Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-14
HINTS FOR LADIES
PecaiIas ities Of the Prevailing
Modes.

and never, since the days Of les grandes
danes Of the old regime, has she held
wilder saturnalia than she has done for
the year past. There are, at present, no
Indications Of return to her usual for
nal primness; on the contrary, a wider
license than ever is given to individual
tastes and eaprices. The present laxness
and want of defniteness in the features
which distinguish the reigning styles,
are full Of dangers to the mediocre in
tellect; and to those whose tastes re-
quire to be dictated to rather than to be
allowed full play. To woman with an
eye for color aud proportion, and
discreet sense Of propriety in dress, the
present freedom allowed to eYerybody's |
ideas and conceptions, is an agreeable
privilege but let less gifted woman
beware Of avsiling herself of the lati
tude granted. We have startling exam |
ples of the terrible failures that are
made by reliance on private ingenuity, |
that meet our eyes at every street corner,
and iostle our elbows inside of every
drawing room during the present season.
Woman's tendency to carry everything
to extremes is exceedingly dangerous,
generally speaking, when she is allowed
to dress herself as she pleases.
Fashion says to all the wOman-world ::
% " ear paniers if you like, or go with
out them wear hats or bOnnets as you
may choose, and bows of ribbon and
sash streamers, ad libitum, and double
skirts or single skirts. and tight casaques,
or loose jackets, or q ir .ular capes-just
as you please. Wear furs or 90 without
them put your hair up at the top Of
your head OF friz it about your shoulder.
There is a general amnesty granted to
each and every abomination and caprice Of
! dressmakers and milliners for an indefn-
ite season; here is plenary indulgence
conceded to all for a space" Fashion
says all this 70 you, but on one eondi-
ton you must not infringe the inevitable
and immutable laws of good taste, in
making your selection from this hetero-
genous assortment of styles So much
latitude has been granted with the sole
object of allowing every one to chose
what is most becoming to her own
peculiar personality, and not that women
msy cuue out, as they too often do,
arraved in motley-ss if it had been
their one aim and application, to confuse
and fuse together each separate one OF
the prevailing modes.
| 4 judlcious woman always keeps a
little behind, instead of little in front
of the fashion of the day. She Is moi
in hurry to adopt an innovation until
she sees it has fairly won ground and
even when she does adopt it, she SO
modi6es it to her own personal needs
so softens down its brqsqueness anc
ueWBess, that society at once becomes
reconciled to the innovation, as dis
played upon her person. She neve
adopts fashion in its greatest excess
: but always in moderation. If panier
are the rage, she wears hers several de
grees smaller than the enormous excres
= euce which bulges out in the rear O
the more ambitious Miss Simpkins. j
skirts are worn short, she wears hers
a little longer than those of Mrs. Smith
who makes a perfect giraffe of hersel
f by showing to open-eyed Broadway, he
lean ankles-and a little more.
double skirts are worn, she declines
e make herself up into series of tier
like Miss Brown, who looks like
! Bologna sausage done up in looPe'
drapery.
- If dresses are worn a queue hers
= only half as long as that Of Mrs. JOnei
e who wriggles along ike an anaconda.
If the hair is worn high, you neve
. have the fear concerning her, which
: constantly obtruding itself when 20
!, look at little Miss Quechy, for you don
a expect her 10 topple over any momen
/ solely on account of the enormous dr
}. proportion of her top knot to the size
d her person.
e If floating ribbons are the rage, her
e are many inches shorter than those
v Mrs. Priggles, who reminds you of
/ ship with all her pennants flying.
II The most marked features of the pre-
# vailing mode. which may be regarded .
< distinctly settled until next spring, pa
+" be Irie6y summed up as follows: Tor
,s ures are and will be universally worn
:. moderation, both for street and eyeniI
II dresses. Round dresses will be appr
70 pirate on all occasions, except for ever
# ing receptions, grand dinners, and ball
= They are even trenching upon tn
,e domain, and many ball dresses will
in made without the queue, and Just fe
- inches longer than the ordinary rouI
N dress. One must bear in mind, howeve
RI IN making up dress in this style, tn
! the present mode demands more fullne
r than hitherto, in ball dresses, and G.
~ eessive fullness in a dress without ira
re is ungraceful, aad reminds one too mu,
: of Biddy in barrel hoops. The INC
,e marked feature. in the decoration Of b;
dress, and, indeed, in all elaborate to
cites, Is the excessive use made OF la
of all kinds and all widths, and
ribbon bows are not only plentiful
on distributed over the dress, but mix
lis with flowers in the hair.
e. Dressmakers seem never weary of
ms venting excuses for fastening aoeads a
re streamers of ribbon in every imaginab
0d place, and the hair r-dressers are emuli
of ing them right smartly. Nothing b
ds personal discretion will serve as a gui
lie in the matter. BottiRes with leath
on boys on the instep a Ia Renaissance as
re odious taste, and so are kid gloves laet
sf- across the back. Words would hard
N describe a well-bred French woman
in horror of these inventions. The manr
20 in which our young women have sac
as feed comfort TO what they consider
at be style, this winter, is perfectly absul
an They are seen out in the cOldest wealth
mt in short jacket of plush or velvet, a
in their necks left completely exposed
he the cutting north wind. If this h
rat always been their past habit 1t woU
IS, not so much matter, but up to Z
ct, winter they have been accustomed
wrap themselves up to the chin in lux
ase ious furs. These furs are now reposi
nv in their boxes or in cedar chests, at
ss- very time when the most bitter need
he felt for them. In the matter of str
led dress. a short skirt and tight easaq
of draped over it, looks better than
oly skirts, and a short jacket which give