Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-04-01
EVENING STAR.
RE WORLD OF FASHION.
EASTER sPECIALTIES.
Religion and Toiiettes at Home aud
AbrOad-Au About "DOlIy Var.
dens'--New Costumes and ever
dresses for street and Home Wear
RpTiBg Bonnets-Bride PARTIES
Candy Parties.

Spring Bonnets-Bride PARTIES
Candy Parties.
IFasIion Correspondence Of Ia. Erenin1 s,ar.l
NEW YORK, April 1st, 1s72
April should be pleasant month this year, for
4 gives rs with It's first incomngs Easter flowers
IaSter festivities and Easter fashions
Not that Lent has been dull by apv means. for
since religion is fashionable, even Lenten sea-
son has its bright side, and we have had Nilsson
10 give IL additional attraction. But fashion
does not take naturally to penitence though
soitened BY manifold indulgencies, and there
lore The advent of Easter with its gaiety and
iIesh t1ijettes Is heartily welcomed d, and one can
DC As fashion "ble and as pS)us as one pleases In
isct, you cannot be fashionable without being
The age Is really golden one for pastors and
churches. IEey are the pets OF thousands of
women who have nothing to do, and who find
an the batteries, and attentions they receive i'm
The little Committee meetings and sewing
societies. IN the business of getting new cush.
IONS and SUPPLIES, and dressing gowns and
sCiOOi llbfarieS. Just the mild and refined sort
q dissipation which fills M the gan i'm their
HvCs, and rescues them from the dreariness of
irClatluh ana lnanity. Men consider il rather
an amIabie weakness than Otherwise ami
BESIDES II leaves them free to attend to their
own mute matters 50 they willingly hand over
the iUEC> for church purposes. aud are proud of
"A VIE v no - sought %. JiTectress of this,
nat, or The other, because it adds somewhat to
tLtn social Importance, aud the family re-
How different is this rose leaf and well-to-do
ttilEiOn from that which md Itself the
caves afd corners OF the earth; which was
CesPised and prosecuted OF men; which had
neither form, nor cOmelineSs, and no beauty
that could make n desired. One can hardly
recognize il a. the same thing. Nevertheless
NJ II very pleasant; one cannot help liking if If
= as me IN as way, as an opera to go to church
on Easter morning and hear the anthems and
the CaTOaS sung by precisely the same voices that
gave the grand concert at two dollars a ticket
last week; to see the high altar decorated with
Costly hCt.hOuSe nowers, instead OF thorns; TO
see the White-handed minister, with his throng
OF temaie worshIPPers. and TO watch the advent
Ct u e ladies OF bus family they rustic I'D the
aisle IN the latest OF Paris toilets. liz is nice
whether IT Is religious or not; and, like mag
nheent theater or dry goods store, it is just the
sort oil thing that people are willing to pay for.
EASTER TOILETTEs.
The American grJHde dame has a passion for
TIyh silk. Whether il is the rustic or the gloss
CT the SOFT simmer which reflects back a t6ous-
and lights from its surface, or whether travel
ing back over the past. il l. the desire which
some hard working, house wifely ancestress was
never able to gratify for the bravery" of sssik-
en- attire Whatever may be the cause the fact
Tt mains the same. the American, aud especial
" the New York lady, never feels dressed
excepting in soft thick silk, which faces her
about in every direction, and has nothing
"Tatchy' like different cOlOred sack. or a
WCOlen OyITskITt, TO disturb her equanmitv.
II II no use king up German material" cos
tunes "a cheap. serviceable, and truly econOIn-
iCal. The delicate nose turns up with a sniff at
their dizziness, ungainiiness, and impenetrabii-
ty, and PAYS cut without a rnur, a hundred
and fifty dollars, instead OF fifteen, for the finer
y &c
SlHns' CRY cashmere, grey alpaca, may be the
livery OF woe in France, but WHY should we 90
into mourning because France has been unfOr-
tUnate? Ask hundred gay and brilliant bellies
WhO ind baskets of Easter flowers at their bed
sides when they wake in the morning, and
dressing tables covered with notes OF invitation
to this grand party and that elegant reception!
