Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 January 1918 — Bustle Frocks of Today [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Bustle Frocks of Today

The frocks of today that have an arrangement of drapery at the back placed a little below the waistline are called “bustle” dresses. This is merely by w'ay of identifying their style. Instead of drapery several rows of ruffles across the back, in the right position, entitle a frock to be classed in the distinguished* group \of bustle dresses. They bear about ris much resemblance to the bustle drfess of the seventies as an automobile does to a spring wagon. In nearly all of them an overdress is draped and worn over, an underskirt made of the same material or of a lining goods faced up with cloth like the overdress. This seems to be the easiest way of managing' the drapery. Some beautiful models in velvet are shown in which the tonneau skirt and bustle back have been combined in once-piece frocks that are marvels of chic style. A quaint two-piece frock made of a wool twill brings the bustle to mind with a deep, double fold in the goods acro.ss the back of the overdress and the material gathered in under the second fold. A fitted bodice, with basque at the back, is a suggestion from the

same era as the bustle-back. At each side a wide belt buttons on and extends about the waist. The plain sleeves are narrowed along the forearm and fit snugly. They fasten with four buttons and buttonholes. Plain bone buttons are in keeping with the practical character of this dress, and a detachable collar of crepe de chine finishes the neck that Js high at the back and has a short v-shaped opening at the front. “Bustle-back” has quite a wide application and .covers almost any sort of fullness or drapery arranged across the back of the dress or coat. Velveteen suits with fitted coats are very smart with the short coat portions covered with narrow ruffles. These are scant across the front and sides and full at the back, set on in rows with fines lifting toward the back, so that the suit has the same effect as a bustle frock, when the coat is on. The tendency is toward narrow, plain underskirts and draped tunics rather than in the direction of one-piece frocks, when the stylfe featured is the bustle-back, but in view of the. success of this new departure we may expect many developments of it.