Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-08-31
FASHIONS FOR SEPTEMBER,
What Is and What Is Not Fashion.

What Is and What Is Not Fashion.
IFrom The Fashion Correspondent Eveniag STAR
There never was time when il was so Diff
cult to tell just what is and just what is not
fashion. Never time when authorities were
so many, and their dictates so little needed.
Never time whsa there was such universal de-
mand for fashion or sch utter disregard OF il
by those who are materially its truest opponents
Mllllners drSesmakers, and dealers in fancy
goods have gone D. Europe i'm sheer desperation
but they can bring back nothing new-there is
nothing new 10 bring back. The French are
despoiled and have lost their PRESTIGE. the Ger
mans have been busy fighting, and are slow al
making changes, even in fashion. The German
fashion papers repeat the same styles, month
after month, and year after year, with unweary-
ing perunacity evidence Of their
thrift and good sense but not OF their ability 20
supply our noyelty-loying people with the dress
excite ment they have learned TO crave.
The result of the doubt, uncertainty and in
decision during the coming season will be beau
ufnl. We shall have a mixture Of 1867, 20, and
teau running race with Louis XIII. We shall
have the renaissance turning up its antique nose
at the practical dress Of the period, and jaunty
masculine coats elbowing modest jackets, and
quite putting them out Of countenance.
We shall have square stand-up light between
the enormously long trains, Of which every
body is tired, but which French dressmakers
Will insist upon being the fashion as they were two
years ago, and the moderate train, which Is so
much more graceful and so much better adapted
TO our sixteen feet brown stone parlOrs IL yould
not be surprising If we had q sensation later ia
the season in the way of something enormously
absurd, for the Parisian's modistes will see the
necessity for coup detdt, in order TO regain
their lost ground, and believing that nothing
can be too violent or too extrayagant for the
Americans, they may endeavOr to devise some
thing that will carry the field by tour dc force
WHAT Is FASHION?
In the meantime 1t may be as wen TO posses
our souls IN patience, and bring the little COM
mon sense we are allowed TO exercise to one or
Two facts, which no coup d'etdt can disturb.
These are: First, that the Old fayorites in
fabrics have reappeared in the ''cloth" colOrs
which was so fashionable last winter, but in a
vastly greater variety Of shades; wine color,
plum color, olive green, sage green, ash
grey, walnut brown. marine blue, dahlia
and eye, called last winter alligator"
and are divided up in one house with ten
hCusdRd different shades varying from light
to dark, and giving indescribsbly lovely tints.
Second, there is great difficulty in obtaining
these fine shades in quality, in consequence Of
the destruction Of the French dye houses, and as
the price of raw wool has advanced materially
and WOODEN fabrics also, there is likely 70 be
scarcity OF best styles, and higher prices as the
season advances. We should advise an early
selection, therefore, particularly where special
colors and fabrics are very much desired. We
advise also, 10y thrifty economists, the selection
OF staple materials that are known TO be good
There is a sort of standard of prices established
throughout country towns and villages which
induces merchants TO reduce qualities instead OF
adding TO cost. If an " all WOOL )" therefore has
advanced fifteen cents on the yard, he finds il
more TO his interest 20 sell mixed cotton" and
wool at the old price than 10 tell the truth and
Try ID get the advance for the genuine article.
There is such thing as being 50 smart as TO
cheat ourselves, and we always do that when we
obliGe people TO be dishonest with US.
SCOTCH PLAIDs.
Nearly all American women have a prefer
ence for clear single colors, peRchdnt which is
proof OF their good taste, and which has been
encouraged by the modern fashion OF complete
suits: The appreciation OF the possibilities of
The Scotch plaids Is, however, growing wear by
year, and must already have assumed large pro-
portions TO warrant the cost and quantity of the
imports of these fabrics. The " Princess
Metternich poplin, the SIX and wool velour. the
velour amuse, the diagonal serge, the Saline, the
mattelaise, and the sable, are the prominent
les in the rich plaids, and the velvet effects
are produced by the one of two cOors only, black,
and another green, blue, brown, or buff i'm COM
bination shades, as buff or simply black and
white; this latter is always well worn. Velour,
II may be remarked, ir a heavy rep; velour
amuse the same, with a little design interviewer.
:" Saline" corresponds TO the plain single col
Ored goods of that name, which had popular
ity last winter. Serge is a finer rep than velour,
with twill in il. Mattelaise represents an eff
feet like quilting, and sable, literally sand, sig
nifes that sanded, sometimes called {" frosted--
appearance impaired TO some handsome plaid
poPlins;
mixture, but for service, and permanent beauty
the all wool manufactures are decidedly prefer
able to wear. The small brilliant Aisatean
plaids for the school dresses of girls and misses
in all ,cool, are unrivalled for Cleanliness, and
durability for this purpose. But we beg that
they may not be COMPOUNDED with the small
dinay cotton plaids which food the country, and
which are destitute Of warmth or any merit
whatever. Plaid poplins are very well adapted
to the southern part Of this country where thew
would be used very much for home dresses and
where warmth is not 50 much needed, but in
New England and at the West, the average OF
health would be far higher IL more care was
taken TO protect the body by the purchase of
good warm, wooden fabrics for winter use.
THE INSANITY OF SEWING.
The braiding and embroidery mania has prob
ably reached It's height, and may henceforth be
expected to decline. The literal oyerslaughing
of every article for household use and family
or cotton braiding, the adding to this everywhere
and upon everything yards upon yards Of ruffiing
and pufng becomes not only wearisome but
painful when one reflects upon the amount OF
time and labor spent upon it. II the wife Of the
millionaire wants 10 throw away money on dress
ing sacks covered with embroidery let her do IT.
II she wants 70 render her baby's life torment
20 itself and others let her add the horrible ruf-
ding and putting and braiding and stiffembroide-
ny to a dragging length Of skirt, because the
quicker its little life Is ended the better. But
for the poor hard-working mothers 70 trv 10
follow such an example is simple INSANITY -
her put the cost in the fneness and purity Of TIE
material, make 1t up plainly, but AMPLY. and
ming and furbelowing. Va eA1n
IL is unfortunate that fashion periodicals are
oenged 70 torture ingenuity to invent new styies
OF piaitings and trimmings and rulings, which
are accepted as authoritative by unsopbisficafed
readers, but which have no existence exoept in
the necessity 70 NIL a certain amount OF space;
a. the raridity with which they follow each other
~ - snn ag to ideas OF Permanency, order
and distinctive beauty i'm dress or household
sdornment