Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-01
THE WORLD OF FASHION
[F'ashion correspondence Of The Erening .Stor.l
NEW YORK, April 80, 1873.

NEW YORK, April 80, 1873.
| EASTER FLOWERS.
Faster in the churches has become a show,
spectacle which people 60 to see inst as they
| did the Black Crook, or procession on inau-
| guration day. The pillars are wreathed with
| green, the fonts and affairs are decorated with
white and crimson flowers, emblematic of the
passion and the pain, the purity and the re-
deeming love, which saved-or tried to save
| mankind. But redeeming love expressed
through the raptnrous and agonizing tones OF
the great organs through the bird-like notas of
| the three thousand dollar cantatrice, or the
measured cadences of the ten thousand dollar
| preacher, stands no chance against spring mil
| hhery or the latest style OF polonaise. Was the
suffering and the death agony well expended
| upon tie volatile crowd? These gayly tripping
| Young women who are busy scanning their
nelghbor's attire, and these cTavatted young
| men, who tidget and seem so desperately uneasy
| in their own? Is there anything to save worth
mentioning? or nything to kin in them worth
heart of flame and the starry fragrant crown.
| mean to them only just what they cost at the
| florists. They read in them no hidden lessons,
| no anguish made divine by its sacrificial char
acter, obtain from them no inspiration to a
| purer, nobler life; how should they when they
are occupied in solving the mysteries of the
fashionable Mrs. Turnouts drapery or calcu-
| lating the cost of the lace upon her bonnet? Is
there 10 new dispensation by which people can
be saved from their folly instead Of from its
consequences?
EASTER FESTIVITIES.
Easter gayeties have expended themselves
principally upon eggs and flowers. The con-
oolored eggs and little eggs laid in straw in
fancy baskets, tied with colOred ribbons; but
they also every year increase their prices until
prise Faster morning with these upwapnteS nro-
ductiOns of the bar1-yard. Moreover, the sim
| pie COlOred eggs have lost caste-''surprise"
eggs, containing more or less costly Easter
| presents, have superseded them, and even chill
dren have learned TO look for something in their
Easter eggs besides the yOlk.
Entertainments have been plentiful, but they
have been of the fashiOnably phianthropic
kInd-subscription readings and musicales, pri-
vate theatricals for charitable purposes, and
| other things by which men and women borrow
| the livery of the devil to serve heaven in.
| novel exception, however, TO the business
| character of the Easter enterprises, occurred
| last week, and was the brilliant idea OF fash
lonable lady. This was gathering of Tenny
| sons Rose bud garden OF Grls;'' in other
words, dinner-paTty confined to young ladies
who have made their debut in society during
the past winter and the admirable CrichtOns
invited to meet them. IL was STYLED the Rose
bud party, and created great excitement in
fashionable circles. All the gentlemen wore
rose-buds in their button holes, and the floral
decorations OF the house were roses with buds
exclusively, of every kind and color. A superb
boquetM was presented to each young lady. cor
responding with the garniture OF her dress
which consisted of garlands Or boquetS of trail
ing rose buds, moss roses, wild roses, tea roses
white roses, Malmaison roses, and many others
"A lovely uTeS> OF W1ite crepe over white silk
was gathered with long-ste mined English rose
buds of various colors fresh and natural. The
tOllettes were OF course exquisite. One consisted
of plain blue faille, covered with waves of tulle
surmOunted with tunic of priceless lace
mounted with heXible-stemmed tea roses
Another was tiOunced and embroidered grena-
dine over white satin, the over-dress Topped
with side sash of white satin. richly frinced
and ornamented with blush roses. 1t will be
curious TO note how many marriages and how
many divorces will grow out Of this rosebud
arty.
EASTER OPENINGS.
The important openings of the season now
take place in April, either at the close OF Lent
or the beginning of Easter. Displays of milIi-
merry are sometimes made a week or two pre-
yiOus, as there is additional desire to wear new
bOnnets upon Easter Sunday; but bOnnets--or
hats, for there is only the difference of a name
between them-are now but a secondary con-
sideraton; the costume is the main thing, ami
until this is decided upon it is difficult to select
the minor articles.
Many OF the large houses have now three dis
tinct rooms, only one of which even on OPEN
ing DAYS. s free to the general public The
ones, and the third by known customers and
those who are specially invited. The first or
large showroom contains what may be termed
general styles for in and outdoor wear, walk
ing dresses, morning dresses, suits and cos
TUNES OF average material and quality. The
second contains special designs in costumes,
dinner-dresses, and the like; embroidered
dresses, which require to be kept partially COW
ered and must upon no account be touched; for
though edo not handle" is placarded upon every
dress in the public exhibition room, vet almost
every woman will touch in spite Of the prohihi-
ton; and delicate colors and textures suffer in
same proportion as the nerves of a touchy
President after days Misunderstanding. From
the third or inner sanction sanctorum the day-
light Is excluded, and mnumerable gas-jets
light up brilliantly, lay figures arrayed in the
costlest and most beautiful evening robes, each
one perfect in every detail. Out of the whole
collection no two will be found alike: all are
distinctly and distinctiyely different; and when
ON il No atb Il lral.
the same design. The prices of these dresses
vary from three hundred and fifty to one thou
sand dollars: and when one considers the diff
Guilty OF getting up exclusive designs, and the
amount of costly lace and other material u,.T.
the cost seems moderate.
NEWEST ToILETTEs.
For the benefit of nv readers will try TO re-
call some OF the freshest of the designs RECENTLY
exhibited. And first it must be promised that
all the newest and prettiest costumes, jackets
polonaises and NANTES, are trimmed the entire
length of the back. Nantes simulate yarions
kinds OF hoods, and are ornamented with lace
III splrals, rich passementeries, watered ribbon,
in loops and ends and massive cords festooned
and finished with handsome tasses.
Beautiful costumes of unbleached batiste have
broad embroidered bands down the back and
front OF the polonaise, the lower edge being fin
ished with linen lace or fringe. The founced
skirt Is headed with narrow embroidered bands
Three narrow OF graduated tiounces are now
more fashionable than one deep one, where a
polonalse or an upper skirt is used, and these
are gathered or side pleated. Very novel morn
ing costumes are composed of foulard and ba-
tiste. The foulard is dark blue, spotted with
white, and forms polonaise, which is orna-
mented with a broad band Of batiste down the
back, buttOned ever with immense buttons
covered with batiste, but embroidered in the
centres with the blue and eau of the foulard
and batste. The skirt is of batiste, kilt pleated
down the entire front, and finished at the back
with deep side-pleatlng, headed with an en-
broidered band Of batiste matching the Duttons
The cuffs, rolling collar and pockets Of the pO-
lonaise are composed of batste, ornamented
with buttons only. 1t is only multiplying words
without use to attempt description Of the
complicated dinner and evening toilets
as no one ever tries to make such a dress
for themselves, or would succeed if they did.
1t requires an experienced artistic to decide be-
tween bouillonces and ruches and pleatings, to
arrange the drapery, the pouf, and the side
sashes, to make run or a fraise that will look
as If cut from picture, and combine the colors
and shakes In q manner as daring and original
as the styles of the period warrant. Moreover
it requires mans recklessness to cut up costly
material at the rate required; no woman ever
did 1t OF her own free will; it would break her
heart. must, however, mention one dress OF
very rich black gros grain, which was pleated
all the way down, and spread out into q long
pompadour, fan-shaped train. Over the front