. THE SUNDAY OBE GONIAL, POKCELAOT, FBBRUAEY 21, 190.
LENTEN FASHIONS HAVE SPRING-LIKE A!"R
JSfEVERTHELESS PUR TIPPETS WILL BE WORN
- UP TO THE VERY LAST MINUTE
THE street costumes nowbelng de
signed, -while seeming to suit the
Ixsnten season, have nevertheless a
suggestion of Spring. Many Qualities of
English homespun form a number of the
materials, these and natty Scotch tweeds
and suitings lending themselves stylishly
to stitchings or braid trimmings. French
broadcloth is likewise seen, the toilettes
showing wide belts and other details of
embroidered kid.
Uttle velvet Is used on any of these
gowns and -when it Is needlework, gen
erally relieves the small quantity em
ployed. Fur sets and knitted underjack
ets give them the warmth required for the
still "Wintry weather. So, when these
mufflings are dropped the toilettes are
made up without lnterllnlngs and In the
lightest way it is easy to see how they
may do excellent Spring service.
First and still triumphant in the list
of colors Is brown, which Is shown In
more charming shades than ever. In the
tweeds, homespuns and men's suitings,
the brown mixtures are effective, but a
reddish tint In a solid cloth or crepe is
the latest fancy for this fashionable
color.
Brown kid, embroidered with -white,
brown and orange, relieves an elegant
costume in pale-brown cloth. To-the hip
yoke of the skirts, which has a beetle
dip at the back, the shaped bottom Is
attached with narrow horizontal tucks,
forming, as it were, a deep flounce. The
jacket is in blouse shape; with the tail,
cuffs and revers of the embroidered kid.
The shoulders run down into an odd triple
cape, ending short of the front, and the
full sleeves are In puff shape.
Everything is done to exaggerate the
length of the shoulders of both gowns
and wraps. Bo much is the drooping
epaule admired that even the lace and
chiffon pelerines are ofter alone designed
to create this effect. The stoles, which
are now worn openly mantilla-wise, are
sometimes shaped into small capes, whose
ends, which there curve into the figure,
are gathered under the belt. Below the
girdle the pointed or rounded bottoms fall,
almost to the skirt hem. Nothing could
be prettier on a slim figure than such
quaint trappings.
A stole and muff of silver fox. In a
popular model give the February cachet
to a plain gown In pale gray cloth. This
toilette is eminently suited to Lenten
wear, but the superb furs worn -with it
demand chief notice.
Despite the nearness of Spring, good
furs still hold their price. The great
demand for many skins has, in fact. In
creased their cxpensiveness, and manufac
turers declare that since the supply Is
dying out, next Winter they will be
dearer still. Meanwhile, the shops have
been ransacked for every stylish bit in a
desirable pelt, with the Intention of car
rying them over to the new season, of
course. Flat muffs and round muffs have
received almost equal attention though
the round models are Hkelv tn lnnc nut.
live the others; but the careful observer
was not slow to discover that the little
cravats, which have been so fashionable
this season, worn the favnritA nrMr-nlorAei
A roll muff of sable fox sets off a dress
In castlebar homespun. Browns, tans and
whites are shown In this mixture, which
taKes in the wearing an Invisible plaid.
The belted Jacket Is dLqtlnrmlshPii Vi
double tails, rounded at the front and
MALABAR. HOMESPU'S A"D EMBROIDERED KID STYLES IX IEXTEX MATERIALS.
deep enough to cover the hips. A small
cape collar covers the shoulders and the
I little revers turn back from a short era- I model with a stitched hem and a single I Men's suiting In grays and blues shapes J violet faced cloth. Men's suiting is an
vat of sairron lace. The skirt is a goreo j sutcnea tuck or tne same wiatn. I anotner smart gown, ana anotner is or ( entirely new maienai in iemimne aepan
ments of dress. "With all the Indistinct
stripes and checks of the masculine
textures, the weaves supplied for women
are yet softer and finer. Black braids
trim a number of the colored suiting
gowns, but others even more stylish show
only tailor stitching and & little turn-over;
velvet collar.
Faced cloth, as the title would Indicate,
la differently tinted at-the two sides, and
the gowns fashfoned in such textures ara
made In a way to show both. Orchid vio
leta new and delicate shade with the
underside in mushroom white. Is the color
scheme of one charming gown In French
cloth. A novel shoulder cape displays the
two sides of the cloth, the panels of the
narrowly gored skirt turning back at the
bottom for the same purpose. Silk and
chenille passementeries and a violet silk
braid are effective trimmings with this
highly decorative treatment.
