Jet And Black

While in London I visited some of the famous "shops," as they call them, and I was struck by the rather somber appearance they presented. Black seems to be the keynote in gowns of all descriptions. Perhaps this is due in a measure to the court mourning. The Princess of Wales, however, has set the fashion of having very elaborate mourning attire, so that were it not for the crape upon it one might think some of the gowns for festal occasions.

After all, this is as it should be. There is no reason why a woman's mourning gowns should not be fashionably made. Mourning garb is depressing enough at the best. But, aside from the mourning garb, we must expect to see a great deal of black worn this season. So many rich and new black fabrics are offered that one finds choice difficult. There are the silk warp goods, eudora, henrietta, melrose and drap d'ete, drap d'alma and crape cloths and blister and other crepons. All these may be worn for mourning or for any occasion not especially festive.

Black silks are almost covered with jet, embroidery picked out with jet and with jetted passementerie. One gown for a swell dinner was of black armure silk thickly sewed with jet, so that altogether it weighed nearly 40 pounds. Black velvet gowns for grand occasions and for the street will be among the handsomest of all the winter costumes.

For mourning attire there are some very handsome wraps and capes; also empire coats and other shapes, such as tight jackets and blouse effects. Some of these are of all wool goods, like the wool drap d'alina and cachemire de l'inde. Broadcloth and venetian, melton and boucle will also be worn later in the season. All but the last two will be trimmed with crape. The melton and boucle will have black castle brald stitched on, and where buttons are required they will be of plain black horn. Everything in shape of wrap or jacket will have high collars, higher than ever, if possible. There is a new mantle where the body is blouse shaped and belted, with a flat revers collar and a high medici collar. The sleeves are cut like circular capes and joined. The top is sewed into the arm size, and the sleeve thus formed is left to fall in heavy folds.

For deep mourning these are quite or nearly covered with crape. Other sleeves are made very snug, almost as tight as they used to be some ten years ago, when it was said that a woman had to get up on a stepladder to get them on.The way she did it was to fall down.

The suits for what are generally called "growing girls" are very neat and pretty this season. I was looking at some cravanette suits recently. One had four clusters of soutache on the skirt, four rows in each. They were all massed above the knees. The jacket was double breasted, but fastened with flies. It was scalloped and had several rows of soutache. Jaunty pockets and revers and coat collar finished it. The color was dark brown. Another pretty suit for a girl of 16 had the skirt of very dark blue serge made entirely plain. The jacket was of tan melton, double breasted and elegantly braided. A glance at the illustration will show how both of these looked.

For young girls there are many pretty felt hats, stitched round and round the crowns, made like Tam O'Shanters, A quill and a band are considered the right trimming for these. Others there are with more of the sailor shape, with birds, quills, plumes or rosettes of velvet or of felt as garniture. For dress occasions velvet hats of dark color with light satin pipings are handsomer. These are trimmed with loops and bows of alternate velvet and satin.

Plaids will be unusually prominent for girls this season, but for dresses only. All coats and cloaks are of mixtures or solid color in smooth faced or boucle. The woolly effects in outer garments will be carried out to a greater extent than ever before. There are some self colored camel's hairs that are as thick as fur, with long, silky hair. These will make beautiful cloaks for small children in the lighter shades of gray.