The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 19, 1904, Page 10

10 b el She walks, drives, flirts and dances in a cown that swings clear | of the ground and she | wears a short skirt whether she golfs vig- gorously or lounges lazi- 1y under the apple trees —The girl with the granny shawl and how she drapes it around her neck and head—Fash-| ion’s latest departures. e — By Augusta Prescott. HE short skirted girl of a year or two ago is not in it at all with the short skirted girl of the pres- ent season. The short skirted girl of a couple of seasons past was the freak; she was the Rainy Daisy, the pedestrian girl, the mountain girl, the climbing girl. She was everything b'L the pretty girl. For the short skirts, as they were made then, were not pretty. They were scant and ungraceful. They were too tight eround the hips and too narrow and too flappy around the feet. They were made of coarse material. And they were not elegant. No matter what they were called, whether thev were named the rainy day skirt or the in- step ekirt, the shopping skirt or the ankle length, they were not the thing to invite admiration. Women wore them because they were comfortable and convenient. But because they were pretty—never! But now it is different. The swing- clear skirt no more resembles the short skirt of a few years ago than the dress of to-day resembles the dress of the tallor-made perfod. One was all se- verity. The other is all grace, One made & woman angular and awkward &nd masculine. The other adds a fem- inine touch to even the homeliest fig- ure. It takes away angles and makes a woman graceful. The skirts of this , those that are made on the new art lines, all swing clear. If they touch they are of the round length—that is, the length which just touches the floor all the way round; the length that is so de- lightful for piagza and house wear. Dressmakers are classifying the new skirts, but their classifications are so numerous and so varied as to puzzle the lavman. There is what is called the society skirt, which is the skirt which a little more than touches. It is cut round and is shirred in a hip y about six inches deep. Again it is shirred just below the hips and here the band of shirring Is at least eight inches deep. This skirt is very full and is planned to set out smartly be- low the shirred portions. The length is fully to the floor, but the skirt swings clear as on And speaking of swinging clear as one walks brings one with suddenness to the question of the : +‘ticoat. This is a subject which grows in proportion to the interest in dress and never was it of more concern than at this very moment. To fullv realiz~ this, and the reasons thereof, take yourself back a few months and imagine that you are in, the workshop of one of the best fash- ion designers in Paris. The scene is that of an artist's studio, and seated in solemn conclave around the design- ing table are artists and qressmakers, “Shall it be crinoline or shall it not be crinoline?” asks one of another, It is debated at length and is finallye decided in the negative. “Then all pet- ticoats must be very full,” said the leading man dressmaker, ‘“and they must be built to make the gowns stand out.” The other dressmakers took it up and after long discussion agreed, Dress skirts were to be made full, but were not to be stiffened. But, in place of the crinoline, there were to be worn the handsomest petticoats that could be designed. They must be made out of good material—that is, out of silk which had some stiffening. And they must be elaborately frilled to make a frou frou around the foot. The echo of the conclave went around the world and that is the reason why the petticoats of to-day are full and are made as fluffy as possible. They must . make the gowns stand out. And the dresses of 1830 and the dresses of 1860 that would be limp and incomplete without these ppettily elaborate un- derskirts are full and round and dressy with them. The nicest petticoats are made with fitted hips and are hooked, not tied, in the back. This gives a nice hip line, The petficoat which is a swing clear is trimmed with silk ruffies around the foot and the edges of the ruffles are pinked. Under each ruffle there is a smaller ruffie to make it set out. The result is charmingly chic. The petticoats which one sees in the pictures, but which one never sees in real life, are now becoming possible for every woman. She need only THE ‘SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. know the secret of bulding them. Lace as a petticoat trimming still’ holds its popularity. But the pinked ruffie, headed by an old-fashioned ruching, is the best thing that ean be worn under a full, round skirt. A Four and five ruffles are employed t6 make the skirt as frou frou as possible. But the petticoat, while related to the dress skirt, {8 not all there \is of drees, The skirt of the gown, from oblivion or partial oblivion, has be- come the most prominent article of a woman's dress. One can get along with a blouse, or a jacket, or an Eton, or any sort of upper part of the costume providing the skirt be up to date. One of the newest skirts is bullt en- tirely in round length. That {s to say, it is cut the same all the way round, and is worn over a very fullpetticoat to make it set out. It is laM in tiny box plaits around the belt, the plaits nearly six inches apart. And there is no other trimming or decoration upon the skirt. It