The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-12
Fashion in Europe and America.

Our special fashions correspondence from
Paris, dated on the Goth of June, conveys in
the same lively, piquant and attractive style
which has distinguished the series from it's
commencement the reflection of the will of
the tickle goddess so far as it can be received
from description of the latest styles of toilet
prevailing at court, on the racing grounds, and
in preparation for use, perhaps only display,
during season of healthful recreation and
pleasant 0b0ndon at the sea side With
Eugene at Fontainebleau, Napoleon in camp
at Chaions, foreign ''sportswomen" and
English cOuntesses on the turf, and the
''world" of Paris in active preparation
for rustication and. salt water baths,
Fashion may be regarded as being
in slightly demoralized condition. her
everyday code of must be finished from
''head to toe, according to rule having been
relaxed to a very considerable extent, while
the charming little heads of the ladies appear
to have been confused with an incongruty of
idea as to what would be lust the thing to
fix and shape into form fitting and vaporlike
outlines of elegant robes, hats, skirts, petit
coats, Jackets hounces, trains, cuffs, collars
and the remainder, which ''nobody ever
thought of before" and from which the most
startling, brilliant results in all matters apper-
tanning to dress generally flow. 1t was mo-
ment of fashion in its crudities 80 the writer
has nothing very definite to chronicle, yet re-
veals quite enough to attract attention.
Eugene endeavored to bring the fashionable
world to FOntainebleau by routine of simple
yet elegant receptions. COmtesse Montgomery,
the Duchess Ferzensac, with the leading turf
women" of the Bots, attracted much attention
at the Paris race course in dresses of muslin,
lawn or pique, mostly of striped patterns,
made in the blouse fashion petticoats of the
same material or drab linen, trimmed with
white guipure, and Understanding there was a
hat-ornamented with feathers OF such length
and profusion of curl that the exact covering of
the head could not be seen. The Empress graced
the grand stand, dressed in robe of cOrah fou-
lard, Of dark cream color, bordering on
fawn, and two other foulards-the tussar and
laintoun-were much patronized in the city.
France had, as usual, gone over, in fashion
able invasion, to the muddy little English sea-
port of Scarborough in the North Riding of
Yorkshire, with the view of acquiring the cut
of the most recent British eccentricities in
sporting and watering place costumes-an an
nual movement on the part of France calcu-
lated to deprecate her name for originality in
fashionable invention in the eyes OF independ-
ent thinkers, but which tends to illustrate the
position taken by some persons in the Old
World--it may have been the Tooley street
tailors-that there is really nothing ever new in
dress but the material and that what is known
as fashion is merely renovation and
''retouch" of something which had been worn
several years, perhaps centuries, before. This
argument induces consideration of the main
point of our present fashions letter in the
query-Why should New York 60 to Paris for
the fashions? Why should not New York
Americans-create, use, control and send
fashions to Europe? France has no mo-
nopoly of polished idea, and the mind Of her
people is not so clear and original as that the
free children of the United States. Paris has
merely inherited her sensitive appreciation Of
neatness in dressing from Others and duly
transmits it as monopoly of fashion Ancient
Rome was more famous than modern Paris,
and just as particular, in the matter of dress
perhaps more particular, for Horace has fixed
the Roman gentleman as the homo fac'as nd
unguea-a man made even to bis nail, I'M
alterably in history.
Regarding the philosophy Of the science Of
fashion in this light, we think 1t is high time
that we should, in friendly way, revelation
ize the Paris idea and write declaration of
American independence in the matter of the
origin and composition" Of our dress
fashions.