Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-10-01
THE WORLD OF FASHION,
STYLES FOR OCTOBER.

/ NEW 1OtShs ocpNcinOtf %. 1910
With the first of October the season IN New
| York may be said to begin. BY this time the
residents have most OF them returned to their
| homes, birds of passage have secured rooms in
boarding-ho house or hotels, the vast multitude OF
| schools and colleges" everything is n college
now a-days, just as every singing school teacher
Us professor are in full operation, theatres
| are all open, even the first notes of opera have
| been struck. and last, but not least, the new
| TO lead the others, been recognized by the an
| mistakable voice Of popular approval. Not
| outstanding some squslly symptoms, the pros
| poets of pleasant and prosperous winter are
| very general Commercially and socially, peo-
pie are trying to adapt themselves to new con-
ditons and though it takes time TO retrieve mis-
takes and widen ones outlook, yet it will be
| done no doubt.
PARIS FASHIONS AND AMERICAN IDEAS.
| There Is a conflict between Paris fashions-or
rather the Partisan impression of what America
wants in the way of fashion-and American
ideas. The cultivated young American woman
| is probably the best embodiment OF taste and
style to be found in the civilized world, not that
she is perfection in this respect, but her quick
| Intelligence enables her to readily appreciate
| whatever is fine; and the greater liberty she en-
Joys, to work IL out into results. Thus there Is
an idea rather than a sentiment in her dress,
| an evidence of thought struggling into being
rather than the perfected growth Of capri
cious fancy. This Intellectual assertion gene
rally finds itself at war with the fantasies OF
| French milliners, which have no bias but a
rooted belief in the American love of whatever
| is startling and sensational, without regard 10
cost. Last spring and summer some of the
young fashion leaders Of American society
| nous hustle, and adopted a straight and almost
classical costume, which was wonderfully effec-
| tive in contrast with the regular overturned
dress which had preceded IL. This went %
Paris and has returned within a few weeks as
Worth's latest style. But in the meantime,
quantities of fall costumes, coats, jackets and
other outside garments have been received, all
of which are Arranged for the big hustle, the
overskirt and other antedeluyianisms. We
shall, therefore, have "fashion" throughout the
rfvRfn of al.n
shall have practical and classical American
fashions and modern "French" fashions, which
have become such a confused heap of vagsries,
that they involuntsrily suggest that "whom
| the gods wish TO destroy they first make mad
FASHIONS IN FABRICS.
For the present fashions in fabrics we have
every reason TO be thankful, they are good and
sensible. For the street salf-c0lored wooIeu~
| are the vogue-Camels' hair cloth plain AMI
tufted) ranking first, serges or "diagonals''
next, AID then all wool reps, Empress cloths,
English waterproof and the like. Fine soft
woOlens such as cashmeres, French merinos and
twilled fannels, are in great demand for indoor
dresses and for chidren's wear, but for a
thoroughly serviceable dress, which can be
worn at home and abroad, cleaned and worn
again, there is nothing like a good alpaca; and
though fashion is III favor of fabrics without
gloss or stiffness, yet its inherent excellence
gives pure mohair alpaca a standard position
which mere fashion cannot effect. This is, of
course, still more true of black silk. Half the
women in America look upon the acquisition of
black silk dress as the ultimate of their ambi-
One L knew, succeeded after years OF
anticipation in obtaining the silk, but could
never make up her mind 10 have it made up
She died with IL folded in her trunk, consoling
herself that it would do for her dau ghter, who
doubtless found it powerful mitigation Of her
| grief.
who, whatever they have, must always have
one good, black silk dress and who are apt TO be
| preJudiced in favor OF a "heavy' silk. TO these
| wish TO state single fact, which is that these
neavy corded silks which look 50 substan
| are apt TO be strongly charged with sugar; AMI
If they are not, they do not last so long look
well, as a pure silk of lighter make, because
| they Grub" against everything with which they
come in contact and acquire greasy appear
ance.
