Washington County 'Little Washington' Pennsylvania
Genealogy and Family History
This is indisputably a season of trimmings of flowers, ribbons, buttons, braid, lace, embroidery, and all these may be employed in the adornment of a single dress without any approach to bad taste in over elaboration. Of course it must be done with exquisite taste, or the effect will be wonderfully ostentatious and insistent, or it need not be done at all, for simply constructed dresses are as fashionable as ___ much trimmed. It is quite a matter of suiting individuals, for some women look their best with the least possible amount of trimming, while others require a great deal in order to secure a good effect. This year's dress, whether showed collectively or individually, is extremely bright and cheery and pretty, calculated to have an enlivening effect on the spirits, and therefore by no means without its weight in the adjustment of social doings. Bright colors have always a charm for the eye if they are well arranged and not too insistent, and this season they greet the eye on every side in hats and bonnets and gowns and blouses. Plaid silks, changeable taffetas and crepons are the materials of the season. In addition to these mohair is much worn in all tints. This goods, like crepon, varies much in quality and price. Its stiffness and spring make it suitable for the present expansive style of dress, and as it is light, cool and does not retain dust there is no lack of reasons for its position of favor. The finer weaves are mixed with silk and are beautifully smooth and glossy. Gowns of this material are plain or trimmed with guipure. Mohair petticoats also occupy a prominent position in fashionable esteem. They are ornamented with silk ruffles and ribbon bows, or for harder service with moroon (?) flowers. The illustration shows an extremely pretty gown of very light beige cloth. The skirt, ample around the foot, is adorned by two wide, pointed bands of embroidery and braiding. The bodice is covered with similar embroidery and braiding. A belt of cherry silk is fastened in front with a bow. The toque accompanying the gown is entirely of flowers, with an aigret bow of cherry tafetta. Judging by present appearances, orchids and irises are to be the favorite floral garniture of the season. One thing is to be said in their favor, which is that cheap imitation will not interfere with their fashionable reputation. An orchid, particularly those of the small, rare varieties, is not an easy flower to imitate, and to do so in cheap material and by unskilled hands is simply impossible. Some of the French sprigs are marvelously faithful to nature. Immense bows are the accepted fashion in Paris and overwhelm many of the newest hats. Blue hats with a profusion of green trimmings are another craze and hats, also blue, trimmed almost entirely with cornflowers, which are exceedingly pretty for those who have a complexion in keeping. Perhaps an immaculate complexion was never needed more than at the present time, when bright colors and daring contrasts are the rule in affairs of the wardrobe. Plateaus of straw, bent and twisted as were the felt and velvet plateaus of ____ winter, are seen among the summer varieties of headgear and when woven of ___ round green straw, like grass stems, are exceedingly pretty and pliable. The n___ appropriate trimming for these rustic looking hats would be flowers naturally, although velvet, ribbon and feathers are sometimes employed. Nearly all the thin summer capes and wraps are finished around the neck with a thick, wide rouche of ribbon, chiffon or lace. This is becoming, but unseasonable. Flowers have been used for millinery, for ___ and other accessories and for adorning ball gowns, hitherto, but they are now seen as part of the trimming of "dress up" day gowns, centering boldly into the trimming of the coursage. They are used in a tint near that of the gown rather than in abrupt contrast. The hat shown in the illustration is of black rice straw. The brim is slightly curled, and under the front and left side are placed a spray of roses with leaves and buds and an immense mauve and violet pansy. A black ostrich tip terminates this trimming at the back and with another one placed at the right frames the knot of hair. The crown is of plaited black galley with two choux, and three black plumes finish the ornamentation. Women who are fond of making pretty and useless decorative articles will like to know that life size double pumpkin blossoms of paper are one of the latest fancies. They are quite effective when trailed over a picture frame. Silk underwear in sets of three pieces is again fashionable. Surah (?) in blue, cream, rose and other delicate tints is the material employed, and occasionally it is used in black, with black lace. Silk underwear is always in questionable taste, however, except in the case of petticoats, and colored lingerie is equally undesirable. Linen, cambric, batiste, lawn and muslin, pure white in tone, are dantiest and the most refined. The petticoat now worn under the gown is almost as long as the dress skirt itself. It is stiffened from 12 to 18 inches up and is made of silk, satin broche, flowered taffeta or alpaca and liberally trimmed. Dress skirts continue to be plain, as indeed they must be as long as they are so wide and so heavily lined. Flat, applied trimming, often transverse, is the principal ornamentation employed, except on skirts of dimity, muslin and other very thin goods. Draped sleeves are now often seen. In chiffon these sleeves are charming. ____goods is also thus arranged, choux of ribbon or velvet being employed to fasten the drapery. Horizontal bands of flat trimming, such as insertion, passementeria and galloon, are seen on many bodices and skirts this season in both sheer and heavy fabrics. It is an easy and effective mode of decoration, especially for wash goods. A picture is given of a summer gown of blue crepon. It has a bell skirt trimmed with a quille and diagonal band of ecru guipure. The blouse bodice has a capelike collar, which extends into the sleeves. The upper part has two bands of insertion and the lower part is finished with a ___ flouce. The standing collar is covered with guipure and has choux of mousseline de soie. The belt is of black satin. A hat of pale blue straw is worn with this gown. A wreath of ____ surrounds the crown and there are two erect bows of blue and green changeable ribbon. Necklets of colored gauffered (?) gauze, formed of rosettes and finished with plaited ends, either of similar material or of lace, make bright adjuncts to a somber dress. Crinkled and watered gauzes are very popular, and veils passed twice round the neck and tied in a neat little bow, either in front or at the back, are considered chic. Tulle tied in a very big light bow at the back is also much in favor, especially in white and light tones. Small camellia buds, just bursting, and surrounded by the glossy dark green leaves peculiar to that shrub, are the latest novelty employed by a leading modiste. "Modified" tailor gowns, altered to suit the elaboration and amplitude of the present mode are worn in Paris by women who have a lingering taste for a degree of severity in dress. The bodices are arranged with crossed boleros, or are cut off at the waist and open over a chemisette, vest or plastron, which permits the use of different blouses. It is considered bad taste to fold napkins in fantastic forms, although once much ingenuity was exercised to invent curious and complicated modes of arranging them. The napkin is now folded in a plain square, with the embroidered cipher or initial on the outside, and are as little stiff as possible. Tinted table scarfs may be employed by those who prefer them, but pure white damask is considered to be in the best taste. In some French country houses the napkin ring has reappeared, or a similar device for individualizing napkins.
Small pockets of linen are embroidered with some pretty design and inside the flap is tacked a ribbon on
which the name of the resident guest is written in ink. When he goes, the ribbon may be ripped off,
the pocket washed and a new ribbon put on in readiness for the napkin of the next guest. Because of the huge size the June 1895 image is unavailable. If you want to save or print copies of the original article: fri-feb-1-1895_the-courier_connellsville-pa_pg6of8_cr_a fri-feb-1-1895_the-courier_connellsville-pa_pg6of8_cr_b fri-feb-1-1895_the-courier_connellsville-pa_pg6of8_cr_c fri-feb-1-1895_the-courier_connellsville-pa_pg6of8_cr-evening fri-feb-1-1895_the-courier_connellsville-pa_pg6of8_cr-evening-b (cr in the file name means cropped)
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