Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-05-01
THE WORLD OF FASHION.
THE STYLES ron NAY.
Fashion and Eeonomy-Nev Summer
Materials. and che Latest I'm Dolly
Ssrdens," spring Jack cts, aad W hat.
nets.
Fashion cSrrespondenos Of Tke Er,nino Star
NEW YORK, April 20. IS.2
TIE LArER /" OPENINGS

The spring openings OF many of the largest
and most fashionable houses 10 not take place
until April, and the enormous competition
among them renders these exhibitions con
staDtly more eNtravagant and imposing.
French ladies are said to have revived chslleys
and mousselin delaine, two fayorite and mex
pensive materials Of thirty years ago, for the
sake OF economy; but no material ~ allowed 60
represent economy with US. Trimmings and
making bring even alpaca up 90 a cost which
renders IL a luxury, while imported suits OF
challeys, batiste, foulsrd and other materials OF
simple and not at all dressy description. repre-
sent in the tiimsy frilling and furbelowing OF
each one the entire amount OF many q modest
womans outlay for whole season. Who buy
/ the grand costumes Is problem. Material
L suits-that is, wooden and mixed fabrics from
/ nifty TO seventy i've dollars each; linen suit
from fifteen 10 fifty; batiste suits from fifty 20 a
i hundred, and embroidered Saline, pique, aud
| other fancy cotton goods, including the coarse
/ toweling and matted" cloths, now considered
so a Ia mode, and figuring ~ high as batiste-lie
| piled mp in confused heaps upon tables aud
l counters, as If they were not worth a thought:
/ the combination" toilets alone, consisting of
SIX and satin, lace and Grape, having the hands
of lay figure upen which 10 display their spe-
/ cial and varied attractions.
One OF these figures is arranged in a role com
pose OF two shades OF sage green fdils the skirt
| trimmed with flowers, headed with a rich pat
tern Of embroidery executed in two shades OF the
| silk. Train tunic embroidered, and bordered
/ with fringe, POINTED basque, bodice, and coat
sleeves with embroidered MarQuiss cuts. An
i other dress Tor opera wear consists of a train
l skirt OF pale rose colored SD trimmed with
| narrow fiounces of white silk gauze, embroider-
| ed in pretty flower pattern. Long tunic, very
JODfoHt, of white silk striped gauZe, trimmed
| With irayed ruches and kDotted silk fringe.
A charming costume for summer wear Is COM
posed OF a skirt OF pale blue foulard, trimmed
| with graduated hounces of small figured chintz
fouiard, vandyked and edged with narrow black
| and white guipure. "Dolly Warden" polonaise
| of ecrU China grass profusely trimmed with lace
| and insertions of ecTu guipure.
l One effort at simplicity and economy in chal
leys costumes may be illustrated by the following
Robe of white challeys, embroidered with deli
cate pattern Of moss rosebuds and foliage. A
| founce much deeper at the back than in front
ornaments the skirt, the heading being arranged
| in fan.shaped pleatings, lined and piped with
rose colored fdiile. The upper dress consists OF
/ a marguerite tunic, made very full aud caught
l back with fan shapes of fall, set beneath
| and antique sleeves, both trimmed with rich
| white lace. The cost was three hundred and ffty
| dollars.
The prettiest ssDolly Warden costumes con-
| sist of a skirt OF pink blue lawn trimmed with
| graduated founces of chintz organdy cut out in
leaf shapes upon the edge, and finished with
narrow black and white guipure. The polonaise
Il is OF the chntz. and is made in the usual STYLE
l with open bodice and antique sleeves, the
ruffies being edged with black and white lace TO
i match the nounces upon the skirt. Ii should be
l remarked that the tounces upon the skirt are
set somewhat apart, 80 as 10 give tull effect TO
| the flower like disposition OF the design; and il
| may be remarked further, that the edging of
| black and white lace upon the clear, many
cOlOred material with which il il extremely dit
fcult 10 associate trimming of any Kind is sun
| fcienty happy TO seem like an inspiration.
| Dresses of this description made to order cost
| seyonty-fve dollars.