,For first Spring- wear nothing- more ef
fective or suitable could be found than
any of these textures. But It furs give
the Lenten gowns a timely air, the straw
hats worn -with them are decidedly spring
like, and for quite three weeks straw hats
have been seen. Those accompanying the
tailored gowns In wool textures, however,
conform to the requirements of the mo
ment. In that their straw weaves are
soberly hued and often braided with vel
vet Odd turbans, with the brim widest
at the sides and tying over the top of the
crown, are shown In mixed and solid
colors. Tiny steel buckles and narrow vel
vet ribbons, in loos straps and flat ros
ettes, trim many of these jauntily, and
the shapes of other straw toques are so
elaborate In themselves as to neect scarce
ly any trimming.
Many charmingly simple points distin
guish the Imported hats. For one thing,
several of the black or white hats are re
lieved by a single bit of color, whlck lit
erally meets the eye like a flash.. A tur
ban of cafe au lalt straw and lace was
wreathed with scarlet fuchlas. A draped
toque of black" net was even madder, for
loosely scattered over it were embroid
eries of peacock feathers in natural blues
and greens. Tlje slender head of the bird
itself ornamented the front of this head
piece. A swagger kink with a cloth gown that
anybody might copy to their Spring ad
vantage, was a scarlet pique vest- Thl3
was made exaatly as a man's waistcoat
la made, with the exception of the close
fit, and when the little black jacket was
buttoned over it the effect was gay. Fronts
and entire waistcoats of washable vest
ings are said to be quite the thing for
the moment across the water, though they
are confined to gowns far practical wear.
Belts, growing every day wider and ev
ery day more decided as to contrast and
elaborateness, begay the other sorts,
dressy gowns of veiling, crepe and cloth.
For example, a creation In bride gray
cloth, a shade scarcely hued, Is girdled
with scarlet crepe. A black cloth costume
has a, peacock green kid belt, and a white
pique dress a girdle In shaded violet silk.
Still, Dame Fashion's favorite lecture is
on sweet simplicity, and, despite the mar
vels she Is dally turning forth, the talk
Is not with meaning. How the thing Is
done only those within the sacred ring
can tell, but the most exquisite materials
are made to achieve what might be called
modest results. Nothing Is fussed or su
perfluous, and with every detail in trim
ming chosen as if the wearer's neck hung
in the balance, the cuts of all garments
are simplifying. And this dressmakers
are willing to vouch for, for all the big
sleeves, cape collars and trimmed skirts
that women are wearing.
MART DEAN.
EXCELLENT NECK GCjMNASICJM FOR FIFTEEN CENTS
UNIQUE EXERCISES THAT WILL TRANSFORM A THIN
NECK INTO A THING OF BEAUTY
TOR THE SIDE OF THE KECK.
TIIE ELASTIC MAY BE ATTACHED TO THE VWALL.
TEAM WORK
CLEVER woman -with a slim
neck and a slimmer pocketbook
has invented the simplest and
the cheapest gymnasium apparatus in
the world.
Tho slim pocketbook compassed the ,
15 cents that It cost, and the slim
neck is now being- put through a course
of training- that is rounding it out to
such an alabaster column as only a
novelist can manufacture -without
trouble.
Fifteen cents' worth of white cot
ton elastic ribbon did the trick. Tho
ribbon was an inch wide and cost 10
cents a yard. A yard and a half was
enough for the apparatus.
She 'had visited an up-to-date gym
nasium where a neck strap was at
tached to one of tho pulley-weights,
and she had seen the neoks of several
pupils put through their paces. The
strap was placed around the neck and
then, by bonding in various directions,
the neck was exorcised, while It
strained at the weights.
Now the clover little woman real
ized that this training was exactly
what her own neok needed. Sho had
a habit of looking her mirror In the
face and telling it the truth. The day
before she had put on a locket and
chain which belonged to her pretty
sister, and the chain, meant To fit
closely, had sagged low. while tho
locket fell Into a miserable little hol
low at the base of her throat. Yet
the sister was by no means stout.
"My neck is a fright," said this pain
fully honest little woman. She vowed
a great vow to give up evening- dress.
But whon the neck strap in the gym
nasium suggested her own invention,
she plucked up cout-age and went to
work to adapt her neck to the evening
dress instead of the dress to the neck.
"It has been bard work to do-tlop
my neck." she says, "but It has paid.
In fact. I think a pretty neck would
pay for double the amount of effort.
As pretty a. one as hers certainly
would The side line, where the neck
runs Into the shoulder. Is now a grace
ful curve Instead of a rlgjit angle. The
three hollows In front, which, her
small brother had once dubbed the gi
ant caves, are now only delicately
rounded depressions. The neck is firm
and smooth.
She is proud of her little Invention, I
and has spread the 'news of It among
her friends. She has started a small
fad for what the brother irreverently
calls "Sister's Rubber-Neck System."
"When she began her neck exercises
she took them alone, nailing one end
of the elastic to the wall, but she af
terward developed a double harness.
In this, she and a girl friend are practicing-
together.
