Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-10-15
THE HEAD DRESS.


Mr. NJ f. Haweis, in the September num-
her Of 81 Paul's," dlscOurses apain very
pleasantly Of Head Dresses" and this time
Of color He treats OF this topic In a
manner to interest the ladies very greatly
A color suitable for dress may not do Tor
the head, Is h opening axiom.
Blue has always been fayorlte color, yet
Il Is not easy TO account for It's popularity.
There arc very few blue flowers; not many
blue birds, nor fishes nor insects nor AMI
mails. In animals and In the human race
there Is no blue at all. No beast has blue
fur, nor has anybody blue akin. Blue eyes,
which lighthaired persons all fancy they
possess, are about the Tarest things In ma
turC. We may even give up the "bue vein"
which poets love, as visionary. The veins
perccptIblc, for the most part, are either
gray, red, or greenlsh.
Tho old Tyriau dye was not blue, II was
pucc color, aud puce waivers between brown,
red and bluej but It's general hue lie a kind Of
dull red ylOlct-in fact, much the color OF
Clottcd blood, and TO most modern eyes II
would probably he an unattractlve one. New
erthClcss, In large masses this Ia a very pic
turesque color and beneath the bright aud
glowing skies Of Italy 1t doubtless haG mag
ninCent effect.
This was the only purple color known to
the ancient world. and Is believed to nave
been discovered by an lnhabltarl Of Tyre,
haps Its COstlinCss commended II In great
measure to the luxurious Romans In CIc-
rU's day one pound weight Of wool dOnblc
dyed with this color being valued ut lOOO
dtnarii (E3j;) aud when we consider the i'm
mCnsc numbers Of the little creatures mot
lGas, as the French word puce would Int J.
catc) whence II was obtained, that were
necessary to dye even pound Of wool, the
labor OF gathering them, and the slow and
clumsy process Of extracting the tiny drop Of
color that each contributed, II was really
hardly more than II was worth.
Green Ia coming In fashion. THIS color,
says Hawcis, Ia becoming In ltself because II
aunuls any tlnge Of green which may be
latent Ia the complexion, and which, In dark
persons, Is Oiteu more Obtruslye than the
owners are aware Of. The most sallow
| woman would be Indignant at the hint Of
! this, and generally cOutriyes to defy herself
by wearing the very colUrs which Increase
| the defect.
Pale green, so trying to the majority OF
| faces, Is, In some cases, pretty ornament,
and may be mixed cTaftlly with pale blue In
a most charming manner. The dTess offered
to Enid, "where like shoRllug sea the lovely
| blue played into green" Is one Of Tennyson's
happlcst thoughts. II requires however,
taste to do this well.
Rcd Is to be arranged with caution. The
| Spanish women have made deep red rose In
I
| ion. Deep, heavy reds are much used 10 tho
draperies Of tue old Italian masters, cape.
| Cillly OF Titan; but they are always aided
and cOnlrasted, as no woman can COntriye Il
be, when moving from place to place.
yellow Is an unjustly desplsed color. II ha,
many beautiful shades, aud Ouly when toe
| pure Is Ii unmanagcabe. Tue cold, pale
primrose, that shines like light In the hedge
rows, may be massed about a young face witt
implulty The dandellon must be used only
in single vivid spots Of flame An older facl
must he more gently dealt with, by a brown
ish yellow. The brunette may wear greer
yellow, and be all then better for 1t. Som,
ycllOws are more suitable than any Othel
| COlOrs to place near the face, so good IL TIT
effect gu the complexion; they make the ski
look falrer than Il really Is, aud, Of course
| enhance the blues and pinks. What Il called
| buff, somewhat dull, tawny or warm vel
low, Is one Of these. We all know how beau
titul Is the effect OF yellow hair when II oc
ours, which Is not often, certainly and how
finely bit Of this color lightcns aud yiyihe
| q picture.
| Yellow also goes pleasantly with a number
Of cOlOTs. A pale, dull blue ls one; but purt
blue ana pure yellow are very harsh together
| Plum. salmon, maroon, sage, also mingled
well with yellow. Primrose tint may b
mixed with pale rose; but the more vivid |
color Ia, the more care Is needed IN mixing
it with others without jar. One out O
two colors should always be dull, and no
too pure; this Is not generally known, or 4
forgotten, and the result Is the coarse ant
vulgar contrasts that VIC sec around us. Am
hers Of all shades arc exceedingly good ant
| becoming.
But ufUcr all, In order to dress becomingll
one must fling the opinions Of the dress
maker, the barber and the haberdasher Il
the four winds, and bring the same care ant
intelligence to bear upon dress and other sur
rOuWdings Us are layishcd upon higher mat
|