The New York herald., 1869-04-04
TEE DRESS OF TIE PERIOD.

OF the Nineteenth Century-The Ball
Dress OF the Northumberland Opening
Week-Iuch FIuttcring Among the But
| terfies and Trying ON of New Spring
Wings by Them.
'They toll not neither do they spin and yet say
| unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one OF these" Allusion ID here, OF
course made to the butterfly OF the period, known
| In other climes and times as woman VANITY OF
vanities, all is vanity, saith the preacher" ana
quote we but the trouble is you can't get the fasci-
| mating creatures to believe it,
| 1t has been ill-naturedly asserted-of course by
some unappreclative brute Of husband or brother.
| whose plethoric pocketbook has been bed to
| the tune OF the desired fifty dollars or so
| necessary for the coveted feminine pur
chase-that the churches OF the city for the pre-
sent day will be gay blossOmIng parteiTeS with
the bewilderng harvested results Of the past OPEN
ing week dazzling Paris millinery, since TO so
many women, the same authentic croaker continues
the .litany and creed" never sound so comforting as
when lisped meath the shade ~ of the trad tonary
two rOsebuds and ribbon passed under the chin
called, par courtesy, modern bonnet, and sprungto
bloom and chrlstened in the latest opening" And
no one really minds calling ones self "a miserable
sinner' under the circumstances and in such excel
lent company even out loud, for the whole congre
cation to hear when Of its being received
beforehand with the customary 0rdno salts and In
the dialect OF the nineteenth century ironically
sidered only amusing fashionable trayestle upon
the literal truth.
But the question naturally arises and obtrudes
itself pertinenty, When is this matter OF yearly n-
creasing extravaganza in feminine dress to endP TO
which, in answer the equally pertinent rejoinder
may be made by The Spanish phrase, Q,tien sabe2
o. for the days OF Evelike simplicity OF attire Or
If not actually of 'nothing to wear" at least OF
n
laden woman, worse than any veritable Eastern
packhorse-or, more properly speaking, mule that
she ls under The present fashionable regime, insists
upon bending her fair hgure under IN order to Keep
mp with the extravaganzas OF the styles OF 1869.
During the past ten or twelve years the materials
imported for ladies' dresses for ordinary street
have more than doubled in some instances trebled,
in value and this estimate puts verltable velvets,
heavy silks satns and real laces-always ruinousy
expensive feminine capricesout OF The question en-
tireiy, and includes only the innumerable heavy
dress materials which, in variety and number, have
increased literally at tsnttuTn within that space
OF time ana 10 carry out the Latin COMPARISON, nave
literally al ottum, but not by the unfortunate pur-
chaser.
The latest rage-absolute furor-especially within
the past WINTER has been and Is yet for that matter,
although an old story abroad the new and favorte
velveteen suits, which material, by the way, III the
eyes OF many disgusted and hoodwinked mascu-
lines, seems TO be veritable velvet Well, 1t Is mol;
but as to price, when completed, 1t might almost
weN be- Any every velveteen suit worn be-
comngly by its fair owner unless OF the absolute
'scrubby, and incontestably .'cOttony'' stuff when
trimmed ami donned, up in value almost TO the
price Of an old time literal velvet and the worst OF
1t is that whereas only the privileged few could
wear One as was the case in bygone days, with gold
watches aud diamonds, now nearly every third wo-
man you meet upon the street has stunning vel
veeen suit on OF some tint and texture no single
OF which can come under the terrible sum OF Owestl
forty dollars, and more likely cost from eighty dol
lars 10 $780, One case only mas come to the know
ledge of the writer OF this article OF superb vel
yeteen black sun worn by lady OF this city, which,
the lady III question has assured the writer, did not
cost her one cent. The details however. leaked
out after litte desultory conversation in the fact
that t was present TO her from an (o cousel over
indulgent husband.
gentleman OF this city insists that, seated in the
parlor window OF private house on one of the
stylish cross streets, he counted, on certain
sunday afternoon, no less than 80 velveteen suits
each and all upholstered-not trimmed--afer the
most elaborate pattern and varying IN color from
bright canary TO funereal black. or course such q
fun dress siander could only proceed from the foul
millinery openings quoted above.
