FASHION NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume XLVI, Issue 43, 19 August 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

FASHION NOTES.

Some of the fashionable skirts aro being cut absurdly wide, but il is not at all needful to trouble one's solf to follow such extremes. I have seen ono model in silvergrey ben)ralino, ten yards round ; aud auother of soft black bengalino, ten yards round ; liud yut a third in three deep Aounces to the waist, the bottom flounce being no less thnn fifteen yards round. It is not necessary to go to this extreme, but still no doubt the wide skirt is in. Tho term " bell " skirt exaotly describes these. They are not particularly wide round the wiiist, but they are cut and gored so that below the knees they spring forth and hang almost an full at the front as at the back. At present, these supeifluous widths " wobblo " at their own sweet will. Neither steels in tho skirtx themselves nor stiffened petticoats are to be worn ; but if women will bo silly enough to have these oxcessivo widths put in tbeir gowns, they will presently be almost obliged to have some artificial support to hold them out, and wo shall bo in danger of the odious hoops once more. The best way to combat this danger is not to allow your dross to bo made very wile. The material of the trimming may be most various, but undoubtedly tho palm of popularity is awarded to black satin ou all stuffs with which it can be brought to hnrmoniHO. It is cut on tho orosa, aud folded into flat bands, and then invisibly stitched on. AH mauner of braids, pusHementeries of cord nnd gimp, jet bands, and the like are prepared for similar use ; but I have seen bias folds of velvet on materials as different as a brown whipcord, a fawn cripon, and a black velvet dowager-like carriage dress (all three very full skirts, of course) shown to me in direct succession at a first-class house. I am not sure, though, thut poople who want to be well in advance of the styles (und this must be the aim of every woman who has not endlessly fresh dreat-us) will do best by adopting this flat trimming on a plaiu bkirt; for flouncos are newer still, and being a little more difficult to arrange will probably not-so rapidly become oommon as so simple a decoration as tho hoop of flat garniture must do. A rather deep flounce round the bottom of oue dress was piped at tho top ; the dross wus of willow-green cripon, and the flounce of shot red and green glacu silk ; its piped heading was overhung by a flounce, about seven inches wide, of black lace. Tho silk, partially draped by lace, formed tho frill that decorated the bodice, but often this is not thought needful, the skirt trimming not beinjjf in uny way reproduced on tho bodice. As to outdoor wraps, the big sleeves make it almost inevitable thnt there should to hardly anything to be seen but capes. They nro all made wide at the shoulders, so as to admit the sleoves. Some are threequarter length, some are only to the waist, but all are full and not ohaped to tho waist, while a second capo or some fussy trimming is generally put on at tho top. Ladies do their hair much further down than formerly, in order to fit tho now poke bonnets and show it all outside Fringes are small and arranged lightly, the hair waved and drawn tightly back.then coiled in a pretty loose knot.