In addition to the "DoIly Warden, polonaise.
and CO >tumes, there are now "DOlly Warden"
l caps head dresses and nee kites, an a new aud
| way petty "Dolly Warden" apron for young
| lad Is and misses, which forms a simple. yet
/ stylish. little oyerskirt, with bodice. exactly
| adapted 10 summer country wear. Made ~
they are sold from two 10 seven dollars each a
| the furnishing stores.
NKw SUMNER FABHTcs.
IL Is many years since we have had 10 record
so many novelties in material as are DISPLAYED
at present. India goo'is, which have ALWAYS had
certain ITeSttge, more on account OF their au-
tQuty, than their novelty, have sudds niy
blOssCmed into an airy freshness. and an attempt
at modern jauntiness, which seems a. much out
of place as the grSces and affections OF girl 81
the period would be in a grim aud ancient
maiden of the severest last century tyre. As a
rival to the Baden Baden tOwelling, we have
rough, unbleached "BamboO Cloth,n at sixty
five cents per yard; but only eighteen inches
wide. Then We have India grenadines which
are really beautiful, and India Seersucker, made
of silk, and backstriped white and blue, and
tLirty-six inches wide, for two dollars and
seventy five cents; India Pongee ecra in
tint, and. twenty-five inches wide, for one
dollar and twenty-five cents per yard; ana
Chinese silk, in stripes, twenty-five inches wide,
for one dollar and seventy-five cents per ward.
Then there is the French bdtis.e, which only a
H..
months ago, but which now suddenly floods the
market; lovely summer silks, called draWrs fou-
idrds, which made their first appearance here
last year. but are only Just beginning TO be re-
cogniZed; charming new things in striped gauze,
and grenadines for the b0Hgdht TUNES, which
are so fashionable for evening wear; China
grass for travelling dresses, and quite new
serge foulards, which are very good aud season
able wear for the present month, and can after
wards be used Tor occasions during the summer.
In the midst of so much yariety-fOr we have
m a ISM nan mic
line hair striped summer silks, the rapidly-in-
creasing family of japanese silks and pOplins
nor yet the later mousseln de iaine, the chal-
lies, the mohairs, and 20 on ad ia fnitstm-the
mixture of old and new increasing difficulties OF
making selection by the average lady who has
only choice of perhaps two or three dresses u
decision.
In such cases it is best not to be deluded into
purchase Of any of the fast" materials denom-
mated "stylIsh," the towelings, and such.
Fineness ana neatness outwear STYLE" At least
the modern imitation of it which passes current
with the majority.
Nothing prettier for spring and summer morn
ing costumes can be devised than the light
materials brdde, i'm delicate shades of grey, stone
and brown. They are made with one deep
hounce, or two or three graduated width, gath
cred and ornamented with a handsome braid
pattern, which forms both border and a head
ing. The round tunic, with cape, Is braided TO
match. and II the material is wooden is finished
with fringe; il cotton, or linen, with the new
guipure in a shade 10 match the dress. The
effect is very good, however, without either lace
or fringe. The cost is from twenty to fifty dol
lars the complete suit, according TO material and
finish.
THE "wATTEAu" COSTUME.
French modistes use the the term Vatican TO
designate the " Dolly Warden" the pretty
daughter OF the English locksmith having no
special interest for them, and representing only
the long, peaked-waist, Powered, bunched-up
skirt and straight sleeves, with ruffies I'm which
Wattedu loves to paint hie horid beauties. The
common meaning which we attach 70 the
Vatican" however, Is simply that OF broad
plAit, laid in the back Of garment, and which
distinctly characterizes il Is {. Vatican" cape,
a"Watteau" sac, a"Watteau" wrapper or a
" Vatican" polonaise. This plat flowing
loosely from the shoulders, or the neck, down
the back, gives Q nee5tge appearance, and
was, at first, mainly confined to morning
wrappers, but with the singular lunscy OF
adopting q certain style 70 everything,
whether appropriate or not. which l.
characteristic Of what we call fashion, the
"Watteau" plat has been made to do duty upon
all serts Of garments, I'm all sorts of moferials.
upon all sorts Of figures, until 1t has become
simply an excrescence which one-haf the vo-
men wear because the other halt do, but which
has no meaning or Significance whatsoever. To
any but very slender figures "Wstteauo d.
- t. n. n