The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-25
For the Ladies'.

am afraid your readers will think
l am taking a great liberty with their
emotions when I announce the COM
ing fashions; but wherever dire
event is anticipated, I have ever
thought it more satisfactory to know
the worst than live in suspense.
Moreover, it is universally true that
i'll news travels fast; SO that any we'll
meant delicacy of feeling on my part
would be superabundant and fastidi-
ouS
Readers, I therefore impress on
you the necessity OF keeping calm
while you learn that we are aA before
autumn to go about in skirts as mar
row and tight as we can conveniently
walk in, and that next winter we are
to look like Mesdames Recamier, Tai
lien, Abrantes, &c. A crowd of his
toricalaassociations and absurd -so'sve-
Mrs somewhat confuse my brain,
while these names drop from my pen
on paper. A phantasmagoria of fe-
male figures arise in white. satin
skirts, cut umbrella shape, with the
handle downwards, and not fold to
hide the anatomy of humanity I
fancy Isee some in leg-of-mutton
sleeves; others with their waists en-
circled by belts just under their arm
pits, and the heads of all surmounted
by turbans voluminous enough to
content the elevated ideas Of Mus.
sulman. All these ladies sidlc up
and down II well-lit drawingroom;
the thin ones all angles, as if their
members We're hung on wires; the
fat ones intent on defeating sponta-
neous combustion! They stand up
in n circle, each led to the dance by
cavalier in yellow leggings, sky-blue
coat and brass buttons, with his head
only just perceptible under the two
towering points of an incredible shirt
collar
Both gentlemen and ladies bow as
low as the ''conveniences' and the
nature C their upper clothing allow,
after which preliminarics two guests
advance alone aud slide through
minuet, the lady curtseying a great
deal and performing the feat of bend
ing her arms gracefully over her head
without splitting her gloves at the
elbows. The gentleman, meanwhile,
has to do the smiling part and vast
amount of pantomime with a three
cornercd hat; his blue coat tails do
not flap till the end, when the accele-
rated motion of the dance demands Il
certain display of energy. When
these two have sufficiently edited the
bystanders, either seated or standing
on 4 ring to admire their evolutions,
others volunteer, and Il gurot follows,
each party dancing in cadence, tur-
bans and all. Bon-bons then circu-
late, with glasses of sugar and water,
and at this point, without the help of
any stronger refreshments, my deli
rum increases. / see Robespierre
and Marat rush in, Roche and Char
lotte Corday follow; all join in an an
achronism which is nothing less than
the widest can-can. The absurdity
Of Robespierre's action startles me;
l awake to reality, and discover that
the future fashions have carried me
so far back that 1 am forgetting the
present, though have ample matter
for earnest discourse. I must make
an effort to recall my scattered senses
The cache-traine, or new crinoline,
which [ described in my last, has,
this week, been introduced to the
Partisan public by one of their fashion
posters. This leads me to say that the
real fashions have, on other occasions
besides this, been conveyed to New
York, through the columns Of the
Herald, before the french have known
of their existence. 1t was so with the
Neapolitan catalan. It had been worn
here in high quarters, and kept by
m1liners in reserve for the elite of So
ciety, long before any mention was
made Of it III the best publications on
''ies moles.' This catalan has been
much improved; it is now nothing
but a square of maize-colored or Jet
beads, with Il few rows OF the same
under the chin and over the chignon.
Strings arc discarded from all the
new shapes; circular falls of blonde
and lace are Worn instead.
The new bonnet is called "oubh."
1t is u very diminutive chapeau, in
deed, nothing but round of gotfcred
straw, edged with violets, lilac,
heartseases, or any other flower suit:
ing the toilet it is worn with. 1t is
tied under the chignon, and has been
named oubH because it is as light and
thin as that flat biscuit which we call
wafer, and which we generally discuss
over ices.
The jockey costume is another new
favOrite. 1t is composed OF two skirts