The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-10-12
LADIES' READING.
The Paris FaShiOns-A Return to
CrinOline Threatened.

CrinOline Threatened.
paris Sep. 2O) Correspondence London
The most important. announcemen
| have read in any journal for some
time past came under my notice to-
day. In solemn leading article of
serious fashionable newspaper, it is
stated without reserve that short
dresses will be worn only by young
girls!' The original French text is
LES robes cOurtes serOnt obdndonnees
duc .Jflleltes." There is not a respon-
sible grown up man in the whole civil
lied world that this announcement
does not concern, because we are told
that this may be the first downward
move towards long dresses and most
voluminous skirts. The great rulers
of the modest are conspiring to bring
about that expensive. inconvenient
and destructive toilette which is
doubtless highly profitable to the
dress maker, but which is a never
ending Inconvenience to the wearer;
which makes men fear to approach
even those whom they love, which
causes even religious people to use
bad language, and insures the burn
ing to death of some of the most love-
ly women of society. We are, there is
every reason to fear, threatened with
a return to crinoline That is to say,
we call it crinoline. but who really
knows of what woven material, or
wrought metal, or hair of an animal,
or bone of a fish initiates or spreads a
lady's dress when it assumes such ex-
aggerated proportions? We can only
guess and wonder, but we inevitably
feel the inconvenience of such fash
ion. Good husbands know the cost
of such modes. And are we then
again to lose sight of the ladies' feet?
Are the beautiful boots of our day to
be hidden under the darkness of long
complicated robe? The fashion book
which inspired these remarks only a
couple of months ago contained
whole learned page on ladies' boots,
shoes and slippers. It was pleasing
to know that fair creature might
wear brown canvass bottines q talon,
worked with red or crimson silk, at
the seaside, and that the tassel was
to be red or crimson too. From the
same authority we got to know what
real gems might be worn as buttons.
The hight of the boot and the hight
of the heel was decreed with all the
sternness ofdespotism. How delight
fully interesting it was to read about
the fashions for slippers, and to learn
how lady ought to place her feet
studiedly when wearing the same. In
those days (two months ago) slipper
might be decorated with a butterfly,
flowers, and even fruit. What tree
dom! How grandand generousl l re-
member that high heels were insisted
upon Was that a novelty? In the
gallery of the University Exhibition,
which is dedicated to the History of
Labor will be found a glass case
containing number of old shoes
made one or two centuries ago. There
is the high heel which painfully thrust
the toes into gaily embroidered slip
per, just as we have it o-day! Even
the shoe we can do nothing but repro
duce, and return to the v lization Of
China; for this fashion produces, 1 am
told, the same disease of the foot as
the Celestials suffer from. But as be-
fore stated, we are perhaps going to
lose sight ofthe ladies' feet again for
years, at least it is only logical reason
ing to suppose that such would follow
the introduction of long dresses. The
lastfe months is a marked epoch In
the history of boot and shoe making,
as may be seen in the specimens which
yet enlinen some shops in the Rue de
la Paix. When we had the long
dresses, and the trains, and the COW
ering up of the lower beauties of fe-
male charms, we were recon pensed by
| a generous uncovering of the neck,
shoulders, &c-may l go so far as to
say shoulders but that will not be
| the case next wiHter, when the feet
have disappeared, as read of chem
isette n,onta7ut dawning into life; but as
the writer of. the leading article ex-
| claims Mais, d lei a lhiver, que de
| engagements peuvent survenir!
| There is a feeling of resignation IN the
writings of this great mode authority.
| remember this same historian, and
| prophet, and fashionable despot. be-
| ginning one of his essays some time
ago with-".Dresses will be worn yet
shorter, and we have no right to COM
plainr" Considering how dresses and
costumes had been tucked up already.
it ceI tainly was alarming; but we are
taught to believe there is good in
everything. Perhaps l had better not
attempt to translate many smaller- de-
tails about the autumn and winter
fashions; one may get into difficulties
by touching subject one is not mas
ter OF. The great fact of long dresses
again sweeping the streets as we'll as
tae drawiDg-rooms is quiet enough to
sweep away all minor considerations.
L may mention, however, that gold or
naments are to be worn; but placed