The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-02-02
FASHIONS FOR FEBRUARY.
JUNE's MONTHLY BUDGET OF
GOSSIP FOR The LADIES.

! The Model Wife-A Nuisance that Men
Likc-Velvet CIonks and Fur Capes-
Antiauated Economy of tho Modern
Dress--Fancy Costumes-Fnshton and
Freedom.
NEW YORK, January 9O.-I have always be-
lieved in model wives. I am model wife my
self; that is to say, 1 do the marketing, memo
the stockings after everybody has gono tc
bed, fidget if people don't wipe their feet or
the door-mat, feel responsible for the short
cominss OF the cook. and dance attendance on
the baby rather than hear it Cry. But the
fact is the time has gone by for the exercise
of such negative virtues. They are not appre-
ciated. Husbands hold up the model wife as an
example to the pretty capricious little darlings
who tyrannize over them, but they would not
exchange them for the world. The difficulty
is that the model wife is encumbered with her
| many cxcellencies. She expects her husband
to realize the treasure he possesses IN her,
which he never does. He is willing to eat the
good things which she places upon lis table,
buL he never considers her anything more than
housekeeper, and he reserves his compll-
ments and the charm of his conversation FOR
the pretty useless w.fc of his neighbor, who
never made shirt or pudding in her life,
and frankly avows her intention Of never max
ing an tffort in that line.
VELVET cLoAKs AND FUR cAPEs.
1t is certainly true that modern short walk
ing suits have reyolutionized fashion. hand
some fur cape, or velvet cloak, one or the
other, was formerly deemed Indispensable to
the winter attire of lady, and their possess
sion was the crown of many. q womal's ambi-
tion. Now, ir comparison with handsome,
wcIl.made suits they look antiquatcd. Cost
is q matter of no consequence. They have
.ho appearance of belonging to the past, and
no one has the credit OF getting now one.
The short suit is very economical, too oconomi-
cal to suit the dressmakers, who complain that
it has cut off half their receipts. Several
dresses we're formerly required for the street,
and soon looked worn and shabby, by being
allowed to drag on the pavement. Now, one
suit lasts o season, and after that serves a
secondary purpose Then costly material is
thrown away upon q suit-fne English wator-
proof looks about as we'll as cloth at four OF
five dollars per yard-winsey nearly as well
as Irish po2lin, and popiln rs SILK and satln.
Real genuine Lyons velvet is the only fabric,
even for suits, that nothing else can approach.
FANCY COSTUMES.
The season Of masqucrades is approaching
and great inquiry is made tor something new
and original in the way of fancy costumes.
Scotch girls, peasant girls, flowor girls, vivan-
dlers, and the like are pretty well worn out; SO
also are Turkish maidens, ard the court ladies'
of no particular period. The whim OF tho mo-
mcnt is for the odd and grotcsque, for The
comic and the revival OF nearly forgotten lla-
tionalites ,ra. her than mere elaborate and cost
ly dresses, and this tendency VIII, probably;
deyelopc some fresh if not quaint and original
ideas before the carnival closes. 1t Is useless
to describe in detail character dresses, because
few can nuke them from mere description, and
none be certain OF their correctness. The bost
plan for tyro is to select q character with
traditional features easily IDENTIFIED COPY
them closely, and tho rest will be taken for
granted. good idea has been hit upon for
the children Of sSorosis,' who arc to have an
exclusive masqucrading frO!ic about the first
of March. 1t is the embodiment in thor own
persons Of all the traditions OF childhood.
Goody Two Shoes, Little Red Riding. Hood,
Jack the Giant-kicr, the Babes in the Woods,
and Old Mother Hubbard. Of course, tho OLD
woman that lived in shoo will not be for
gotten.
There is so little that is new OF interesting
in more fashion to write about this month, and
q stale rehash OF old and vapld description ID
so entirely profitlcss, that I shall make no
apology for introducing into this letter the fol.
lowing report read before the last meeting OF
the Woman's Club, in New York, upon
FASHION AND FREEDOM.
I'm giving to the club tho few thoughts in re-
gard to dress, contained IN the following re-
bort, the committee feel that on apology Is due
for the utter 1nadeqlacy Of the treatment OF
tho subject. In brief paper, that makes no
pretepslons TO even the length or dignity OF an
essay. il has hardly been considered possible
To devclope central ldea much less present
broad and comprehensive view of the entire
subj .ct. The ladies OF Sorosis will, however,
forgive the shortcomings, and take the hints
for what they arc worth.
Tho poi It in regard 10 dress to which the
committee wish particularly to call your at
tentiop is this: the thra dom TO which 1t sub
;ects us. and from which we have it entirely
IN our power to free ourselves. IhIs spirit,
slavery, subjcction, or whatever you choose TO
call it, is not confined to fashion; 1t controls
almost as arbitrarily those who consider them-
selves quite absolvod from lis sway. fTe'aoui
to dress rs they choose has ut yer been known.
or realized by women. Tho Quaker, for In-.
s,anca. frees herself from the tyranny CT
French nodes, only to subject herself to inc
norpptual dominion of clO-c bonneis. neutral
rrays and anuff-co,ored b:omiis. The con-
scienlious Methodist may admire and wish to
appreciate some of the pretty things she secs.
but would be debarrcd from doing so both By
habit and conscieucc. The Bloomerlsts talk
of freedom in dress, and at tho same
timo subject themselves to strict uniform,
which has neither beauty nor grace, nor unlVer-
sal alapprorriateness 10 recomm nd 1t. Freedom
cannot exist under tho iron rule utan arDltrary
will: and that is not freedom which only sub
stitutes one kind of authority for another we
NAV be as completely subjects OF prejudice
no \ passion. and the trucr and high0r luca, as
it seems to US, is 10 divcst ourselves OF unrea-
sonius adherence to either, and endeavor TO
render dress beautiful and harmonious to
the eve. as well as comfortable, convenlent
and protective. An undue estimate placed
upon dress subordiuate5 higher faculties TO
lower. In fashionable assemblaSo, the
length of ladys trail, the quality OF her lace,
the size and splendor OF her diamonds. are
taken as the evidence OF her claim to social
consideration and distinction. At what was
DR.. Thrall's establishment III LelSht-strcet, on
the contrary, short skirts, trowscrs, han
cropped close, and entire absence OF ornament,
would be admitted as aGorl.ng equal proofs OF
womaniy superiority.
But in fact, mere dress Ut any KIND aiiofus
neither G idence or claim to the posse5siGn CT
these genuine qualities, which alone enilti5 MS
TO the esteem aud contid -noe ot cur c1mpecrs.
Tho charms which distinguish th2 true woman