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Show PARIS FASHIONS. The war over the empire modes still continues. There is a prolonged and fierce battle going on all the time with regard to the pronounced empire fashions between the modistes and the vraie elegantes, who cannot reconcile themselves to the ugly and ungraceful outdoor and indoor gowns and cloaks. It is, however, one of two things you must wear empire or not wear it. If you do you make yourself ugly, and if you do not you are out of fashion. There are some few who look fairly well in the enormous gigot sleeves and short waist. Among them I noticed the other day the handsome young Duchess de Bligny, who wore a costume of peau de soie with changeable effects, russet red and green, which was very handsome. She, however, has had the courage to brace the orders of the "style" and ??? the skirt was ?? in deep kilts from waist to feet. The corsage was made of the same silk, but the facing to the collar and balloon sleeves was of a dark self colored green. The vest and forearms were made of brocade in garnet and green. Over this was thrown a short cape of prune velvet. It reached to the waist only, and was bound with fur and lined with lilac satin. For evening gowns for balls and opera the empire is not so bad with modifications, and some of them are really artistic. The Baroness of Mohrenheim is trying hard with many of her friends to still further develop all that is best in the Russian styles and adapt them to present taste. It is a thousand pities that we have no real leader of fashion to help us just now. Every new cloak, wrap or cape is a little uglier than the last, unless it happens to be English, and indeed I fancy that we would almost be glad of the severe English style if it could do away with the empire. And the hats are almost exact copies of olden days, but of bonnets one should not complain. They could be so much worse! Shoes are being made long, flat and narrow, to reach certainly more than an inch beyond the toes and to lie flat upon the ground at the end instead of having the graceful curl of the later styles. The heels are flat and low, and in short the shoe is as ugly as it can be made. It is not intended for a progressive or reform shoe, but is simply made this way because it is. T. D'A. [illustration] costume of peau de soie |