Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-05
SEPTEMBER FASHIONS.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.
SARATOGA, 1918.

he continent OF Europe, but nOperceptl |
lble atom of it has yet found its way |
pack to New York. The great business
houses are as blank of customers as if |
hey had suddenly been infested by |
'he plague, or petritied by volcanic |
eruption The clerks stand behind |
;he counters yawning, the goods lay |
untouched upon the shelves If some |
benighted woman, stranger from the !
or an early arrival. does find |
her way into their desolate immensely,
she shrinks back appalled, at her own
and at the excitement-great
rs the appearance of the first white
in a new Settlement-whichh her
presence creates.
Only in one or two of the largest and
NEST important houses Is there An
evidence of the approach of Autumn
in fabric or costume, and this consists
principally of the temperance of
English serge. waterproof cloth and
other standard materials which come
under the denomination of useful, and
are not materially affected by fashion.
The greater part of the goods on exhi-
bition are Summer silks, spotted foul
ards. India silks and grapes, grena-
dimes, linens and batistes, which have
q fade and forlorn look in the cool
brightness of our late August weather,
which has seemed much more like
THE FALL SEASON.
Notwithstanding this apparent dull
ness, however, prosperous Fall
season is anticipated, and great are the
preparations for business and pleasure
which are being made by those whose
lot 1T Is to cater to the wants and the
whlms of the capricious public
Twenty-Five places of amusement, III
Guiding two real first class Opera com
panies, ought to provide relief for the
over-active brain and plethoric pocket
books of busy and brilliant New York;
and if this is not sufficient, there are
the Churches with their attractions,
and the Thousand and one forms of
social life, enjoyment and activity.
The only drawback to this roseate
picture is a habit we have of discount
ing the future to such an extent as to
leave no margin for emergencies, and
we are therefore always being Disagree
ably brought up on a short turn by an
unlocked for event, which thus takes
the form of a calamity. Half our rich
men on the prospective value of prop
erty, which the building or not build
ing of railroad. the falling off or in
creasing ofpopulation in certain neigh
bOrhOods, even the putting mp of n
tenement house or the opening of n
pork store, may seriously and detri-
mentally affect and who are, therefore,
like ''Jack" i'll Il box, either mp with Il
spring or down with jerk, are not to
be depended upon for even SO long as
a fashionable Season.
There is the consolation to outsiders
hOwever-whO only see the shOw-that
their places are soon occupied. and
that it matters little who take the parts
III the farce so long as it is played.
CONVERSATIONS.
Year by year the fashionable world
that is, the world who own and
occupy the great brown stone
houses on the fashionable avenues
| and particularly the world that
lives in hotels and boarding houses
| remain away from them more and
| more, longer and still longer, until
their actual living in them is limited
| to less than six months in the year.
This is perhap' only natural. The
women of this class have no occupa-
ton, not even taking care of their own
| clothes. They have no houSewifelv
| anxieties, no trunks of clothing to
| overhaul to see what will do. and what
will have to be made over, and what
will require replenlshing. They have
no close calculations to make in regard
to the possibility of new curtains. no
concealments to make for faded furni-
ture and worn carpets; no important
| decision to arrive at as to which Nom
, Der of the family shall have the now
best dress this year, which the new
furs, or which the new street snit. All
these points are adjusted or adjust
themselves where ''mOney is no OBJ
ject, but To others. the vast multitude
of "limited income, they form great
part of the work of life, and the
breathing space afforded by the still
! long days, after the brief holiday, and
before the crush" begins, is gratefully
taken advantage of by hundreds OF
thirsty mistresses of modest houses,
as golden opportunity not to be lost
on any account.
These constitute the early arrivals
from a two mOnths-more or less
of sojourn in some rural homestead,
or inland summer resort: and if it is
the boys "second" summer and there
is danger to it in a too early return to
the close atmosphere of the town, so
much the better; the husband and
wife left together get acquainted over
again, renew the cOmpaniOnShip of
their early married life, and the
mother has chance to gather up her
forces and prepare for the exercise of
those womanly virtues of which the
world makes little account. but of
which it stands so much in Iced.
SENSIBLE" FASHIONS.
There is curious impression about
that all ungraceful and unbecoming
fashions are 60 sensible;'' at any rate
they are called so: and to dress sensi-
blyIis therefore with many Synonymous
with dressing in n manner rcp1lgnant
to their feelings as well as their tastes.
For example, shoulder straps are to
some as great an annoyance as cOrSets
Holding the most delicate part of the
body as in vice, forcing upon it the
whole weight of underclothing, they
become most disagreeable and painful;
and wear upon the nerves as well as
the flesh in way that is neither
healthful nor pleasurable; yet because
they shift the weight to another part
of the body, part not nearly SO well
able to bear. it as the hips, they are
universally called sensible"
Those fashions are sensible which
are best adapted to their purpose; and
the way to remedy an undue weight
upon the hips, is to reduce the advoir-
dupois of the clothing, not remove it
to the shoulders. which among Ameri-
can women are i'll able to bear an adj
ditional burden.
At present, however, there is no ne
cessity for any sensible woman to be
burdened or troubled with clothing.
The dress of women to-day is rs well
adapted to their needs-if they choose
to make it sO-as it is ever likely to
be; and if they indulge in extrava-
gancies or conform to absurdities, it is
their own fault. Who wants a more
convenient dress than walking skirt
and pOlonaise belted in and finished
with little necktie at the throat ?
This is as practicable-with the ex-
ception of the difference between