Su a. SI r 1e s asn5 % ne ppse N
day has 1naugurated, can anything be more odious
than the worsted furniture tasses, gimp and fringe
| with which so much feminine dress IL l0aded-not
| trimmedf and even when the cord and fringe is
silk, as s the case in 80 much OF the trimming for
the veveteens, 1t Is In 30 many instances put on
tastelessly 10 look If copied-il the upper
SKIRT at least actually borrowed-from the looped-
up and tasselled curtains OF a hearse.
The various Tartan paids-of which the past win.
ter's sudden eruption has been fearful-are espe-
| cally prolific OF this furniture mot garniture) gimp
Never before, in the streets or the New World ut
least have been known such sudden aInity as has
| this year sprung up between the modern blue bon
nets. One Is delighted TO behold such ancient Scot
tish feudal enmlties forgotten. TO all cannish
distinctions merged In social pleasantly, and to fra
ternay meet within the space Of a dozen Broadway
| squares (which, by the way, one can hardly help
| doing the .McGregor" leaning laughingly upon the
"Shepherds" arnl-or-and without the ancient
| Claymores bugle's CALL come face to face with
4 the linked 'G0rConr and 'Stuartu arm in arm and
ROW." Verify I'VE the rsdonapy McGreHo4s psn
| erng' was nothing TO the gathering OF MS modern
adherents. AS for the crossed plaids, unknown to
scottish fame and 0d-tifne clans but very beautiful
Notwithstanding they are like the crossed blood and
as numerous as the oldtlne clans above enumerated
In the matter OF real lace there is great deal
present In the city, and the quantity Is yearly the
increase.
| superb d'Aencon shawl was worn short time
since at a marrage reception by a married belle OF
| this city, which shawl has been automatically ap
praised at the modest SUN OF $4,000.
! A st more expensive nounce OF the original poult
de Nense, the most expensive ana rares lace known,
OF which there is actually very little extant, has also
found its way TO this wonderful city, snd-vaued az
| 81, 900 per yard-latey trimmed the wedding dress
OF another queen OF fashion to the extent and value
Of $4,000. That is It's weight many times over in
pure gold; very nearly In invaluable diamonds.
celebrated lace merchant Of this city has
| superb specimen OF d'Alencon nounce, enough ~
trim dress, valued at &20,oU0.
| Some months since tue rumor went about the city
| chase the worid.renowned 'sancy' diamond BE
that as t may, save for historical gems the Ameri
stock Of precious stones IL known To be won-
drOusly superb aud valuable one; aud, but for the
matter OF diamonds and possibly rubies and opals
| as well, the two Amercas-North and South-are
now tue jewel markets OF the modern world.
But we are an extravagant people IN everything.
| Granted In some cases-in most 1t must be con-
ceded-we can afford TO be.
Formerly a lady even In fashionable life could
dress say on $500 year. Now she cannot properly
sustain her needed charos OF purple and fine linen.
10 be IN the fashion, esS than 81, ,2g0 per year.
and II she includes her cnangeabe gossamer wings
for butterfly life at Saratoga and Newport In The
above, she must be marvel or economy, that's al,
which OF course IL h monstrous to suppose being
| fashionable, tnat she ~. Ergo, she does not.
But she " not altogether to blame for requiring
her dress and pin money TO be thus put out AZ COM
pound interest for her benc1t for the men
Of the period must allow, aud In cases OF extreme
magnitude DO, in these days dollar Is a dollar no
longer, but merely hundred cents toward the
many hundred needed for respectable toilet cmer.
gencies. And whereas gloves. Jouvins best ten
years since were but dollar and five cents per
pair and AeXandre's only seventy-nve or eighty
cents and Frencn shoes five 10 eight dollars, ac-
/ coriinR to make. those aame articles now com.