The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-05-17
Prepared for the N. Y. Express.
Fashions f0r NAV.

the public, and set the world Of fash
/ ion half crazy with Il beautiful dis
play ofmillincry, fresh from Paris, and
of a gossamer gracefulncss that might
have been manufactured in fairy
land. Straws, combined with that
delicate fabric wrought from blcachcd
/. whalebone, were among the most sub
!. stantial bonnets exhibited, and they
possess all the effect of straw, with the
the delicacy Of fine lace, when trimmed
& with a}protusion Of rich flowers, that
are more the fashion than ever. This
class of bonnets are peculiarly be-
coming. But the full dress bonncts
surpass anything yet seen among US,
for dclicacy and richness. Que, ell
tirely ofwhite lace, with a wreath Of
tiny roscbuds traversing the crown and
winding under the brin,, till the ex-
quisite spray just mip9les over the
forehead, might have been intended for
Queen Nab herself: Another, Of
snow>white chip, covered with pro-
+ fusion of lace worth six dollars Il
yard, held fast on each side by clusters
OF white roses, and with its inside trim
Inings Of blended lace and white buds,
: viii, we doubt not, be carried off by
sohie fair bride before the morning
closes, Notwithstanding its price.
BUTT is impossible to describe any
L one thing as pre- eminent among a
whole wilderness of bonnets, each Of
which would, if seen by itself, be pro-
( nounced perfect. Bright and showy col
ors are still in request, and arranged
with the fine taste exhibited in this col.
lection, toned down with lace and
blended with flowers, lose all appear
ance of over gorgeou 'ncss. The
fronts are universally more open than
last year, and crowded with flowers,
and soft illusion or blonde. For young
ladies, we saw many bonncts Of white
ambrose color, with the most exquisite
little wreaths, widening at the ears, and
growing less and less till they met in
almost imperceptible buds aud leaves
under the .briln.
81 For married ladies, of the right com
: aploXion,$ lilac is q iayorite color; one of
Grape, trimmed with rich cream col
IL ored fc.ss,,ses, was cSeeedingls- elegant.
A Leghorn, enriched with the most
expensive lace, and with two feathers,
falling like handful of snow flakes on
one side, struck us from its peculiar
purity of stylc-worth forty dollars or
more Another white bonnet, from
which clusters Of the most exquisite
heath fell, more gracefully than
heath ever grew OH the mountains of
Scotland, stopped our progress as
we walked down the room. Indeed, no.
thing, not even nature herself, can
surpass the perfection to which the
artisans Of France have brought arli-
fetal flowers. You see roses with
sthe dew trembling among their clust-
ers of heath from which The drops
seem falling away, artificial grasses
scarcely more substantial than siad-
ows. Indeed, it seems impossible for
art to reach higher perfection in this
branch than we have witnessed to-day.
Z Nor does France seem to hold this
art ofmocking nature at q low dis
count, for the man Who sends the most
ceived a cross OF the legion Of honor in
acknowledgment Of his superiority.
Several new styles of mantillas
were exhibited, all larger amd deeper
than those of last year. Thcrolor arc
white, ashes Of roses and black, but
that beautiful tint called ashes of roses
seems to be the favorite. Two Of
this shade We remember as very ST.
perb. One, ''The Marta Louisa" has
~ small yoke, and three or four plaits
behind gives it a rich fullncss of
drapery. The border is inlail with
lace and a running pattern Of braid
I ed led with heavy fringe. The other,
which has some classical name which
we have forgotten, is deep and roun
ded behind, short and pointed in
front, with cape and double points Of
!, fringe and braid embroidery at least
six inches deep, which has fine effect.
But white mantilla, which takes
its name from the Empress Eugcnia,
surpasses even these. In form it is
much like the last we have described,
but is inlaid with two deep rows Of
lace, overlaid with embroidery, and
separated with ruche of white satin
ribond; this is terminated with a
heavy fringe. Indeed, fringe and en-
broidery form the most favored garni-
Z. ture for mantilles this season.
Everything is profilscly ornanented
about . lady's dress, from the crown of
her head to the tip of her slipper. Go
thic joints are the rage in everything
where they can be used. Among Ma.
dame Ferrero's French cmbroideries
we saw little else than the jointcd style,
as they say in architecture. Before we
could balf examine the pro(nsion of
beautiful things around us, Madame
Ferrero's rooms were SO crowded with
ladies that we were obliged to leave.
Her show rooms are really q wonder
spacious, with rich draporics, that
give the exact light in which ladies
love to test their ccmplcSions; nd
what is better than all. on the