Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 April 1895 — A WOMAN OF FASHION [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A WOMAN OF FASHION

MERGES ALL OF HER INDIVID* UAUTY INTO THE HOME GOWN. Th* Slmpl* Morning Robos and Afternoon Tea Gowns--The Richer Ono for Debutante Teas-* Fanciful Tea Gowns*-Somo Crape Ones Described. [COPYRIGHT, 1894.] How early Fashion declared herself this season. Here it is only a short time after the horse show, and everybody knows what the winter styles are likely to be. The event which is supposed to usher in the season’s styles was behindhand, for some reason, this year, for somehow there were no surprises in the way of costuming to be found at it. We were all prepared for Paquin skirts and jet bodices and velvet sleeves and pearl trimmings and real laces. We knew just how they would be disposed in the costume, just where the fur band ought to go, just how the puffs should droop, and the exact cut of the revere. So no one enjoyed the great show quite so much as usual. Truth to tell, all this magnificence is telling upon us. We have reached the limit of admiration; and epithets and exclamations grow so wearisome. It is tiresome to be in a constantly ecstatic state over the beauty of a gown or a bonnet. Even the shop windows are overdoing their displays. It is a constant panorama of magnificence, so constant that one is satiated with it all, and becomes indifferent to all of it. How far off is the reaction ? When will the reign, of simplicity be ushered in? No wonder lovely woman heaves a great sigh of relief when she comes in from a busy social afternoon, slips off that heavy, jetted satin gown, and takes out the simplest and loosest of wrappers. How she revels in that light, warm elder down, orcash-

mere, or flannel—whatever it may be. For just a few minutes she lies still in the great ehair, with every nerve relaxed, and eyes closed. Then comes the hateful task of another elaborate toilet. Thank heaven I some of us have more time for wrappers and home gowns than that. It is the gown that the woman loves before everything else. When she gets into it, she is no longer the “advanced” woman with “rights,” but only an unobtrusive, attractive female, resting in her pretty sitting-room, with those graceful folds lying all about her, and with a calm and sweet content in her face. When you see her thus, you wish there were no such things as platforms and clubs, where grave matters regarding woman's welfare require discussion. You would like her to stay right there and comfort you with her brightness and simple talk. You like her in a simple wrapper; but And her even more attractive in a pretty tea gown. The creator of the tea gown was surely inspired. We may touch it with fashion, we may add extravagant trimmings, it may savor of one’s individuality, or it may be quite plain. If you have a pet fancy in the way of drapes or lace arrangements, you may bring it out in your tea gown. Nothing is freer from the decrees of fashion, although still conforming to them in a vague, general way. For the modest gown crepe and crepon are still the materials—crepe, in both cotton and wool, crepe, in soft, silky folds and very gauzy; so thin, indeed, that it is generally lined with silk of a corresponding or brightly contrasting shade. Perhaps the very prettiest of crepe gowns that has been worn so far this season is of a delicate gray tint, lined throughout with bright cerise silk. If you were bold enqugh to peep beneath the gown, you would see that the cerise was finished with a deep plaited flouncing, that made the gray stand out. The foot of the gray was trimmed with two rows of cerise velvet ribbon, set between double ruches of the crepe. The waist trimming is most charming. A | square yoke back and front

is made of alternate gray and [ cerise stripes, joined by delicate open work embroidery. At the back Uie yoke is ouJined by a flounce of cream lace, the net of which is caught up into a festooned heading; the lace ■ comes over the shoulders, down the ■ sides a little way, and then crosses ’ t,he corselet in quaint fashion, fall- ; Ing below the waist line, over each hip, in a long, slender point. Just 1 at the belt is a velvet chou? each The lower bodice is gathered to the yoke, and caught in at the belt with a lovely twisted scarf of the crepe, 1 falling in ends to the feet, finished i with ehoax. The sleeves are big, of

course, of the striped gray and cerise, The collar is a crush, of the bright velvet and, the whole thing is as bright and graceful and delicate as one could ask. Another of these light creations is in even thinner cream crepe, touched with pink and blue lines at wide tatervals, and with a half-inch stripe of the blue once in awhile. The rib of the crepe is very large. This is lined with thin, white silk. It is made simply, with the back laid in folds that point in at the belt, and with the point outlined by a ruffle of fine lace, and finished at the belt by short crush loops of blue ribbon. The lace is brought up over the shoulders and Jdown the front each side of a loose surplice effect. The surplice is made of three fine ruffles of the crepe, that are doubled so that the blue stripe forms an edging for each. There, too, blue ribbon is tied and falls in streamers to the feet. A pink cashmere can be made at home, so easy is it, and yet it is very effect’ve This one has a Watteau, a modest one, and a round collar in the back of the pink. Its edge is laid with narrow, flat guipure, in a pretty edge, and just inside, separated only by a band of black moire ribbon, lies Insertion to correspond. Both lace and insertion lie partly over the back, bringing out the design more clearly. The stock collar of black velvet has its base covered with the edging. In front, in place of the deep collar, lie two long Vandykes of the cashmere, each formed of two points—a short one inside the long one that reaches to the waist. Each of the four points is trimmed with the insertion and edge, with the black moire laid between. Broad moire ribbon, starting beneath the Watteau, ties in front in a long bow. After the delicate gown comes the magnificent one, which my lady dons for an elaborate afternoon tea One of these, a debutante tea, takes place In a few days. The matron who introduces her only daughter is still young, and will wear a gown of deli-

cate mauve brocade, which falls in rich folds straight from the neck and spreads into a train at the back. It is surmounted by a collar of pervenche—the new purple—velvet covered with rare lace. A small, round yoke of the same lies just below. Out of the yoke drop pendants of the face, being over the brocade. A full mauve sleeve is caught up in the queer puffings, is finished by a velvet cuff, lace trimmed, and top; e I by a velvet epaulette, overlaid with the lace pendants. At this tea the fair debutante will have no less than fifteen young maidens to assist her to receive, all of whom will be clad in simple silk and crepe gowns, trimmed with lace All of the fashionables are making more and more of the afternoon tea, particularly because the dinner hour has been set so late. Those families that cling to the notion of home life endeavor, at this time, to have all the members of the family gather. Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt takes an opportunity at this hour of chatting with all of her near relatives, whc know that they will never be disappointed if they run in upon her at tea herself. Nothing else is hospita ble or correct; nor cun she ever appear to better advantage than when filling the delicate cups—simple English fashion.

After simplicity and magnificence comes the picturesque afternoon gown that is worn at the literary tea, the afternoon readings, and all those unique affairs, given by the woman who aspires to originality. One of the most striking of these is a rodingote, made of gorgeous rose and green damask, and edged with silver fox. It opens down the front to show tiie gathers of rose silk that fall from neck to foot, girdled bj’ green velvet. A yoke effect is given by three bands of the fox, which cross the silk. The redingote has a great Valoi’s collar, and long Japanese sleeves, falling over the plain one of rose silk. Sleeves and collars have the fox edging.

THE STATELY TEA GOWN.