Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-12-24
THE WORLD OF FASHION.
New York and Paris Styles for January.
DOINGs IN TOWN.
IHro~ oar Fashion corre.poadent.l

tFSom osr Fashion correspondentl
NEW YORK, December, lses.-New York is in
great glory just now; it is the height, not Of the
fashionable but OF the shopping season. Every
body is buying, everybody look jolly and good
natured as they buy, and walk of, men and
women, both, with huge parcels and packages
in, and hanging from, their arms, as IL CARRYING
them were the greatest fun imaginable.
The stores, large and small, quantities of
them, too, improvised for the occasion, have
broken out into regular epidemic of holiday
gifts. III measles could take the form of vast
cornucopias, glittering fancy boxes, bright col
ored confectionery, and every conceivable de-
vice in glass, and gilt and china, and ebony, and
scotch enamel, one might suppose the length
and breadth OF our great thoroughfares suffer-
Ing violently under that periodical affiiction.
Such ingenuity, too, as is displayed every
year in getting up fresh thingsi Among the
articles for holding bon bona which saw this
morning at confectioners were octononai balls
of twine, small parlor stoves, refrgerators, car
penter's plane, with shavings sticking out; logs
OF wood, mossy and partly snow covered; buck
rods, cucumbers, French rolls, potatoes, straw
hats, shoes, and a hundred others. The imita-
ton OF these various articles was perfect, and
all opened TO admit Of being filled with candies
and sweetmeats. In the making of these no
less skill is displayed: there little sugar imi-
tatl0n hams, and steaks, and pies, and sirlons,
and even turkeys and cranberry sance. There
are sugar babies TO put in sugar cradles, and
sugar apples and pocket knives to put in chill
dren's stockings.
The business done in small wares can be
judged from the fact that one popular store
alone has, within the past ten years, enlarged
ITS area TO hye times its original size. 1t en-
ploys three hundred girls as saleswomen alone,
and women as cashiers, book-keepers and SUI
perintendents. Its method is very shrewd in
regard to prices, which are always marked in
plain figures. The sum Is never an even one.
Instead Of fifty, il is forty-eight or forty-nine
cents, and so on. The result Is that people inn
agine they are paying less than they really are
Tha
Is that Of forty, not fifty; OF sixty or seventy in
stead OF seventy or eighty, when the fact is the
real amount approaches the higher denomina-
ton much nearer than the lower. The whole
concern forms an immense bazaar, and one Of
Its features this year, IN addition to miles of
toys and fancy goods OF every conceivable de-
scrption. are the complete baby-houses Ineyer
knew little girl who would not 60 into ecs-
tacy every day In the year over a playhouse.
Heretofore the handsomely fitted and furnished
ones have been imported, and confined 20 very
expensive toy stores, whose charges of fifty to a
hundred dollars, though a mere bagatelle TO
some wealthy aunts and mamas, were the stroke
OF doom to others, who thereafter, unless they
were ingenious enough TO convert a box into a
FAMILY mansion, gave their little four and six
year olds the only glimpse they could get Of the
coveted treasure through the shop windows.
Ihe great store, however, is of dimensions suf
ficient to be generous It's baby houses count by
the hundred, and are of every conceivable size
and style, from the modest two-roomed cottage
shanty, as some people would call it, Though
OBJECT because 1t rs neatly papered, the tiny
windows, muslin curAined, and the furni-
ture as trim as any doll baby could desire 10
the elegant thTee-stoy manson and "villa"
residence, the latter enclosed with shrubbery
and fountain, broad verandah, and every other
luxury that fashionable doll, brought up TO
secure an establishment" (" would expect. Even
the beautiful villa, !" with its dimensians sur
roundings, and decorations, is only s24.35; while
its unpretending neighbor is less than 81 90 and
eapaeious four-roomed dwelling, parlor,
kitchen, and sleeping-rooms we'll furnished,
can be bought for Sli.E. How the children,
and grown people too, for that matter, stand
IN crowds round these popular creations of some
Il 4 % The
music wanting, for at the head of the store mn
flight of steps which leads to the entrances on
other streets, sets beautiful little lady playing
ON an instrument whose melodious strains are
part OF the attraction during the holiday weeks
GIFTS FOR GROWN PEOPLE.
The great picture, jewelry and china stores
display all their treasures, and are crowded with
sight-seers and gift-hunters through the short
hours of daylight. The "German Nightingale
Is one OF the novelties. 1t consist Of jardinere
holding beautiful rose bush covered with
Mowers. Perched on a spray of leaves is bird
which, by touching some invisible machinery
sings for hours. The price is s2oo. There is
only one man in the world who holds the secret
ofriyaling nature to this extent, so of course he
gets his price.
The magnificent bronzes, the pretty and useful
articles in English and Vienna leather work.
the Swiss carved ware, and the like, afford an
inexhaustable variety to select handsome nres-
ents from. The handsomest glove boxes Of VI
painted with exquisite little bits Of watteau
loveliness. There is always a mouchoir box to
match the glove box, and these finest styles cost
for less than half the price. An English leather
pocket-book, very common looking, but guaran-
teed to last forever, costs seven dollars.
among the curiosities of one of the large
Jewelry and importing houses was a collection
OF curious old utensils copied from some that
were excavated last year in an old town in Han
over, and afterwards transferred to the Museum
at Berlin The originals were in solid silver and
were said to date back to the year 600. The
copies were done i'm iron silvered by a manufac-
turer in Berlin at the instance of the travelling
partner OF the house in question, who obtained
the Government order for the purpose. Ii Is
difhcult to decide upon the uses Of some of the
articles, bnt there is an egg dish followed out
into egg shapes which affords a hint that our
house fuInishers might take with advantage.
Speaking Of table furnishing reminds me of
gift that many young hOusekeepers would like
10 receive, and that is desert service of the
a dark bright enamelled look, and reflects nearly
every shade OF green. The dishes are large,
ample, leaf or platter shaped and always orna-
mented with design emblematic of the special
use to which they are to be put. For example,
one consists OF two immense leaves, followed in,
admirably veined, and united by the stems in
the centre astride of which sits squirrel crack
ing the typical nut. There are immense draw
ing room vases Of the same ware adapted to
large leaved tropical plants. and game Die
dishes, which contain an inside dish in which
the pie Is to be baked, and an outside one with a
cover upon which a deer rec,ines I'm pensiye
attitude.
1 win remark in this connection that there is
greater simplicity this season than ever before
in the entertainments at the best houses The
d shes are fewer in number, but of the very best
quality, and the display is made on the quality
Of the table service, which Is not snowy, but ex-
quisitely fine. The glass often so thin that IL
seems hardly capable of holding water.
GRAND ToILErTKs.
The dress, too, Of the ladies who really lead
society is remarkable for q certain medieval
simplicity, and for an entire absence Of that
"Girl Of the period" air which characterizes
street promenades and the frequenters of most
places OF public resort. The style Of dress is
very much that Of Faust Marguerite, the colors
are toned down TO tints, purity Of outline is pre-
served, and beautiful harmony Of tone charac-
ter1xes nearly every costume.
1t Is quite the mode now to make carriage
and visiting costumes with round skirts and ada
TO them trained casaque or over skirt which
can by simple process be looped up into
yoluminous drapery or allowed to trail the full
An elegant costume Of this kind consisted or a
skirt OF green faille (corded slk) trainomed with
two graduating founces separated by embroi-
dered velvet bands; over this is trained cssaoue
OF green velvet q shade darker than the Eiik,
enriched with q border Of shaded green en-
broidery edged with rich fringe. The train Is.
festo0ned by loops and buttons