The modern heavy failles and gros grains do
not wear so long or so well the old fashioned
smooth taffetas and giace sill ks, but then mod
ern fashion does not require that silks should last
| long. Durability is a fault rather than virtue
| One of the best modern fabrics for wear is the
all wool Saline, mot the cotton mixture, but it
is under cloud with all glossy fabrics, and can,
therefore, be bought at reduced prices. 1t APP
pears, however, in all the fine dark cloth hades,
| makes handsome and serviceable winter-dress,
| and can be heartily recommended to ladies who
| subordinate fashion to use.
Upon all fine figured goOds-silks and others
merchants have lost so heavily the last few
| years that they Will be very cautious how they
touch them in future. A few narrow, broken,
black and white stripes for polonaises are in the
| market, and quiet jasper silks, which are much
used by elderly ladies and for housekeepers: but
otherwise there are are the darkest cloth. coors
| only for the street and visiting wear, and the
same light colors-of rather deeper tints-for
| evening wear, that were used last season.
One new evening color may be mentioned
| which Is called aquarium" color, because it i
| the color of the dirty water in an aquarium. 1t
| lights up effectively, however, and trims well
| with black lace. Oar grandmothers would have
| called it "whitey- brown"
Scotch plaids are not used at all, excepting
for Scotch costumes for boys.
AUTUMN HATS AND BONNETs.
The new fall and winter styles show a great
| and daring change in hats and boanets, the APP
proaehes TO which have been so gradual that
| we only realize what has been accomplished BIZ
| comparing il with the past. Within fifteen
years the bonnet has passed through all the
gTadations from coai-scuttle to saucer, aud re-
| Gently retired into comparative insignitcance
| overwhelmed by the superior prettiness and
coqueuy of the hat. From this obscuIity il
| energies this winter into something absolutely
/ startling. A compromise has been effected be
| tween the hat and the bonnet, which gives Us a
| somewhat bold but highly successful result.
/ There are no old women in France or in fash
| ion; therefore, the old ladies, as usual, are un-
provided for. These, and ordinary women of
limited incomes, who cannot afford toilettes to
| correspond with the new "Dauphine" and "Di-
| rectoire" bonnets, must be content with such
| insignifcance as we have had, and think them
selves happy to escape notice.
| Both the "Dauphine" and "Drectore" have
| straight, somewhat high, and what would be
| called Oxford crowns; but the brm of the first
Is set up and stands out all round something
/ like the Rubens, while the brim of the latter Is
/ broader, dropping on the sides to the ears and
| only flares up from the front. which is faced
with band Of feathers, ruche Of lace, or q
| wreath of flowers.
| The only material used for elegant winter
bonnets is plain Lyons velvet of the best quail
ity The trimming is mainly turquoise silk and
feathers, or branches of fruit grapes or berries
in their natural leaves All the ornaments, ma
terials and accessories are of the very richest
description, and they are used with profusion
i and lavish display of color which would be vul-
/ gar in the extreme If tlnts were less daintily
chosen and less admirably harmonized. count
ed twenty different shades of colors in the
| feathers upon one bonnet, yet the blending was
| so perfect that there was nothing outrs In the
| effect. A beautiful black velvet of the Dau-
phine shape, trimmed with twisted torsaie of
frou-frou (pinkish salmon) turquoise silk three
| shaded ostrich plumes, (pink, strawberry and
mulberry,) fastened with q cut steel and black
| enamel buckle, and three roses Of colors match
ing the plumee set on the inside of the brim. In
| contrast was q charming reception bonnet a
| pale blue, ornamented only with ostrich plumes
l In their natural colors, and very large buckle
| Of mother-of- pearl, fastening a graceful ar
l rangement OF the velvet behind.
The sage green's, the olive browns and green's
| the bronze colors, mulberry and dark blue are
the colors most in vogue, combined In the trim
L minQs with the liQhteet. BRIGHTEST rnosf on