No wonder that, in the intOxication everything
j. forget, n but the desire to shine and lights
are turned on gorgeous silks and delicate laces,
and existence made to turn on the pivot OF their
possession
The new fashions of tints AMI colors have
struck the cultivated fancy of society women,
and made them all eager tor new spring tot
lettes The tinted fGilles are wonderfully lovely,
and those who can afford costumes complete of a
single tint are confident OF being well dressed.
At the great spring exhibitions the best feature
Iy Tar, consisted OF the new fdilT- silks arrayed
in series OF three different shades to a color,
and in an infinite variety OF wood. brown, gold
en-, bUh leaf, snake, sand, and shell tints. IL
was heartTending to see these beautiful and
costly fabrics, upon which art and skill seemed
to be exhausted, and then go up stairs aud ex-
anime tie deliberately ugly and bunched-uP
COSTUMES into which they were made, and in
which every particle OF their beauty seemed TO
he lost. The styles were those of three years
akO-ShOTt, tucked-up OyerskirtS ruched and
RULED and bowed and feathered; skirts
fOunCed and ruched and bow ii also; basque
ditto, forty or fifty yards OF material used, and
INFINITE labor expended, to make ugiiness trans
Cendant.
Tie :. Dolly Warden polonaise and overskirt
seems to have given the cue for the restoration
q HUNS, and paner skirts are more b0BG'IRt
than ever, and the lankiness of the lowers part
CT the skirt (hOops not now being worn by'laIes
with any professions TO ia shiOn) renders the ex-
Ctssive tetrgUre all the more conspicuous and
absurd. The ''gTl of the period" STYLE which
las been the inexhaustible theme Of the comic
papers Tor YEAR past. has retained upon us in
tuii force, with Fsake crowned hats on the top
Of the chignon TO render the fOolery more com
Ilete.
More about the dolly VaTdens'' NAV seem
suPeTfU0Gs to readers who are du fat in the
new spring styles, and who have SENSE enough
attach fashion nf inn
pOrtahce which il deserves. and no more But
the citeInt mt in regard 10 IT. as evince in
meIOus letters, and the mixed ideas with reg tr a
to the special mission of ODDLY Warden viii n
prevail among young ladies in the rural district
make IL necessary to be explicit at the risk OF
being tedious, and repeating twice told tale
The ''DOlly Warden" then il simply punched
up oveTdress suit in antique style, and made OF
any lowered material, which most resembles
cid fashioned chintz bed room Irniture. The
French call il the ''Watteau," which belongs I.
the same period, and il precisely similar, excep
that the ~ vatican has genera liy been worn a,
''tanCy' dress, and made in rich mater a
while the dolly Warden" (ehD was the pretty
Gangh'eT OF a Saia ae, came mp from tn
ton ChIHtZ Tor mourning wear, and has onIy
recently been promoted to TX and brocade. In
the city =. Dolly Warden" could never be worn
ia the street, but ia the country upOn occasions
they viii undoubtedly be adopted by Young giri~
and will answer admirably for the promenade
anu 'he t%rly Nisli 10 the springs, at the water
In making them care must be taken not oplv
fuEChfcc OF the material, but in cutting
ihe IN 50 a. TO preserve the int gritty of the idea
he sleeves must be antique. that l. close at the
TOP, with deep rufies- The high bodice cut in
one with the skirt to open in fro mt but closes an
as TO form long waist, cut with a spring which
Geepens almost into points back and front III 2
SKIRT Is lOSPed up IN five different places, thr. G
st the back. one upon each side. with velvet rib
bon loops The materials for "Dolly Vardeps'
are numerous and varied. There are cot on
CbHtzes, with black, white and tint d
grounds The latter are considered the mos,
diStHgNs. There are also ehintz figured fou
Iards, which are more stylish than chinfZ in
black and tinted grounds. and richer striped
siIks, bToeaded with flowers, employed for the
dolly ardens' that are used TO complete d IL
costumes.
In the ready made departments of some of the
Dry goods houses, confusion is not unfreauentIv
created in The minds OF inexperienced persons nv
exhibiting dolly Vardens" and calling them
"CTetonnes." tfhis name only refers to the
material, "CretOnne," a thick finished furnitu -e
chintz. OF which they are composed, and which
has heretofore been used for curtains, covering
lounges, and the like.