Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-31


in dress. as well as mechanical inven-
/ tiOns and practical ideas of all kinds
WHAT OUR GREAT MERCHANTS
OUGHT TO BE DOING.
Instead of rushing of thousands O
miles to this little European town
and that broken down, gamblers re.
treat TO get ideas for the dress Ol
/ American women, they should be
furnishing designs to manufacturers
for future achievement They should
be getting rid Of the "dull' and inaC.
! tive reasons, by meeting the wants
Of the people who inhabit almost all
the different degrees Of latitude.
/ There ought to be "Spring Open
ings,n for the South by the
first Of January and "FslP'
| openings for the North and
East in the middle of July. More
( over, the fabrics for these different
! sections should be Specially prepared
l and adapted to their use, and the de-
signs of garments arranged beforehand
! and suited to their habits and TEN
| perature.
As it is, there is no cooperation
! between the designers aud manufac-
! turers, and the results are therefore,
/ very often, as iucOngrUOus as possible.
/ There is a want Of genius, enterprise
| and Gberality among our great dry
goods and ladies' clothing houses, or
/ fashion writers would not have to wait
! until summer in New York was upon
! them, before telling their readers in
/ Georgia what they may wear in warm
weather, and depend upon their i'm
| agiuatiOns for their facts several
months in the year.
1t is idle to talk Of women" in
America setting fashion. A republic
offers no commanding position to
woman or to the individual woman
which enables her TO act with the
requisite prestige and authority,
The wife Of the President might.
but the term of office is too
short, and the salary too light, to en-
able any woman to distinguish her
self in that way, and for the rest,
why, suppose one, or half a dozen,
OF half a hundred, should determine
to set their own fashions, how are
they going to get their ideas carried
out?
No; when they want q bonnet or d
dress, or a cloak, or a Jacket, they
must take one of the sterOtyped cut
and the orthodox make because this
is all that anybody knows, and some
thing different will only make their
friends put them down as eccentric.
THE SEASON.
The season is not so good as was ex-
pected in New York city. Business
did not drop; it fell fat Immediately
after Christmas, and the weather, ex-
cepting for q few days. has not been
such as to promote skating or season
able outdoor sports and gayeties.
The numerous charitable fairs and
special public balls seem TO have left
but little time or opportunity for
great parties or entertainments. In
fact, the party 'jam" is an ab5Oiete
institution, except as a social cOnVe-
nience, 20 enable persons to pay OF
a number Of small society obligations
at once, for no one thinks much Of be-
ing invited to a '.jam," and few do
more than "shOW" for a while to pre-
vent any appearance Of slight or neg
lect.
The latest and most approved meth
DDS of entertainment are recep- /
tiOns" in a series Of three or four or /
at stated intervals through the winter. I
Not mere " reception days" which |
every lady has weekly or fortnightly,
in order that friends may know when /
to find her at home, and which are
printed or written upon her visiting
cards, but reception +" evenings " for
which entertainment is provided and
to which il is the fashion to give a
special musical, literary, social and
artistic characteristic. These gather ]
ings are less formal, and at the same |
time more decOrOus, than the old
fashioned grand party, and bring out /
a class of people who would not waste |
their time or spoil their clothes in 8 /
miscellaneous crowd. Probably the
Of the latter element is the
reason why receptions are 50 much |
handsOmer than party tOilettes; !
at any rate, there IS an appearance Of /
freshness and elegance about the for
mer, which is rarely seen among the
latter. Ladies wear their newest
dresses and real laces at receptions, /
while for parties a last seasons dress, /
furbished up with cheap trimming,
is thought sufficient,
WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW.
Street suits are made principally /
with two skirts, the under one bOr- /
dered with a rather deep but very /
scant fiOunee, the upper one scOllOped !
or vandyked and bound with the ma |
terial or finished with a crOss-cut fold /
Of silk or velvet. Fur bands, Of /
course, are very much used, as they /
have been all winter upon cloth, but /
the new feature is that tnere are no
rutlies upon upper skirts. Nut and 1
chocolate are now the f8vOrite shades /
Of brown 10 costumes, and are very
distinguished, the sober shade being
used for the body part Of the dress,
the CONNECTION for the velvet trim
ming. SatiRe cloth is much used for
suits; in fact there Is no choice, as
cashmere, and the fine all wool drdD I
dc France, are not to be had.
There are some new and rich reVer-
5ible materials, but they DO not take
very well. They are too conspicuous,
and form tOLettes more striking than
tor good taste. They
were introduced last summer in fOu-
iard silks, but had no success, and the
richer striped satins, styled 10 UaJJ3ers
5atlns, meet with no more favor.
The rOsebark silks, for suits, a light |
and admirable spring and summer
fabric, imported last season for the
first time, viii be in demand. 1t is
said that American silk companies
are trying to manufacture them. Irish
linen and Limerick lace are used for
the under garments of some Of the
finest trOUSse0ll5.
fFt-a urTarfHfnnr awa11 nF tho De-. ar1al ]
Louise is TO be composed of white
irish pOplin, lovely tunic, veil and
Of HOnitOn lace, aRd Bal
lriggan hose so fine that they can be |
lraWn through the wedding ring.
The long basque, in thick black ar
lure silk, promises to be a very
avOrite garment this spring. The
lew design fits into the waist
Ike q coat and like coat also, lays
a fold upon the hips. There Is a
lap which Stimulates a "pOstilliOn,"
.irectly in the center Of the back.
lleeves somewhat loose, and rounded /
10 on the back, with undersleeves Of /
muslin or cambric, are in vogue now,
nd viii undoubtedly continue 80 /
through the coming summer, varied ]
With the open and flowing sleeves. (
,he TURic Over-dress so fashionable
sst season, may be depended upon as +,
fashionable style for the coming 7
pring and SUMNER A very hand ]
ONE model has been made for the ]
Of q Young Southern lady, I
4 white linen cambric, trimmed with /
lack velvet. The costume consisted J
4 q skirt and basque, both cut very !
mort and in large points. They were )