The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-03
SPRING FASHIONS.
WHAT MARCH HAS BROUGHT FORTH.
Independence in Dress-sreet swespers Versus
Good Taste New Designs in Polonalses'
Basques, Suits, Bonnets, &c.-crocus Al
ter Her Clothes-A Stroll Through
the Haunts OF Fashion.

ance with a custom as fixed as the laws OF the
Modes and Persians begin the exposltons OF spring
styles and materials, which are continued with oc-
casional ntermissions until Easter. This year the
custom was duly hon0red and the display at the
various modistes' and nlaTchdndes De modes was
fully equal TO that Of past seasons.
This Is spring Enthusiastically. The Is slowly,
but surely, getting ready TO cross the line on his
visit North and the sky gets bluer ana brighter
every day In anticipation OF MS coming The ladies
must get ready also. They owe great deal
the sum- and they should pay the debt by glowing
and cleaning and gstening in their most charming
attire preparatory 10 the day when his majesty has
climbed nigh enough TO get good peep at tiem
Every flower IN field woodland and garden is at
this very minute trembling with anxiety ABOUT its
spring c0lOrs, and eXerng itself 70 the utmost, lest
It should be behindhand at the grand floral
opening; then why should not the feminine part
OF the race, the human blossoms look
about them Tor adornment suited TO the season? 1t
isn't the slightest talk OF the proprety OF
the adornment or oil its extravaganza; for q woman
Will have new toilets spring surely the
cuses, and with as good right lar see. To
be sure these spring toilets involve more trouble to
women than 10 crocuses aud hyacinths, but that's
because we're so lar removed from nature that
everything brings trouble, ana the worry may as
well be ABOUT clothes as anything else
But, since the new dress a Oregone conclusion,
little talk about ways and means may be accept
able, and lltttle advice about adaptation, indi-
viduallty, suitableness OF color and material may
save time, trouble ana money. In the first place,
dress, any part thereof That Is neither beautiful
nor useful should be ut once condemned,
without trial. All, wha. q clearing out
OF our wardrODes would this sentence
involve ii carried into rigorous execution!
How the dolls costumes would be replenished and
how the ragmen would groan under their accumu.
lated loads Beautiful aud useful, added Whole
trades would be ruined, and We should Lave a riot
OF starved hustle manufacturers, to say nothing OF
hair importers aud pattern designers, brought to
desperation by our "beauty and usefulness" But,
for all that, dress should be ruled by these two prn
Ciples, ana then beauty would be the chief,
for use Is beauty In the second place, what Is
beautiful for woman Is hideOus for another ana
SO individuality In dress should be accepted before
woman can take the first step toward dressing
well There are q lew women who look well IN
anything, and they always dress WELL matter
OF course. They follow the leading style, whatever
may be, and the result is satisfactory. All other
women follow them, and the result is disastrous
Our impression Is that
AMERICAN WOMEN
have much more taste than they are supposed to
possess. But there is limit their dOlatry
Of fashion and OF 'what they say Is worm" their
taste goes for notning they never develop it.
good results. A woman's dress should agree with
her inward and outward form. with figure and
her thought. Fashion, material, color, all should
subserve the idea and then the tout ensemble
would be, IN some degree at least, harmonious.
One cannot dress well without making dress a
study. But what objection there TO producing
artistic results by means oil material ana color III
drcss' II TINS study were entered into IN the true
Itself 10 woman. As 1t Is, rWaiTy Is so often the
motive power ard slavlsh following the means.
nat il m
Supposlng Inca, that our Crocus is determined TO
sss ef e s sn M g ans p
and has no defects TO cover, no eanness to supple
ment and SO she determines 1s to Se natural and
that OF all things simplicity is most becoming
to orocus and aa IN proportion ss n as
heavy and elaborate dress. With these
IN er she she 0s os ss s
not seer Every, country IN the round world has
contributed 10 dazzle her
1t Is only March; bat the willy merchant knowing
full well the feminine heart, had covered his
counters and packed MS shelves with the most
bewitchIng fabrics. How del cate and suggestive
are Tie new coors Tney hint OF slopns lawns and
crOquet parties and nlrtatlons and anguisn-
ing moonlight and seashore rambles and
mountain delights al tnanttum. The whole sum-
mer with It's infinite possibilities, can be
through those delicate grenadines, and those
plques, white and bun, nave IN every yard long
rosebuds. Then there are the caInorcs and the
percaes Talk about the dowdyness of wrappers
wears fresh camDrlc wrapper, and as 1Or an ugly
woman, why, the less said about her the better.
Tue cambrics are especially fascinating, for they
are both charming and cheap. They have the inde-
scribable charm Of freshness and crIspness, OF
wnicn one never wearies; and, ihen they are sim
Pile, ana when you nave simplicity ana freshness in
o toilet you have little TO ask A French woman
understands this 10 perfection and conrlves 10 look
bright and coquettish what an American would
spend Tor her gloves. Even then the little Parish
enne would be better gloved than our New Yorker
''FREsHNEss AND FITNESS
murmurS CrOcuS, she moves softly about among
the new goods selecting patterns Tor SUITS and rooes
and at last finds nerself among the looms OF LYONS
ponderlng deeply the question Oh american SIX.
The native iaorlc is Of good color. and falls In
graceful iolds with nne effect BY buying IL our
hight summer sllls mat viii be such comfort The
season tnrough. so sne secures bOth fresh
ness ana ntness Tor ner black SIX can be
worn where costly Lyons would not De suitaoe.
and her summer SILK is the perfection of freshness.
She goes among ihe Japanese GOODS, and admlres
the soft, dark texture and wishes she could buy
everything pretty. Apacas ana mohairs she finds
by the quantity, ana al little more expensive than
last year and with an upward tendency SO she
hastens to buy her alpaca SUIT Tor that she Is never
without. In TACT, the little lady never LOOKS more
ladyllke than III that same alpaca neatly fitted and
renewed by fresh linen anu orlgn ribbon
lRe laces and embroderies get their share OF al
tention, and she notices some new and pretty col
lars and ties that sne determines TO initiate with
her own deir fingers she always Guys real lace, anu
uses IL over ana over and over, Till 1t seems part
OF nersell so that with yard or TWO OF ribbon as
blue as tue SKY she Is all ready to manufacture
something altogether fascinating To just under
TOO, CrOcus adores, ana she steals some
new styles Win her ana noDOdy
Is the wlger Now she lnvokes :ne treasures OF the
Inilliners. SHADE OIL Eve what piles OF DOnnets and
hats Who VIII wear the N auY While Crocus asks
tine question hordes OF iair banditti bear down
= upon the relnparts OF straw. SIcn as tney
make trying the stylesl Tney settle the queer new
thing upon tnelr crlmps and braids, give "a little
satslied shrsig, II the effect Is p,qtuu uasu amt
order the trimmings Donna Maria gauze more
likely than not, they choose for
THE LITTLE CuAPEAU
sadly needs ven 10 protect The wearers face from
.he March Winds Tue hats are mostly nlgn, with
SHALLOW Drims, and the trimming follows The con-
tour.
men Crocus goes after her boots she finds an