New-York tribune., 1867-03-22
THE FASHIONS.
OPENING DAY.

The SDrinQ comes slowly up thAS way
and modise rising to the occasion, and attuned by
1ufferine have been dOlefuly grooming
Thus with the year
Seasons return; but not TO us returns
Profit or sweet approach Of customers,
or sight Of vernal bloom, or Summers rose.
The very Grape and lace in the windows shiyer IN
tbe presence of this snowy March, and look faded
and rresoute like some too rash order of inorganic
hyacinths and crocuses. Indeed, the only windows
on Broadway Just now which satisfy ones sense of
the beauty Of fitness are those of the fur stores
What insanity of tradition is it which
binds us to the third Thursday OF
March as openng-day Last year, indeed, at the
very last moment, and after repeated declarations
90 the contrary proclaimed by couriers OF LYING
winds and dashing sleet, the sun did come out
and hold high festival, transmitting the eauos oi
Broadway INTO unimagined splendors But IL is HIS
habit despitefuly to entreat the gay world throngh
this third week of March, and make its seaIch lOr
the New perilous as the Quest OF the Sahgreal.
hinder his ban, what avail the airest fancles OF
deslgner. the dantiest skill of huuying fingers
Nobodv cares to wade through snow-drifts tOr gOs-
samer robes nor TO with crepes ears that thge
nDder velvet Potential ladies, who order the lash
ionable year pray reform this altogether! 0lve us
abe opening on the third Thursday OF Apnl mere
after and then all vernal impulses shall cooperate
with YOU driving MS to doff the sad and heavy robes
Of w inter, ana weave lllo thltS VI 'hO Di'9S'ANe
world into Taiment for the tender Spring
looked 6aip Was s0Ei III s 10y o
md workroon displayed Nevertheless, the women
Of America are not the beings TO shrink from call
Df duty. They went forth singly and in ranks, and
What they saw and heard and what they should have
seen and heard beside are here duly set down.
BoNNETs.
If any model could be found timer, and daintier,
and more becoming and less sensible than the fash
ions which prevailed during the last Winter, it is
quite certain that should have had it as the ex-
ample for Spring. But what's impossible can't be,
and never never, to pass, the milliners have
been driven TO various notifications Of the Winter
bonnet of which the types are four five and the
varieties innumerable. First is the Begde, a
brief circle with a tiny brim, which runs into
"a timer cape, and has been more or less
worn for the last two months. It is essen
italy ugly, because it defies the outlines
of the head with its raised large crown, like soup
plate, but ii is made of such lmmate11al things, ana
Ks such coquettsh fancy of bonnet when it is
done that is fan to forgive its prepoSterousness
and admire it, Ii admits no face-tIlmmings, but TITS
closely above the crimped masses of the hair Why
IL is called Bege passes the comprehension OF the
simple. Any shepherdess--aways excepting those
ideal areadians that adorn the sides OF part
who should wear headdTess IN the likeness OF this
TOnld be Shut up as lunatlc.
up brim and cspe-the former encirehng the front
head like tiara, the latter clngng TO the waterfall
tike comb. II is becoming TO certain women but
bet oval or thin faces beware of it. 1t makes them
s. hook like q degree of longitude.
There is pretty bonnet called the Marie Stuart,
which bears not the slightest resemblance to any head
Slress which that unhappy godmother of fashions
above the forehead which are apt to consider her
sole and patented possession 1t is becoming to most
faces, aud bids fair TO be popular.
The Catalane still charms, under another name,
and with its scarflike vail falling over back and
aront looks coquettish and, by courtesy, Spanish.
A grOtesque affair, without any redeeming quality
But its bTevity, calls itself unkndy Marie ARtOiaette
who, poor thing wOuld almost have deserved her
fate had she been capable of such head-dTess. All
other bonnets-whose name is egion-are but varla-
tons of these primitive forms The favOrte material
Is straw of the decatest and most fanciful designs
But lace and crepe, and silk, and tule, and all
manner OF airy nothngs rush together to make the
shining atom The lighter 1t IS the less IKE tos sub
Paris, on dress occasions, the 6I1ght mar OF lhe
bellies shimmers through coowebs Wlth the dew o; OF
the morning them, and pinned at the corners with
shining blue-bOttles wings AS yet no color declares
itself TO be sovereign though the eyer-beautltul
green the green of the early sod and meadow mOsses
peeped out oftenest Yesterday The wearing of street
suits mOnotonous in hue, limits the sway of popular
eOos and any lady may choose for herself the shade
which best suits her complexion and her wardrobe.
Narrow ribbons, bOrdered on both sides with Lace
compose the strings of many of the fashionable bon
nets. lt is plain that two or three tyings would
-lpull these past remedy, and equally plain
h 5SsS tney sIe not meant TO e az n5s a Wherein dS
sie buttons should button chains should suspend
sem TO have their uses else they become Ostentations
which ALWAYS vulgar Nothing therefore could
be ugier than the fashion which prevailed last Win
ter of tying two ribbons depending from the bonnet
sbnt evidently not holding il, under the waterfall
behind The bonnet looked at the mercy of the winds
which; artistealy speaking, was exactly as bad as if
1T had been. Broad plain thick strings, not too
t5ong and ned not pinned With r6se In the angle,
nder the chin are the only wear round hat appears
be secured ii its place by its close fitting crown
Nand strings, therefore, look unnecessary and un-
p5etty. And here, and now, let one cry be heard
from Coed Taste wounded in the house Of its friends
= On themselves, nothing cOud be more charming than
fhe Jaunty velvet caps, Jockeys turbans Lady Gays
Derbys and other capricious rounds and tops OF
Sovereignty worn by young ladies this Winter. Under
4hem, dark eyes have danced, and sunny cheeks
glowed in a way which any bOnnet-the prettiest--
would half have spoiled. But-and this gaOer doth
lead forth a mOnstTOus malefactor-bW the habit of
percbing the hat on the top of the chgROn which is
Itself several inches above the top of the head allow
angle, and giving the appearance of eXtnguisher
fmperfecty applied tops the infinite Of absurdity.
.dhe head becomes a defOrmity where self-esteem
rises TO mountainous assertion and all the moral
1acultes cease TO be,t
f. DRESS GOODS
\ The chlntZes peTcaies, brilliants pqu6 and Mar
eeilles cloths exquisite that silks become quite
TulgaIy SNOWY and costly IN comparison. There
are white grounds, scattered with perfect bios
soms like cTocuses peering through the snow. There
nie Ialntest shades OF blue, and pink and lavender
and green and yellow, with just flush Of deeper |
INT hghtlng them an spray or wreath. or flower |
There are quaint Persian patterns, very chords of
color, that Doio the ear even more than the eve
and there are plain fabrics whose unbroken surface |
OF perfect hue satisfies ones sense of fitness The
1awns and musns are not less beautiful but the |
universal fashion of gored skirts will cause grena
dimes and other tissues of silk and wool 10 he nre !
feTred before cotton for what, with feminine ian
BIOLOGY is called dTeSsy dress The Gaze de Cbd,abe,
ssh transparent fabric introduced last year which
Hooks like diaphanOus satin comes this season
IN such gorgeous patterns, stripes OF gold and
seems only fit for some barbare oneen Silks still
come IN solid colors and of rich quality and for full
follette are always IN good taste. This Spring how
nd