To make an exerciser for two, a
loop must bo made at each end of the
elastic A little more than a foot of
the elastic is used for each loop. The
loops will not be large enough to pass
over the head easily, but must be fast
ened Tvlth a pin or a knot. A still
neater device is to make a buttonhole
in each end of the elastic, sew a but
ton about 12 or IS inches from each
end. then button each girl into her
harness.
"When this is done there will be a
band of two feet or more between the
persons. This band will give resist
ance while you work. ,
For tho first exercise, stand face to
face, just far enough apart to let the
band be stretched trtthout straining.
Place tho heels together. Hands oh
hips, thumbs meeting at the back.
Throw the chest forward, raise the
head erect. By way of preliminary,
take five Ion? breaths. Inhaling with
the mouth closed and exhaling with It
open.
One of you must count, for If you
do not work In harmony there will be
some sorry tugging and jerking. At
count one, throw the head back as far
as possible; at two, bring it back to an
erect position. Twenty counts of tills
will be enough for the beginner. Tou
should feel It a decided effort to
stretch tho clastic, and if not, you
must etand farther apart. The neck
muscles must feel that they are working-
hard.
Now, turn back to back, taking the
same position as before. Tou will find
that the ribbon loops, adjust themselves
naturally as you shift. Go through the
Fame preliminary breathing as before.
Now. counting in the same way, bend the
head forward until the chin touches, and
raise the head to an erect position.
In this, as in all similar exercises, be
sure that your neck does all the work.
Don't allow any bending at the walsL
Next, stand so that, you both face in
the same , direction. Bend the head out
ward. Count as above while you bend
away from each other. Now. turn about
so that your positions will be reversed
and the one who before bent to the right
will now be bending to the left. These
sideward bends will exercise the muscles
at each side, as the other exercises used
those In the back and front.
If you have no partner in your exer
cise, make the wall do the work of the
other girl. In this case there will be a
loop in only one" end of the ribbon. The
other end Is to be nailed securely to the
wall.
Tou can go through the same 'exer
cises in this way with equally good re
sults, although far less fun.
This work can be combined with other
exercises so as to break the monotony.
For instance, when the two of you are
standing back to back, you may place
the fists on the shoulders, backs of the
hands upward and elbows out at the side.
Then, on the first count, while the head
is bending forward, extend the hands and
arms together until they reach outward
horizontally, making a long, level stretch
from shoulder to finger tip. At count two,
whilo the head Is becoming erect again,
curl, the hands Into fists, at the same
time bringing them back to the shoul
ders. If you are Ingenious, you will think
of many other foot and arm exercises to
combine with neck work.
These same bendlnp motions can be
THE SWEDISH FLAT STITCH A MEW FVD
HARDANGER embroidery, called also
Swedish flat stitch, has quite sup
planted cress stitch in the affections of
up-to-date women, who, however, will
wear much cross-stitch embroidery upon
their Summer frocks.
Denmark, Sweden and Norway send this
embroider, in which peasant and princess
are Alike proficient. Eveh the children In
Scandinavia do beautiful embroidery in
this stitch.
Imitations of hardangcr cloth, upon
which the Scandinavians work this em
broidery, are seen in all the Spring fab
rics, from the embroidered flounces for
underwear to the colored and figured linen
suitings. The shops are also showing col
lar, cuff and belt sets of scrim or hardan
ger cloth, or an imitation of it, worked In
all the delicate colors, as well as In the
red and blue combinations known as Rus
sian embroidery.
Frocks or rather bands for trimming
frocks and blouses display this embroid
er', and It fairly revels upon table cov
ers, scarfs, rugs, cushion covers, hand
bags, fancy bags of all classes, curtain
borders, lounge covers, bedspreads and on
every conceivable thing that may be
trimmed In this modish manner.
The etttch resembles flat stitch In em
broidery, but it Is done, as cross stitch Is,
by counting threads, and the cross stitch
and Swedish' fiat stitch are combined in
any number of articles, particularly where
colors are used and a rich effect desired.
On large covers for tables and on small
ones as well and upon covers for cush
ions, the wcrk Is dona with large stitches
and bright colors are employed; In Swed
ish embroidery a good deal of yellow Is in
vogue. There are a number of shades of
different colors beautifully worked to
gether, and wool Is used for the ground
work, where shadowed effects are desired,
and rope silk or embroidery silk for the
high lights. A heavy, coarse weave of
linen Is employed for this sort of work,
and there are plaln-meshod weaves and
basket weaves and fancy merderized
weaves. In which the threads nr stripes
may be rounted, as in cross stitch.
Sometimes the embroidery s done upon
the material without a background in
deed, this is usually the case iuf many
peoplo are willing to spend the timfe and
money necessary to fill In the entire .back
ground with shadows and figures of inde
structible workmanship and beauty and
richness. This work resembles tapestry,
in a measure, where the background 13 all
filled in, and both cross stitch and hard
anger embroidery partake of tapes try
work. and are done along the same lines
and with the same material.
