Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-09-01
THE WORLD OF FASHION.
New York and Paris Styles for September.
From Our Fashion Correspondent

remember lady, (by courtesy,) the wife of
tailor, who, some years ago, electrified the
guests at famous watering place by the num-
Der and variety Of her dresses. So mach space
oid they require that she engaged a room ex-
pressly for them, and had the happiness OF
being pointed at, and written about by hungry
newspaper correspondents as a distinguished
parsonage and leader of fashion.
. Now, the simple truth would have been that
IL was mere effort at vulgar display on the
part OF single individual. There was no fashion
ABOUT II, yet the fact was paraded all over the
country as an evidence OF the general extrava-
gahce OF women. Good Old ladies', who rem en-
pereu the time when cotton short gowns were
GOOD enough for home wear. lifted up their
hands IN holy horror at the degeneracy of the
age, ana clergymen wrote sermons with this
female Bluebeard's skeleton closet as a text.
could not help being reminded of this cir
cumstance many times during the past summer.
lew vulgar women without social position
parade gaudy costumes which are often not
haii as costly as they SEEM and forthwith they
are noted and commented upon, and the whole
sex put upon trial for their misdeeds while a
majority OF really high-cass women pursue the
even tenor OF their way, dress simply and uno.-
tentatiously, do their duty conscentionsly with
credit j think American women are generally
80 ANXIOUS TO do right that / cannot endure to
have them abused when they don't deserve it;
III fact, don't like TO have them scolded at ali
excepting by myself.
There are three facts in regard to
grand ball at famous summer resort: The
room was the most SIMPLY dressed. The
three most tasteful tOilettes, worn by mother
and her two daughters, were made entirely
by themselves, though the father is rich, one Of
the daughters recently married to "A rising
young merchant, and all moving in the first
circles OF metropolitan society. The mother OF
two remarkably pretty girls, one sixteen years
OF age, one over eighteen, withstood the
pressure from within and without to let her
daughters join the gay throng because they had
never yet been allowed TO go to balls, and she
wished them to preserve their freshness and
giIlshness until at least they had reached the
age of twenty years. So YOU see good American
wives and mothers, (it is they who control these
things,) are not all dead yet.
NO MORE SPINNING WHEEL.
nope shall not be understood, however, a
advocating a return to primitive plainness, and
tie spinning wheel. The latter is dead and
gone institution, joy did not go with it; it hait,
day, served 1t use, ana departed as everything
mortal must, and there are few 80 blind tn the
good OF the present or the promise OF the future
"a 10 wish il back.
We do not live in an age of simplicity. Men
would not let women dress plainly if they would
Too many interests are involved. Women must
wear the jewels from the mine and the silk
from the loom, or what will become OF the pro-
ducers?
The industry OF the world turns directly or
indirectly OF what We eat or what We wear, and
ii would be about as easy to empty Niagara with
"a tin dipper "a to prevent the growth OF luxury,
which l. born OF wealth and our progressive
civilization.
But women can be of use. They can fulfill
they do wear purple and fine linen. They can
be good wives; they can teach their daughters
how to be useful in turn; how TO adapt modern
ideas to different positions and circumstances;
how to employ them instead OF being enslayed
by them; how to be masters instead OF slaves Of
Alladdin's wonderful lamp.
SUITS AND COSTUMES.
There IL one great advantage in the present
style. and that is that all the old dresses that
have laid in the bottom of trunks for hundred
years can be utilized. Long, short, narrow,
straight. bias. makes no difference; all can be
turned TO account and arranged to complete the
pTettiest toilettes that milliners ever invented.
The most costly dresses ever worn were the
plain waists and long, ful single skirt, which
preceded the present fashion OF walking dress.
Every seam and rent and bare SPOT showed to
such conspicuous advantage that only while a
dress was quite new could one be perfectly sure
that it was comB,e IL fdgt. Let it once show signs
OF wear upon the edges. or acquire the dread
luliy dragged and mixed appearance which a
few efforts at pedestrianism gave il, and, alas
poor Yorick, it was all over; the evidence OF ac-
cidehts or wear could neither be cut of nor Gov
cred up.
Costumes of course are not economical to
those who patronize high-priced dressmakers
and use always new materials and new trim
mings, and there are those who think il SO very
Glow" TO do otherwise that one loses caste in
their eyes by speaking of the possibility. New
ertheless one must take the risk, TOR the sake OF
those who like pretty things just as well as Miss
JapOnica, but have not Miss Japonicas sublime
trust In papa" and future rich husband to
draw upon.
fitted out her daughter for boarding school. and
two others for summer trips and visits among
friends, by using up old things that she had had
in the house for years. Now, there NAV be a
doubt about the wisdom that permits women to
buy so much more than they can wear out, while
ii is fashionsby worn, but still they do it, and
unused garments will accumulate 80 until wo-
men have more sense and can better employ
their time, 1t Is just well to furnish them Just
ideas by which they can utilize their old clothes.
This bit OF practicability may be the reason
seded suits, and why the suits complete-hst,
gloves, and other accessories. uniform with the
dIess.is now the highest forms Of elegance.
For the latter everything must be perfect ana
belong 10 itself 1t cannot be made out of pieces;
IL must be new throughout everything, and
that exactly suits fashionable dressmakers and
Mrs Japonics.
The NRw AUTUMN COSTUME.
The novelty OF the season Is a costume COM
posed OF several different shades OF one color.
For example: If the foundation material be
green, 1t will be trimmed with three different
shades, dar ker or lighter. or both of this color.
II brown, with three different shades of brown,
and the hat must correspond in color and
shading with the dress.
The favorite method of arranging silk toi-
lette IL to trim it in clusters OF rachings Of
narrow rufiies, which may either be bound,
piEked, or feathered upon the edge. Purple,
green, brown, or grey shade very finely, blue
not so happily, the dark shades OF blue always
presenting repulsive and unattractive aspect.
Popln, merno, and Empress cloth trim
handsomely with narrow bands OF plush in
darker shades, or with shaded velvet, which
has been imported in small quantities, but will
be scarce, because the war renders it difficult
to duplicate certain new styles in trimmings
and fabrics.
There is, however, a very handsome new trim
ming or American manufacture introduced this
fall which consists of q narrow band of soft
moss-like plush. 1t Is all silk and made in all
shades OF all colors. Ii is called "Marabout"
from its softness and beauty, but it is more like
velvet moss. 1t is exceedingly effective when
arranged In the different shades Of our color
upon plain surface.
GRos GRAIN SILK AND RIBBONS.
The same house have brought to q degree OF
perfection, unsurpassed abroad, the beautiful
gros grain ribbons for sashes, trimmings and
ornaments, which, for the present. have
superseded satin and all other styles. The
fashionable widths are Elk and seven inches
for sashes, No. for bows for the hair
No. IL for bonnet ribbons. The bows for
the hair are made with two ends. which fall
over the chignoD, and are united in the middle
With small fiat bow. The gros grain ribbons
are very durable. They are made Of pure silk,
and now that the obstacles have been removed
from the achievement Of choice and permanent
colors, there is nothing to be wished for in re-