a yoke of very fine mull, fitted to a folded collar of silk like the waistcoat. A fall of real lace is attached to the collar at its lower edge, and covers the mull entirely in its soft folds to the waistcoat top. Waistcoats are fitted in gentlemanly fashion below the waist line in front, they finish at the waist line with a slight point just in frent, or they are made according to the fashion of the couriers of the time of Charles 11., with tabs below the waist, to show in front below the short-cut coat. The earliest prophecies of spring and summer fashions promised that fur would be used for trimming even In the hottest months. This promise has been fulfilled so far, but the fad so

lacks in reasonableness that it is not surprising to see it take on odd and grotesque expressions, as it frequently does. Here in the second picture is an example which shows plainly how desperate is the search for novelty. The dress is qI a very dark-brown cloth and the spiral trimming black fur. The deep basque is in fluted pleats, and a very high collar tops it. Now that so many fancy waists are required, it is as well to learn a few tricks of transformation. Be wise and have two or three waists made quite plain, about hips, throat, and shoulders. Let the sleeves be of gigot pattern, full at the top and close below the elbow. Employ only one material in the construction of these waists, then consider them as foundations merely, and plan a lot. of accessories to use at your pleasure with the foundation waists, and you will drive your neighbor friends mad with the idea that you have several dozen fancy bodices. You will have a foundation waist of black, one of white, one of your pet color, and possibly one of flowered silk. A finish for the black will be thus arranged: arm straps cf ribbon velvet to set over the shoulder are connected by a piece of velvet to cross the chest and one to cross thp shoulder at the back. To the edge of the front piece run very fall a piece of black net that shall at the corners reach the bust line and slope to the waist line in front 1 Applique on the lower edge of the net a finish of cream guipure, and spray applique guipure flowers, circles or crescents all over it. Patterns cut out of cheap lace applique with excellent effect To the shoulder straps fasten squares of net embellished in the same and edged on three sides with the

guipure. At the back comes a piece to correspond with the front. At one side where the shoulder piece and the cross piece of velvet meet, there should be a bow of ribbon velvet, finished at the ends with guipure edge and with a row or so of guipure above. A yoke of guipure lace may be set in the open square, the collar of the same being a wide ruffle of guipure, held high and close about the throat by a tie of velvet ribbon, fastened at the side and furnished with ends to match the sidebow below. This yoke should be made adjustable, and the ribbon at the throat should not lie fastened to the lace, for you will want the same yoke with vbjt® satin ribbon for use with the white waist In the dress of the third picture there is shown a handsome style of trimming, which consists, for the skirt, of a band of changeable watered ribbon edged on both sides with a fancy border and drawn through buckles in front and back as shown. The jacket bodice has a fitted vest hooking in front which is covered with a gathered plastron of a contrasting shade of silk, either open in the center or lapping over, and edged with darker velvet whose ends lap over in the waist and form a belt. The basoue is pleated and garnished down the edges of the fronts with narrower ribbon than that on the skirt The Duffed sleeves are also

banded with ribbon near the wrist. The dress goods is a changeable silk showing mode and garnet A pretty house gown is made perfectly plain with big sleeves and ribbon belt. For wear over it there is an adorable lamp-shade yoke-cape, which extends in a deep point way out over the full sleeves, so far that, with the arm akimbo, the elbow is reached. The line of the cape is prettily sloped up a little and then down to the point at the belt. It is edged with a flounce of lace that narrows slightly towards the front and back points. The cape is set on a throat yoke, formed of rows of shirring, the yoke and high collar being one. When made in a dainty light wash goods nothing could be more distracting for a little bride than such a breakfast gown, aud if she wants to take a look into her kitchen before breakfast, the lamp-shade cape can be removed and she is in the trimmest possible work dress. Two house dresses are presented in the next illustration, that at the left being a very pretty example of the erstwhile tea gown. Its material is yellow surah and it has a round yoke to which the straight breadths are gathered. The yoke is made of Valenciennes insertion and strips of silk, and the collar is entirely of lace insertion. The collarette that finishes the yoke is a deep frill of Valenciennes lace, bordered with a surah puffing. The sleeves are not lined, and are made o 1 lace and silk insertion to match the yoke and are also trimmed with deep lace frills. The gown hooks in front and a yellow satin ribbon belt ties around the waist. The right-hand costume is composed of a new elastic woolen suiting, striped with red and white. The bodice lining is separate, boned and hooks in front, and the drees itself is cut princess. Attached to the lining bodice is a full skirt of red silk. The dress hooks at the side and the front laps over as far as the side back seam, where it is slightly draped and fastened. Owing to the looping this side is rather shorter. At the top is a round yoke of white satin

covered with shirred crepe lisse, and the decollete is bordered with a red vehet puff. The standing collar is also covered with crepe lisse and the long cuffs of the sleeves are shirred white satin, while the upper parts are double puffs of suiting. Copyright, ism.

FURRED ROUMD AND ROUND.

A SKIRT TRIMMED ON ONE SIDE.

FOR HOME WEAR.