The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-08-04
LIFE AT SARATOGA.
THE HEADQUARTERS OF FASHION,
As IT WAS AND rs 1T rs.


Jennie June's Sketches of Doings at the
sprangs-What a Trip Costs-How the
People Dress-Hlnts on Summer Toi-
Iets-TrnvellIng Costumes-ssNlade up''
Women-Who Ought and who Ought
No: to go to Saratoga.
SARATOGA, July 27.
1t would be useless looking for fashion in
the larger cities during the month of July and
August. The only people who remain at this
season are business men and bard-worklng ar
tisans and, their wives and families, who can
not get away, and none Of these furnish the
material for fashion records or chronicles of
society.
SARATOGA AS IT WAs.-
Saratoga has never been quite itself since
the war put stop to the annual emigration OF
the brilliant Southern Tomen, whose yearly
visits to the North was the great event of their
lives, and who, to give dash and effectiveness
to these brief campaigns, were wont to bring
oil their forces Into requistion. Those were
days of 'Saratoga" trunks, of gorgeous toilets
changed five times during the day, of gorgeous
equlpages, of troops of negro servants, of din
ners at the lake, of supper at midnight, OF
carnival In which every one felt 1t necessary
to Join, or else be excluded from all the sights
and privileges common to citizenship and hui
manity
SARATOGA AS 1T IS.
The present season commenced later, but
has been so gay, since the races In July gave
It its first Impetus. that visitors remark, Show
much it is like 'old times" It Is not quite
like old times, however, and probably never
will be again, nor is. 1t perhaps desirable 1t
should. THERE'S greater simplicity Aot: style
and manner, more freedom of action; ladies'
dress more according to their conveniences;
there Ia much less effort TO vie win each acne! otner
in the matter OF dress, and more desire TO
have ''good time" according to the indivld-
ual Idea.
WHAT TT COSTS IN SARATOGA.
1t must be supposed, however, that Sarato-
ga has become cheap watering place. or that
it does not. Cost as much, or more, 10 live here
two months of the year than 1t did ten or If
teen years ago. FIVE dollars day and ex.
tras which means fees to servants and the
like, brings the cost per diem up to at least
six dollars, while for riding and other expen-
ses twenty to twenty-five dollars per week
would not be eXtravagant. It will be found,
therefore, that exclusive of travelling expeu-
ses andlthe cost of additional clothing per-
son may do Saratoga very finely, boarding
of the best hotels and taking drives frequent
". at cost of about sixty dollars per week.
HOW LADIES DRESS AT SARATOGA.
Freedom In dress does not by any means
convey the idea of poverty In dress. 1t simply
means adapting 1t more to convenience, and
less to the former conventional standards.
Some ladies have an idea that 1t Is now hardly
worth while TO take their handsome dresses to
Saratoga, that they will find no use for them.
A yery brief stay would convince them that
that was very mistaken idea. 1t is quite
true that one misses much of the magni6cence
| that formerly distinguished the toilets. One
| finds the severity that dictated kgid attention
| to the changes from morning, afternoon. din
ner and evening costumes much relaxed. A
dress put on In the morning Is not unfre-
quently, though not often, worn all day. And
| ballroom, quite as many short dresses are
seen as long ones. But If a lady should
presume upon that to suppose she could come
| to Saratoga and stay at fashionable motel,
t,annoig fashionable women, with a very limit
| ed wardrobe, without feeling awkward and
ont of place, why she would lind herself mis-
taken. One cannot reaAze the cost that Is put
into those apparently simple costumes until
one tries to copy them, one discovers hume.
rous changes that are required In order to pre-
serve the exquisite crispness and freshness.
y THE CHARACTER oP THE SHORT DRESS.
1t is not very long since a lady's social posi-
tion could be gauged, it was said, by the
| length of her train; to-day 1t is not too much
| to say that her standing can be best judged by
the greater or less cost Of, and elegance of,
her Short dresses. The lady OF economical
habits and limited means who lives In city,
and wishes to present good appearance upon
orr q gl0rt
dresses--so she makes them out Of cheap ma
terlal, or alters them over, into scant gentllty
| from some worn. and faded representative oi
former elegance, which has seen its 'best
days." and eXpends her principal energies
| upon her long dresses, which are to make
o first appearance at winter balls ano
parties, and prove her claim to social
| distinction at summer watering places.
This is the best she can do; her tram
is as long as that of any other wouan, and In
| it she is success, but In the beauty, elegance
and variety of her short dresses she falls be-
low her average, and she knows 1t. bliss A.
and Mrs. B. can afford to keep On elegant
short dress of silk and muslin, because it is
lovely either In the day or evening, and they
have q fresh one of white pique, trimmed with
costly madenei embroidery for tomorrow,
another OF balste or French lawn for the next
day, and so on for every day to come. But
poor Mrs. C.'s plain line.., or simple lawn,
looks out Of place surrounded by gay toilets,
and, besides; she is compelled to be economl.
cal even OF these, or they will require wash
Ing, which would be an additional item OF ex
pense; so she retires back upon the inconve-
nient grandeur of her train, and, while some.
body else is estimating the cost of her ''grand
toilette" ls Wishing she could array her even
ing promenade in . short dress.
DESCRIPTION OF TOILETS.
1t has been already stated that short cos,
tunes are not only universally worn in the
morning, but in more delicate and dainty ma
terials, and more or less, according to inclina'
tions, In the evening, and even Id the ball
room. A Adescriptlon of toilets, therefore, is
necessarily description of short dresses, for
| 1t is upon these that fashion expends Itself.
Trained dresses are to certain extent uni
form In style, for the train is then dlstinc.
tive feature, but short costumes afford an al.
| most infinite opportunity for the display OF
taste and genius, and lt is seized to the ut
most.
A new costume consists of polonaise OF
| fine white muslin. trimmed upon the skirt and
| sleeves with narrow rufles. bound with col
ored silk; petticoat of the silk, trimmed with
| fine narrow flounces of the same, plnked out