touches all the way round and must be lifted with both hands. This is a skirt that is chosen ' for reception wear. And there is another round skirt, and this one is the easiest for an ama- teur to attempt. It is cut in eight breadths. They are the same all the ‘way up to the waist and are lald with- out gores. They are simply sewed to- gether and put upon a'very slender band at the belt line. This skirt may be shirred or tucked as deep as the hips. BRut below that it hangs full and plain until it is decorated around the foot with ruffles. There are three of them, and they are three fingers deep. ' At the head of each ruffle there is a rope shirring. The best material for these very full skirts are the grenmadines and voiles ond the softest of poplins and the sheerest of mulls and lawps. Truth to tell they make a person look short and fat, and there is no living woman who desires “uch a contingency. ere is a will there is a 1 in who wears a reund skiit and who looks short and stout in it can lengthen her figure by lengthening her belt Ine. ' This eesily done. « Put ¢n your rourd and heok it aroypd your waist. Now put on your blouse coat and pull it down in front. Puli iiys wor low as possible and fasten it with a short hat pin or with any kind of a patent fastemer you may happen to have handy. It is now time to put on your belt. Throw it around your waist, pull it low in front and fasten it with a fancy pin. This will give the long, full low waist curve which you so much de- sire. Therc is a clever way of accomplish- ing this same feat with a shirt waist. Put on the shirt waist and pull it low in the middle of.the front. Now put on the skirt and let it dip in front. The front dip is fashionable even with the round gkirt and many ef the 1830 skirts are cut with a very low point in front, though perfectly round otherwise. .The same is true of the 1860 skirts. Though they are full and round, they are cut with the dip in front. This dip, which is made by scooping out the front of the skirt in a big curve, is fitted with a band, which Is hooked aaround the waist, passing under a %atch in front to hold 1t down. The whole 1.itter is very similar to the dip frenf, which has been the vogue for a season or two. And there are still other clever de- vices. One of these is for making a shirt waist Gip in front. The walst must be sewed to a beit. The dress ckirt is hooked around the waist line and the shirt waist is then put on. It is pinned In the back and is pulled down in the middle of the front. This requires a little skill, but the result is smart and many of the Newport girls are catching on to its intricacies. The girl who dances considerably has few troubles this year. She has a skirt built for her special needs and she is rejoicing in it. It is short and full and Is one of the ne-‘cst and pret- tiest skirts of the season. It is built either with or without the tunic, and it is made with ruffles and furbelows and all the prfil(y modern trimmings of the revived skirt. Dancing skirts grow_ shorter and shorter. In fact, one was sent to New- port last week which will not come be- low the ankles of the pretty dancer. Its material is grenadine and its color an onion white. The figures are a soft green and the trimmings are the color of rose. Onion white, by the way, is one of the pretty tones. It Is, as its name implies, a greenish white, and it " is clear and pale and pretty and a color that is immensely becoming in green- ish blondes. Blondes, without tone in the skin can wear green and pink and one of the handsomest gowns is a confection in these colors. For the brunette the tones must be a little deeper, and if ghe be a very wise brunette she will cling to white, for it will afford a bet- ter contrast to her Cuban beauty. There are dancinz skirts that look almost like fancy dress, so very odd are they, yet they are pretty. If you go into the attic and get out a change- able silk and trim it with ruffles of lace you will come very near having one of these up-to-date dresses. And if, put away, you can find a pink silk dress, all pompadour roses, then you will come mighty near having a gown which will bear all the marks of the newest dress of the season, providing you put a few touches on it, but do not alter its cut. The touches. are sleeve touches, nmeck touches and hip touches, for the hips must look slen- der. While one is speaking of the short skirted dancing girl, one must not for- get that thig girl wears shoes and that they are in evidence. And such pret- ty shoes at that. They come in all colors, ‘green and red, ‘and théy are found in tones that are almost pastel. The rage for leather is great this season and, while the dancing girl is buying her shoes she adds a few other leather ornaments to her costume. One of her fads Is that of a suede belt which she mateches to her shoes. With russet shoes of suede, built for danc- ing, she will wear a beit of russet, thin and clasped with a big gold buckle right in the middle of the front. And there are other leather novel- ties. One of these is the suede set, which i# worn with nice gowns and with shirt waist suits. It consists of several pieces and comes in a variety of colors. It can:be seen in cream suede and in pale green and in a soft pretty brown. v One of the handsomest of waist sets was made of thinnest suede. There was a wide belt of gold brown fasten- ed with a big brass harness buckle. Then there was a