Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 April 1895 — GOWNS AND GOWNING. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GOWNS AND GOWNING.

Women give much attention TO WHAT THEY WEAR. •Brief Glaacea at Fancies Feminine, Frtvolone, Mayhap, and Yet Offered in the Hope that the Heading May Provo Restful to Wearied Womankind. Goaalp from Gay Gotham. New York correspondence:

E A L L Y stylish skirts depend for ■V their correctness ■ > more upon their flare than anything else, but this can be accom- ' plished in various ways and the aceompanying pictures show’ sev- \ eral of fe\ bringing it about. \\ In all of them it will be noticed *%that, in spitp of jb-i the skirt's side flare, it swings

toward the back, so that as the wearer .stands at her toes are dose to the Jiem iir front and a long way from back and sides. This is characteristic of all the best skirts, thl? matter of “swing” being as important as that ■of “hang” and cut. Oh, the ambitious woman who thinks she can be all right with a hastily selected garment must consider more things thap its price and its being lined throughout With these^ points in mind, It will be well to see that, while skirt and bodice do not match in an old-fashioned way, they are planned with reference to each other. This, of course, leaves entirely out of the calculations the fancy waist that will go with any old skirt, afid applies exclusively to brand new outfits. First to be considered is the initial picture’s gown, which is especially suited to the combination of solid and all-over-open goods. It is equally well adapted to wash goods, to wool and

perforated cloth or to solid and perforated silk. The skirt hangs in a wide front pleat that flares at the foot, three narrower pleats stand out on either side, and at the back three others fall at either side of a top middle pleat that lies flat to correspond with the front. These pleats are all the result of cut and shape and there is not a tape or a “tack” on the under side. A deep band of the open-work material Is set along the hem of the skirt and is at its widest at the round of each pleat It is in the presence of this band and its shaping that the newness and style of the skirt is expressed. A modification or elaboration of this is a skirt having the front pleat not <iuite so wide and three pleats on each side" that swing a little more fully to the front and round more gently Into each other. This model appears in the second picture. At the back are seven pleats of one size, three at either side of a central outstanding one. Like the (first example, this employs lace, perforated or open-work goods with plain material. A novel use is made of the latter by slashing the front pleat as high as the knee and inserting a vandyke, set point up. This is the touch to prove that the skirt is planned to harmonize with a certain bodice. The ■beauty of the skirts that “go with anything” is by no means lost forever, only in an entirely new gown it is better to let the skirt proclaim that it is really made for just one bodice and not to do hack duty for many. The bodice shown with this costume Is especially quaint, the loose effect of the pleats in front being quite new, but could the ordinary woman resist tucking handkerchiefs, fans, gloves, love letters, powder puffs and goodness knows what down those inviting opentop pleats? The entire suggestion of a gown worn over an under dress of

the perforated cloth is artistically carried out, but it does seem unreasonable to see’a skirt planned to show solid .goods draped over lace, while the bodice presents the solid goods appliqued, or some like contradiction. It also seems inconsistent to make the main part of the skirt a light, transparent or lacy material and the chief part of tbv accompanying bodice of heavy stuff. But the best of ’em are designing costumes in this way, and that means that the best dressed'women will jwear qtich get-ups. Eyery skirt sketched here shows in some degree—Cut the third more clear-

ly. perhaps, than the others—that stiffened linings are a compromise. Not long ago the coming of hoops was heralded, and womankind gave to the prophecy a reception that made Its fulfilment hopeless. But the spread of folds was not to be avoided, even if the hated wire trellis was downed, and it brought with it an item of cost that makes a serious inroad upon light purses. “Haircloth $5” is the item oft repeated in current dressmaking bills that shows how dearly women bought their independence of hoops. This third skirt spreads as widely and almost as stiffly as if hoops filled it out. but judged by present standards It could hardly be improved upon. Of glace silk, its skirt has three pleats on each side of the plain front and four more in back. At the top there are

small fitted panniers of guipure. The bodice has an 1830 yoke of guipure with draped fronts that are gathered into points at the collar, and the back is made to match, except that the pieces are undraped. The full sleeve puffs end in long lace cuffs. But little short of a marvel of construction is the skirt that follows in the artist's depiction. It is made with a boxpleat in front with one at either side, the sides are in three single pleats, and the back is set in boxpleats to correspond with the front. Each boxpleat is gored to shape, all unnecessary material is cut away on the under sldo and each boxplcat widens towards the foot to suit the flare of the skirt. This means transcendent skill on the part of the cutter, and for the wearer that serenity of mind that only a clear conscience can bring. Such a skirt can never make over into any other style and that is one thing that lends to the wearer the lasting peace that a very long pocketbook devoted to the demands of dress permits. What if such a skirt is horribly heavy! Will not the thought that each boxpleat appears to be caught under a buckle at the waist band suffice to give the wearer strength to bear the weight? Of course it will! What if yards and yards of material are necessary! Will not the fact that the design necessitates the cutting of priceless lace for a band on the hem counteract that misery by a .greater one, and the combination create perfect happiness? To be sure! Now for the prettiest design in the world for a skirt of soft silk or any delicate fluffy summer material. It is

almost wicked to stretch dainty lawn, Dresden or Japanese silk over stiff hair cloth and take all the character out of the goods, and it is not always easy to plan loose drapery. This design meets the case exactly. You may use as many yards of material as you like in this skirt There is not a gore, not a cut anywhere, and when seamed together the skirt is as wide at the waist as it is at the hem, which is saying a good deal these days. Ten vandykes of lace are set point up about the hips. Under the vandykes the fulness of the skirt is largely gathered, between them the rest of the fulness lies in close tucks, and from the big end of the vandykes the fulness escapes in a soft, loosely rounded fold to the hem. Only the deft hand of a fully equipped maker can induce all these yards of material to conform themselves to this plan, but when the plan is successfully impressed upon the material, the result looks as surely the natural thing as a successful design always does look. This use of material conforms to the needs of gauze, chiffon, soft crepe, of the more delicate silk crepons, to all manner of soft and wash silks and to some of the more delicate cotton and muslin goods. The skirt gored to the knee and round from that point down is still worn, a very thick ruching marking the division line, and one or two imported dresses show such skirts with the upper part of matched plaid silk, and the lower of a solid wool material, the ruche being of silk of all the colors found in the plaid. But as a rule whatever divisions or breaks there are in the skirt are made up and down. The fashion that adapts itself delightfully to make-overs is that of the skirt open in front to show an under petticoat of a contrasting color. Vandykes are also quite correct and two materials may be used, the lower part of tho skirt being of one material divided Into vandykes that end at the knee. The second stuff, which finishes the skirt to the waist, shows above and betiveen the vandykes. Copyright, 1895.

COMBINING SOLID AND OPEN-WORK GOODS

PLEATS THAT CONSTITUTE A COMPROMISE

A MARVEL AND BRAND-NEW.

AS NOVEL AND LIGHTER.