The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-30
NEW YEAR FASHIONS.
JENNIE JUNE'S MONTHLY BUDGET OF GOSSIP
FOR THE LADIES.
Something About Women's Clubs and
their Uses--SkatinS Costumcs--Grand nd
Toilettcs for the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. as
Trees und Christmas Boxes.
IrnoM QUE FASHION CORRESPONDENT

New YORK. December 26, 186S.-The wo
n,an's-club idea has become an establish
cd fact; it has met want, aad IS last De
coming tho fashion. Half dozen have beel
or ere about being established in Am erical
cities, and programme for one, following Sui
to New York, has just been announced Il
London.
Everybody has OF course their own idea o
what sswomans club" is or ought to be. Mel
cannot get over the old notion that II womer
and children are let a,one, they will sink oact
iuto state of total depravty at once-1orSet
ting that, when such result dovs occur, it il
always through some man, and that they may
possibly be less likely to reach such CONDITION
alone than if they were helped.
Be that as it may, womans club is felt te
be somewhat dangerous. What do they TALL
about when they are shut in costly, all alone
it is asked; and. if they presume to lunch
good sracousl what do they have to eati
eWhat do they do at Sorosis?" asked ole New
York lady confdentialy Of another, recently.
sWhy, nothing" replied the other, con-
temptuously, 'only meet and eat dinner ,
s.Dear me-" said the first, show nice!' One,
without knowing anything Of the truth or
falsty of her statement, intended to say the
seyerest thing she could; the other, with the
memory OF her lonely 'cold mutton" and
'sstew" days at homo, was struck with the won
de1ful jolity of the lunch idea, and wished 10
to become Sorosiau Immediately.
But it is gentlemen who ara most anxious
| to have finger in the pie, and who are cter-
| nally suggesting that women's clubs should
| do this, that or the other-the central point
being, that their masculine wisdom is neces-
| sary to the proper direction of women's con-
| ferences, 1t is of ne use to tell them that wo-
men do not see it in that light; that with their
superior knowledge and habits Ct authority,
they would at once assume the position or
dictators; that it is time for women to edu-
cate themselves to business, TO Selt-rollanc3
and independent action. The last is precisely
what men do not wish that women should be
educated to, and they praise the Boston wo.
men tor admitting men to their councils, and
for having men to lecture thcm IN the way they
should 60. Well, for our part, we think that
men havo been lecturing womon long enough.
1t has been popular delusion that women did
the domestic lecturing, and scolding, but we
doubt it, Mrs. Caude to tho contrary notwith-
standi1g. No man ever stands still to car
his wife scold or lecture; he would tako his
bat and his boots, if he happened to be IN slip
pers, and leave the house instanter. But wo-
men, ON the contrary, must listen to o lecture
whether they like it or not; they have no
where to 60, and take it, perhaps, as the price
thev must pay for needed dress or bonnet.
'fSorosis " in New York has almost COM
mitted the unpardonable sin i'll daring 10 have
''good time"; it has given private entertain
mcnts, besides partaking OF lunches, but 1t has
done no good in inaugurating early hours, in
tn nf frnn nf 0n6
refres6nentS. 40 that .~-ane shaii Seal l.nuua
t 40 si1us and so becauso otf1rr, do it, but
al be FREQ to follow their tastes and inclinatons,
to be liberal il their means will allow IT., and
simple to severity If they prefer it. The great
difficulty has been with all so-called reforms
in dress and habits, that one arbitrary form
wns substituted for another. What wo want,
what women want, is what men have-freedom.
Freedom to dress plainly or elegantly as they
choose; freedom To keep fashion that peases
them, or discard one that does not SUIT 5nem;0, >,
freedom to treat their guests to tea and toast,
or white grapes and French confectionery, as
thev choose and as their means will permit; to
get rid OF repetition and monotonS; to enjoy
everything with zest and ardor, and exclude
no one from participating in the common
work and common enjoyment.
SKATING COSTUMES.
The weather this winter is, so far, so much
milder than last season, as to promise vcry
little skating. Still there is quite rage for
pretty skating costumes, and many very strlR-
ing ones are IN preparation. VI course thcy
arc oil short and in the high colors and bril-
liant Scotch plaids which are so fashionable,
and which are very picturesque seen en- M tSSs.
One of the prettiest we have seen was made IN
scarlet merino, trimmed with narrow bands OF
gray astracan. Little tOquet and muff OF the
astracan only, with small scarlet breast III
the toguet Another was OF garnet cloth, TIM
med with bands Of black velvet, large black
velvet bow with short ends looping up the cape
at the back. A third was dark blue cloth
trimmed with narrow bands OF black feather
trimming and black rosettcs; and fourth
genuine Tartan, the Mcpherson, green, red
and black, looped up ut the sides and upon tho
back of the capo with round bows OF black vel
vet with several narrow flowing. ends. These
Scotch costumes ere very gay anu stYlisr When
becomingly made; but for skating purposes
there is nothing half 80 pretty rs the complete
cloth costumes trimmed with marrow be nds OF
fur With skating dresses no hoopcd skirts ;iie
worn; in fact, crinoline, so far rs The skeleton
cages are concerned, which have been so long
worn, may. be said to have been abandoned
by women of any pretenslons TO fashion. Street
costumes are worn entirely without hoops, and
even trained dresses are supported by crlno-
lima so restricted in its dimensions as to seem
to be destitute OF it also.
The great difference just now between q
fashionable aud unfashionable appearance is
the decided presence and apparent absence OF
hooped skirts. The street cars display them
to the same exteut as ever. O.d-tashloned peo.
pie who hye in the country, and could not be
coaxed to put them on for years alter their ln-
PRODUCTION, cannot now be persuaded TO leave
them of, and the public city balls which fJl.
low each other in such quick succession, and
are the goal of the shop girls and sewing
Girls ambition, show little dimnution in the
yolumo OF display. Ladies ut Stewards, how
ever. stepping out OF their carriages at Del
mpnicos, at private parties, or fashionable
women at home, occupy only q third tho space
they did formerly, and are relieved from all
the encumbrances OF gathering their skirts
about them. The edge of their scant founces
reveals the slight arched instep of the dainty
kid boot and require no effort to keep them
in place or from becoming entanged in the
clumsy toes of unaccustomed boots.
The manufacturers Of hoopcd skirts have
themselves dono very 70 dish thing, and
thereby fastened the downfall OF this singular
pet OF fashion and fortune. Il ths face OF tho
direct tend ,ncy to narrow skirts AMI restricted
STYLES generally, they insisted OIL establishing
ce1tai1 large ana arbitrary Standard waic!i
ladies woud not accept, the ayoved reason
being thSS &nnll hoops wcro too oc1Ionlical,
that that they did no; wear out last enon III,
and did not give sufficient work to the dress
makers. The fashionable hoop wora with
toi,vttes of ceremony is very small, lnperccpii-
bic in fact, and is used only rs n support 10 the
hounccd undcrskirts which gives just the ne
ccssary distansion TO the heightened drap9ry
Of the trained dress.
cp,Sr, ro1r rTrrS Fop THE HOLIDAYS.