Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-08-01


principal energies upon her long dresses, which
| are to make first appearance at winter ball:
and parties and prove her claim to social dis
tinction at summer watering places. This is the
best she can do; her train Is as long as that OF
any other woman, and in il she IL a success; but
in the beauty, elegance and variety of her shor,
knows il.
Miss A. and Mrs. b. can afford to keep an ele-
CANT street dress Of silk and muslin, because IL
Is love either in the morning or evening and
they have a fresh one of white pigue trimmed
| with costly Madeira embroidery for tomorrow;
another of batiste or French lawn, for the next
day, and so on, for many days TO come; but poor
Mrs. C.s plain linen or simple lawn looks out of
place surrounded by gay toilettes, and, besides
she is compelled TO be economical even OF these,
or they will require washing, which would be an
additional item OF expense; so she retlres back
upon the inconvenient grandeur of her train,
and while somebody else is estimating the cost
of her "grand toilet" she is wishing she could
array her evening promenade in short dress
DESCRIPTION OF ToILETTEs.
1t has been already stated that short costumes
but in more delicate and dainty materials, and
more or less according TO inclination, in the
evening, and even in the ballroom. A descrp-
scription of short dresses, for 1t is upon these
that fashion expends itself. Trained dresses
are, to certain extent, uniform in style, for the
train is their distinctive FEATURE but short COS
tunes afford an almost infinite opportunity for
the display OF taste and genius, and it is seized
to the utmost.
white muslin, trimmed upon the skirt and
s'eeyes VIII narrow ruffies, bound with colored
silk; petticoat Of the silk, trimmed with fine
narrow founces OF the same, plnked out upon
skirt Of pale blue silk, tri;amed with narrow al
ternating flounces of the b. and pearl grey
grey polonaise, trimmed with BANDS OF blue silk
and rich grey-knotted silk fringe.
Costume consisting of long overskirt and jacket
of pale grey bateste, trimmed with bands of
silk, over a short dress of very light Nile green
simply lifted high at the sides; necktie of the
silk, fringed out upon the edge.
Skirt and polonase of fine French muslin, pro-
fusely trimmed with needlework anu vaienci-
enDes Lace. Chip hat, trimmed with scarf of
pale blue edse Dc ch.::re and pink blush rose, and
white silk parasol lined with blue.
A very effective ball dress of black tulle was
trimmed with pufhngs divided by half inches
of white and black silk. Another black and
white toilet was of silk, trimmed with white
fringe covered with black lace.
One Of the prettiest black and white toilets Is
Of black grenadine. trimmed with several mar
row founces embroidered with white silk. Upon
the edge is a narrow fern vine pattern. Upper
skirt and jacket are embroidered to match, the
latter made very b0ufiaDt, but without ruffles.
Dresses OF white chambrey gauZe repeat this
design in embroidery of various colored silks
but these are less distinguished than the black
and white.
Many very. pretty costumes are spoiled by
the want of harmony between them and
their accessories; a simple costume, if it is
one If 1t is composed Of mixed and incongruous
elements
BLACK AND WHITE.
The only way to be always well dressed with a
limited number of dresses at a fashionable
watering place, is to restrict oneself to black
and white. Two white morning dresses one of
lawn, the other of pique trimmed with embroi-
derry: one long evening dress of white French
muslin, one handsome short dress of black grena-
dine; another Of black silk, and long dress of
black silk or grenadine, will carry any lady
through the season, and give her the reputation
OF being always better dressed than the major
ity. They must be of good material, however,
and well and fashionably made. There is this
advantage about white and black dresses, that
all other cOiors can be worn with them, and that
it is almost impossible in them to offend the most
fastdous taste. Moreover, the very selection OF
black and white is indicative of refined taste,
and judgment that knows how TO make the
best of its resources
FASHIONABLE SUITS.
There is nothing more marked, and distinctive
this season in the claim OF colOrs than the sgoOi
style" which the selection OF the palest shades
IN blue green, pink, buff, mauye, and others are
supposed to evince. Decided cOlors are to the
new tints what Tyburnia in London is to Bel
gravia, what the Bowery in New York is to
Broadway. The new blue is so pale that il looks
faded beside what would have been called bright
blue last year, and $50 also OF other coiors but
take them alone, they are very lovely particu-
larly becoming TO blondes, and afford precisely
the suggestion of color, in the way of gloves,
ribbons, and bonnet trimmings, which all white
or all black toilets demand.
AMERICAN LADY TOURISTS.
An English paper recently gave English
women great scalding for not dressing better
for travelling. 1t is said that party of English
women would be known anywhere, by being so
badly dressed, that they seem to take pride and
pleasure in collecting their Oldest, and most in
congruous articles of attire, and out Of them con-
proper nomenclature.
This cannot be said OF American women
Almost all OF them travel, more or less, during
the summer or fall season, and nearly allof them
are well or at least appropriately dressed. No
matter how small the resources, a neat trav-
cling suit, hat, veil, and waterproof will be OBJ
tanned from them, and when they arrive at a
hotel and are obliged to make an appearance
before large number OF persons, a little brush
ing, clean collar, and a fresh necktie, renders
them bright and presentable as need be.
certain brightness, and defectness of touch,
which rearranges dsordered hair in a minute
and imparts grace TO the whole appearance,
seems to be inherent with American girls, and
constitutes in fact a large amount of their capt.
tai The arrival at a great summer resort, and
the necessity OF facing crowd of critical
loungers, is a very trying thing TO the nerves Of
mostwOmen, but there are few who are not per
fectly prepared TO undergo such scrutiny. While
men, after days railroad travelling, look
wretched, dirty, limp and miserable, the maiori-
ty of women viii come out serene, plumage uu-
ruffied, temper undisturbed
FALsITIEs OF FASHION.
The American woman, in fact, like Mark
Tapley, seems wonderfully adapted to coming
out jolly under trying circumstances while at
ordinary times she is weak. initiative, and easily
her judgment and instincts. The simplicity
with which slender, delicate, spirituelle women
add TO their natural forms false humps and pro-
tuberances, which deceive no one-which, If
they We're natural, would only be recognized AS
deformities-would be laughable if it had not
serious side to make it sad With half the force
and half the muscle, with less than half the
flesh. they insist upon having the full busts the
broad hips, the bulk of calf, of the ENGLISH
German and French women, forgetting that
they are quite out of harmony with their own
physical constitution and the laws of its develor
ment, and thus they go carrying upon their moor
little bodies burdens which deprive them of All
physical power and capacity, which deform
instead OF identifying, and which render their
leanness and poverty of physique more con-
spicuous when these extraneous conditions are
removed. S
What is the use of women trying to disguise
themselves by bustles and busts, and hips and
calves, that are hung up in every shop window
that are as patent TO every man and bow who walks
the street as to women themselves-that teach
everybody lesson OF distrust of his own mother
before he has learned to have Confidence in bsr3
American women have q beauty of their oun
which might easily be cultivated naturally and
uuthfully, to superiority to such shallow tricks
and devices. The depth and breadth of bnsts
and general formation, which characteriZes most
European women, does not belong to their more
tender and delicate style and conformation- or
course there is no necessity that this should de-
generate into lankiness, fiat-chestedness. and
the absence OF all womanly growth and a}frac