New-York tribune., 1870-11-17
UINTER FASHIONS.


ave shall be compelled" say the authori-
ties among our milliners, TO import our
"Wnter styles from Berlin instead of Paris"
In our admiring ignorance of our wives and
daughters, we always supposed they only sub
mitted to the dictation of Eugenie in their
dress from the Incidence induced by old-es-
tablished custom, and would gladly now bestir
themselves to show how much more pictur-
esquey their own artistic eyes and sl1illful fin
gers could set off their beauty. Why they
should wait orders from the stout Prussian
Frauens and Frauleens as to what hats or
petticoats to wear, is inexplicable to the dull
masculine mind. But they know best what
they can do. If they write down their own
taste as nil, doubtless they have reason. Far
be it from US to contradict them.
But why, if we borrow our basques and bull
lions from the Germans, should we not go o
little further and look if there are none Of
their customs which it would be worth
while to importf Where the present Ameri-
can idea of fashionable life and code of
etiquette had its origin, it would be hard to
tell it is probably rechaufe of the worst
French and worst English nothing more hope
lessy bad, it is certain, can be found in any
civilized nation under heaven. Fashionable
life in New-YOrk and the other large cities
is rs dissolute and frothy as that of Paris,
without its wit, and as servile as that of
England without its rank. There are
degrees in vulgarity, and where we
pay allegiance to wealth instead of birth,
and substitute q successful pill-vender's six
in-hand for an historic coat of arms as the
object of our homage, we show that beneath
Al. Of Sl,y,ao
there are yet lower deeps for us to reach. BY
the fashionable we do not, of course mean the
best and highest society of the cities; "there is
"as much difference in their bloOds,n quoth
Saarino, "as between jet and ivory, or red
"wine and Rhenish.' But Fashion is a power
the strength and firmness Of whose rule over
weak minds Is little understood by those who
are above il. The mandate of the woman of
ton in New-YoIk has its influence in every
village in Nebraska, or in the harem of
Brigham himself. Half the wretchedness,
and half the crime, too, among American
women arise from the eagerness to be in the
mode, to keep up appearances on scanty
means. Now, all the sham and plated ware
which form the regalia, as we might say, of
fashionable society, these cheap and nasty
lucas VI luiS ouDoIilutlOu VI pOHpOuS
and meaningless kootooing to each other, in
stead Of the simple, genuine, yet reserved in
tercourse of more cultured people, are things
utterly foreign to us, and un-American. Nerv-
ous, greedy, and fanatical we may be as a peo-
pie; but hypOcritical we are not. There is
not sham or humbug among us which is
not weighed and held at its true value. JON
athan is good-humored and long-suflering: he
lets even Fisk swell his little hour upon the
stage, and laughs at him; but he holds him as
q puppet after all.
Why should fashionable society belle us
then 7 England social life is naturally
sincere and unpretending: the Western frank
and ruled exceptionally by common sense
that of the South, still hospitable and gen.
erous to fault. Why should we not be done
with this spurious, weak imitation of fast life
abroad which is extending its rule from our
cities, narrowing the minds and making vul-
gar the manners Of our sons and daughters
If our women of ton must initiate foreign
manners, let them take some hints
from the social life of Berlin. Or
let the reform begin lower down. Jones,
the butchers daughter, whose father cuts up
beeves ia the market with diamond in his
dirty shirt bosom. is 2JiuZ 10 marry Smith.