narrow turnover stock of golden brown su Then came leather bands for the wrists. A set of this kind would be ve v over a golf suit and particula over a linen suit for any outing pur- poge, such as coaching or automobil- ing. Ope might make th L with a piece of thin leather terial. There”is the long e, sof strip for the belt. It is not upon either edge, but is plai neat. Then there are the suede bar for the sleeves and the n T can bé worn over nice dre: are very smart. ‘While king of the f summer one must awl with th shioned stripe and with the crepe st ¥ shawl is perf: st be folded s the point comes down in the mid the back, and it is to be throwr the shoulders and fastemed 1 bust in the middle of the chest an be secured with a big old-fash 1 eameo pin, which is the smart faster ing for it. But there are other ways to wear anny shawl and one of these |is long and thrown -around tI shoulders. This shawl hangs down front and passes under the arms in- stead of over them. Then there is the granny shawl which is worn in Cuban fashion, shrowm around the head and draped around and across the st ders. woman who was a ty years ago will tell you how to do it. And as for the shawls themselves. What iIntricacies of knitting do they show, what va of pattern, what wonders of silk and wool, all cunningly intermffigled. There are shawls knit ted 23 fine as a web and in the mid of the webbing there are marvelous flowers all crocheted by hand, and in many of the shawls there is an ap- plique of roses and there are strips of lace cunningly set. But to turn from t of dress to the one of belle shoes difficult matter, for shoes are con ous this year by reason of the sh skirts, and the woman of the season is indulging in a variety of shoes, one pair for each costume. There are shoes for every occasion, and each pair of shoes seems prettier than the last. One of the neatest pair of ties recen was made in a golden brown with Cuban heels. These are a higher than the military and a lcwer than the Spanish. They are v neat and display the instep ch: ly. Hoslery to exactly match the shoes was worn, and there were stockings with web so filmy as to seem more like lace than like stockings. 3ut the smartest thing of all is the summer girl’s pu 8. These are cut on precisely the same lines as a man’'s dancing pumpss They are cu low and are worn without button. The feet are glipped and the girl walks off. The difficulty with this kind of shoe is that it is very hard to ] Since it Is not tied on and sine ng buttons, it slips off the easily, and the summer walking pumps is apt to st them and walk away in her stocking feet. But one must expect certain troub if one woyld be in the style, and fact that the pumps come in ta er,' in Russia, In patent leather and in all sorts of suede, glazed and unglazed, shows that they will be popular the coming summer. There is more and more of a ten- dency to wéar the very low tie anc the low shoe that is fastened with a big buckle in the front. The colonial slipper is well known and It is re- vived this year and is worn with and without the big® tongue. Then there is the low tie with just three lace holes instead of a dozen. There is also the tie which is cut high in the back and low in the front and which is extremely smart for out-of-door wear. For the house, as a dancing slipper, a great variety of are worn. There are ties with strappings across the front and there are shoes that have fancy fastenings of buckles and but- tons. There are oddities in Jet danc in@ashoes and there are dainty, pretty litflesthings in s: n with contrasting buckles and bows. Taking it all in all, after a study of the weék's styles, one can safely afirm three things. First, that the fa: have changed wonderfully. This fact which must be evident to the casual observer. Second, that skirts are more important than waists and dominate the style of the dress more completely. In addition to the skirts there are other things to be noted. Sleeves are growing not only a little fuller, but v little stiffer. It is almost as though there were crinoline in the air, for one of the new sleeves is a leg o' mutton with the leg part very full and almost stiff. The fullness is created by t! cut of the material, but, all the sar the effect is rather startling, for the arm sets as though in a balloow, with the big part of the balloon directly at the elbow. There is another new sleeve and this is made with three big stiff folds of cloth. These folds are ‘ sewed upon one edge, whilé the upper edze sets out to make a nice full trim- ming. There is another thing to be note and that is the prevalence of the ruf fle. Skirts are ruffled with their goods and with lace, the lace falling over the other ruffle, S are ruffled in the same mannér, one sees ruffles of lace falling over ruffles of the goods, three or four al ternate ruffles making up the sum aud substaance of the sleeves. And there is another feature to be noted, not strictly new, but sufficiently pronounced to be conspicuous, and this is the fichu trimmings. Waists are decorated with fichus of thin stuffs bordéred with a ruffle of lace. This is tied around the shoulders in the quaintest possible style, - while the front is fastened into a resette, in the middle of which is set a fancy “tone or pin. ~ But why try to tell ail the moves of Dame Fashion? Sufficient to the week ¥ are the novelties and more than suf- ficlent unto the average purse is the cost.