The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1865-04-14

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ty this entails of catering for individual
taste or caprice adds wonderfully to the
variety and brilliancy of our New York
exhibitions.
We have never before seen more mag.
rifcent display of dress goods than those
exhibited by our leading houses for the
"opening" Of the spring. The looms of
France have contributed her richest and
rarest specimens of silks and velvets; Bel
GUM her costliest and most exquisite Ia
ces; India her unrivaled shawls and mus.
Inns, to meet the inexhaustible demand of
our New York ladies for novelties. The
tempting array spread out before our me-
tropolitan bellies is enough to unsettle the
calmest mind among them.
The materials for the season are silks,
satins and poplins, and for the summer
light silks, organizes, grenadies, tissues
and an endless variety of nondescript
goods. We have seen at A. T. Stewards
some splendid silks with velvet stripes
running vertically in the material, which
form the most distingue dresses that can
we'll be imagined. They are sometimes
composed of two colors, the ground black,
with velvet stripe of cerise color; but
more frequently the groundwork and the
stripe are different shades of the same COL
or, the deeper tone of the velvet forming
contrast ficient A black pu de sol,
sprinkled over with tiny white patterns
was very much admired for its rarity no
less than its beauty. Lord & Taylor have
some elegant specimens of MORE antiques
and embroidered silks on exhibition, aDd
some exquisite India muslins.
Some of the organizes are very beauti-
full and particularly worthy of notice
They are Of different patterns-some plain
with white satin stripe running long tu-
dinally, others have tiny colored sprays
embroidered on the muslin, while in strik-
ing contrast to both is another which looks
as if shower of gold had fallen on it
The effect by gas light must be brilliant
in the extreme. Of course they are only
suitable for young ladies'.
The style in which the dresses are made
contributes to more than double tue origi-
nal cost of the article, the trimmings
are SO profuse and so expensive. They
are very moderate indeed, who are content
with one kind of trimming on dress, for
we have generally velvet and lace COM
bined the first trimming, the dress the Sc
cond, forming an edging to the trimming
itself. All the ingenuity of the n,oatste
is taxed to devise new ways to dispose
both of the material and trimming.
At no previous opening have we seen
such variety of trimmings material, as
we'll as variety in the arrangement of
them. We have velvet lace, gimp, cord,
embroidery, fur ribbon and braidins-
We have two or more Of these materials
used in trimming the same dress, as we
have frequently, two shades of the one
color in the same dress, or still more
frequently, tw) different colors, form
ing the dress. This is doubly desirable,
because it gives two skirts on which to
display the trimming to advantage, an op-
portunity which is never allowed to pass
unimproved.
The military style is very much affected
by our city bellies, and jackets, which last
season made their debut rather shyly, are
nov Haunting in all their bravery These
articles are made. with standing collars,
buttoned down the front, and braided
across the front, and in every essential is
the same as the military jacket.
THE CoRsAdE.
There are 50 many styles for the cor
sage, each 50 different yet all so fashiona-
bic, that every lady may consult her own
taste fearlessly. From the plain pointed
waist to the most profusely trimmed and
deliberately fashioned corsage, all is admi-
rable. Even the round waist, which last
season could not be tolerated under any
circumstances, is now putting forward its
pretentions, and worn with pointed belt,
or board belt and buckle of pearl, is quite
en- regle The square tabs of last season
are still worn, and in some instances are
continued round the entire waist, in 9TH
ers removed to the side or over the hips.
Madame Demorest exhibits striking nov.
city in the form of double breasted coat
dress, which we have no doubt will be quite
popular till the warm south winds revisit
US again. 1t is made with long side tabs
in front and IA square, coat tail, trimmed
en- re0ers behind. Coat sleeves, with cuffs
and epaulettes. Montespan waists cut in
the Figaro jacket style are still worn.
jackets, or rather short sacques, are
very popular and very suitable for home
wear; but those short cloth ones we see
so often in the streets are rather bleak
and bare looking for the season, aud any
thing but graceful.
THE SLEEVE.
The highest fashion in this important
portion of the dress, which frequently
gives tone 10 the entire, is the plain coat
sleeve, tight t. the wrist, but oftener loose
enough to admit al under sleeve to be
seen. They are invariably trimmed at che
wrist and finished at the shoulder with an