(Swedish fiat stitch makes a superb li
brary or dining-room decoration, where
curtains, cushions, scarfs and covers for
tables, when not In use, are all made of
these rich colors worked in floral and
scroll patterns In one of the oldest and
most beautiful embroidery stitches known
to mankind.
Together with the passion for Scandina
vian embroidery and fancy work comes a
fad for decorating with Norwegian pot
tery. Which has broad color schemes in
the decorative patterns and a good deal of
yellow In the plan. The lines are graceful,,
but' Instead of round curves to the pottery
there is a fancy for flat, sharp-edged sides
and peculiar shapes.
Basketware irt Norwegian colors and
shapes Is brightly painted In broad sweeps
of color,, and the weave has a mesh
whose bands are. over an- inch broad.
Trays, waste baskets, "wall pockets and all
manner of articles.- that can be made In
basketware are seen la tills work."
How Careless.
Cornell Wldo-w.
There was a little girl
And she had a llttla curl
To the vanity of woman It attested;
And when she -was pood
She -was very, very good
.Anfl.-Rhsn she -cat bad. s&e, was arrested.
practiced without the elastic, but its re-
sistance adds to the effort and to the
good results.
Twisting is as valuable as bending and
Is practiced without any apparatus what
ever. Taking a standing position, twist
the neck as far as possible to the right
side, then to the'left, four times each. Al
ternate for four more counts. Increase
the number of counts daily. If you will
place the hand on one side of the neck
while you are twisting toward the other,
you will feel something that resembles
the tugging of cordage. That same "cord
age" gives promise of a Arm and round
ed neck.
Neck and shoulders can hardly be de
veloped separately. "Whatever develops
one Is of a certain value to the other.
Their beauty must grow In harmony, for
evening dress reveals them both. There
would be little enough satisfaction in
plump shoulders if a neck like that of a
young ostrich should rise above them.
"Work for their common good.
For one exercise, raise the shoulders as
high as possible, as If In an exaggerated
shrug. Draw them forward as far as
you can. "While they are still raised move
them toward the rear, then drop them
and push them forward again, thus keep
ing up a sort of circular motion. Stop
this exercise the Instant it becomes tiring
to you.
One of the simplest exercises known Is
the best for filling out 'those melancholy
hollows just In front of the shoulders.
Stand with the arms extended, directly In
front of you, palms together, thumbs up.
The tips of the upraised thumbs should be
on a level with the tip of the nose. Swing
the arms slowly backward, always keep
ing the thumbs on tho same level. Bring
the arms back as far as possible, then
swing forward again, and so on in a slow
rhythm.
Dumb-bells are particularly good for the
shoulders. Use a bell that Is light enough
for you to lift without effort. Holding the
bells', drop the arms loosely at the sides.
At count one. raise the bells slowly to the
shoulders, doing this with an outward
movement, which finally brings, the .elbows
directly out at the sides. Lower the, arms'
at count two. If you have no dumb-bells
use light flatirons.
If flatirons are lacking, or too heavy,
use your imagination, aay to yourself,
"I have a heavy weight In each hand,"
and go through the motions with that
fancy firmly planted In your mind. This
Is good training in mental concentration,
besides being physical culture.
Stand facing the wall, toes about two
feet from It. Place the palms against tho
wall at whatever height brings the arms
horizontal. Fall forward until the chest
touches the wall, then push yourself back
to an erect position without moving- the
feet.
Vocal culture and massage with roller,
ball, hand or the new bag, are of estab
lished value In developing neck and shoul
ders. Since the years of choking collars
collars that belonged to the middle age3,
when thumb-screws and broken glass for
bare, feet were In fashion women are
weeping over wrecked necks. There Is
I no quick cure for these, but patience will
accomplish wonders, in tne nrsc piace,
forswear all collars that are starched
or stiffly lined. Take advantage of this
year's charming fad of soft stocks. Noth-
Ing could be prettier than the new ones
ornamented with Russian cross-stitch or
satin-stitch. They fit the neck so per
fectly that no stiffening Is needed to hold
them up.
:Lemon juice slightly diluted and per
sistently applied tends to whiten the neck.
A cold cream massage should follow each
application.
For serious dlscoloratlons, use a bleach
made of 20 grains of sulphate of zinc
and one ounce elder-flower ointment. Rub
this mixture in at night and do not wash
It off lintll next morning-. After washing;
apply a mixture of 30 grains of citric
acid and a half pint Infusion of rose
petals.
In some cases. Irritation of the skin
follows this treatment, and a soothing
lotion should be used after It white vase
line, for instance, or an almond cream.
In fact, the treatment Is not an every
day diet for the skin, but useful in the
case of freckles or stubom stains.
CATHERINE MORTON.