The Sea Coast Echo

NEW YORK FASHIONS.
Designs For Costumes That Have Become Popular in the Metropolis.
New York City (Special).-There are so many ways of finishing off a bodice at the throat nowadays that the only difficulty is which to choose. From tailor-made suits up, every kind of costume has its neck arrangement in lace, lisse, chiffon, satin, silk or a combination of all of these. In the cut on the left we have a dainty decoration for the throat in Alencon lace. The design is known as the 'Louis Quinze'-that monarch having supposedly worn cravats of this style. The stock has a foundation of white satin covered with the lace put on plain, but frilling about the upper edge in a very graceful way. This frill is much deeper in the back than in the front. The jabot of very wide lace is draped most artistically and apparently held in place by a couple of small diamond buckles.
Sometimes the cravat is a combination of cravats, such as the one in the centre of the group. There's no law nowadays against a woman's dressing her neck with a four in hand, an Ascot and a butterfly bow, all three at once, if she so desire. A plain stock of white silk has a narrow finish to its upper edge in black velvet. A four-in-hand scarf in white silk repeats the black velvet scheme in its border, three rows of narrow silk fringe being each headed by a fancy checked pattern in black and white velvet. The ends of this scarf are cut sharply on the bias. The scarf at its knot is backed by a big butterfly bow in white lace. We thus have length, breadth and two kinds of cravats, all combined in a single arrangement for the neck.
The present fancy for Persian patterns finds special expression in neckwear. The example shown on the right of the cut is a commendable model that may be worn with almost any species of bodice, though it is most effective with black. There is a stock with two deep pointed turnover tabs of Persian patterned silk edged with plain, bright green silk, stitched finely. The stock proper, as the parted tabs in the middle of the front reveal, is of the green silk laid in flattest, narrowest folds. The cravat of the Persian silk has a cross fold in the plain green.
The Newest Purse.
Women no longer affect the frivolous chain purses of gold and silver tops, worn suspended about the neck. The newest thing is the English change purse of black or brown seal, or the more popular tan one of pig skin. The purses are flat and pouch shaped, with a narrow band holding the flaps through which one thrusts the first two fingers of the hand if one would wear the affair correctly. The purses are ornamented on the back with one's initial in regular harness letters of silver or brass, the latter being considered the smarter.
Costumes For Debutantes.
A wilderness of transparent stuffs is in vogue, especially for the young girls whom this season introduced into society. Miss Mary Crocker, who, as befits a multi-millionairess, is credited with wearing an evening dress but twice before discarding it, has appeared in a lovely gown of two sorts of lace over two petticoats, one of chiffon, the other of satin. The upper part of the dress is of an exquisite creamy silk net draped at the corsage to give a clinging, jacket effect, and then falling in a graceful tunic. Upon this exquisite background leaves and flowers, some of cream guipure lace and others of black gauze, are appliqued, and these are flecked here and there with turquoises. The lower part of the dress is made of a deep flounce of black lace over white silk, and the long, narrow train flowing out from the waist at the back is again of the net with cream and black applications. The bodice is cut very low, as is now the mode, and is sleeveless, a large bow of black and turquoise blue velvet being placed on each shoulder. Turquoise blue velvet studded with turquoises is introduced also among the lace folds of the corsage. This lace and jeweled robe is mounted over white chiffon and this in turn over white satin.
Simple gowns of white spotted net are worn by many of the season's debutantes, with dainty garnishings of lace and ribbon, ruchings about the low corsage and tunic. Coral pink velvet ribbon encircling the waist and tied in a snood in the hair is a favorite finish to such a toilet.
Modern Petticoats.
Silk petticoats, even with morning gowns, are worn almost as long as skirts, and consequently are very soon soiled and spoiled For evening the thinnest and most gossamer of colored muslins are trimmed with profusion of valenciennes. In fact, there is hardly a silk muslin petticoat worn now that a few years ago would not have been considered good enough for a dress What a change from the plain white tucked skirts we used to wear, made in al-line or nainsook, or the quilted black satins, or the heavy silks of twenty thirty years ago, when the dainty extravagances of the present day were never dreamed of
A girlish net dress is made to gleam and glitter with spangles that rival in brilliancy an empress' jewels. Single sequins are not heavy enough, so they are sewed on double or triple, and the brilliant, embroidery designs really cover a robe from neck to hem Miss Marie Winthrop, one of New York's famous beauties, wears such dress; hers is of faint-tinted yellow satin, veiled with fainter yellow chiffon finely plaited and filmy and all a-gleam with silver spangles The low bodice is softened with tulle and lace, and from under this trimming peep out pink and yellow velvet roses.
Velvet Muffs.
Since furs have taken such pricing among us the muffs will be considered quite in mode those of fur. Stylish muffs of gay colored velvet with lace, lined with satin of and finished with ostrich tip or a velvet knot, or both is no limit to the varie which can be made with velvet, some large and a few fur tails trimming, and their advantage is that they in successfully at home
How Boas Should Be Worn
Boas are generally now lashed around the waist, and most people are content to use a jeweled pin itpy, but a clever invention is a fastener nee sa i: of the form of a snake which impales either end of the boa and does not interfere with the feathers. This at be had in gold or silver, and prettily set with jewels, for ostentation is cer-tainly not an economical age
A Cape Made of Feathers.
A three-quarter length cape entirely of grey ostrich feather seen on one woman the other The feathers are not in plumes cut short and look like little grey bristles. The effect pretty and only a desire to some queer new bird will make fashion popular, even with fur loving women.
Fur Trimmings the Fad
The enormous quantity and the expense of the furs that are with year is one of the most sur-prising, in the face of its having been so far, a very mild that the use of furs should have prevailed to such an extent. Coats have not moderated a except on the two or three but no matter how warm the has been, no street gown with pretensions to being smart been either trimmed with fur or with a fur wrap in a cape-not of the poor, cheap fur, but of the most expensive description.
In the accompanying cut is shown a long cloak of light gray
LONG CLOAK TRIMMED WITH FUR.
trimmed with two bands of fur. Wide revers are edged with the fur. and the high collar is also trimmed with fur.