Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-08-08
SUMMER FASHIONS.
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.
SARATOGA. July %.

SARATOGA, July rs.
The Saratoga of to-day is as unlike
as possible the Saratoga of fifteen years
ago, and to the superficial observer the
change is not an Improvement.
AS n spectacle it is much less bril-
liant, and persons who come as they
would go TO a menagerie-justt to see
the show-are apt to go away grum
blingly and thinking they have not got
their moneys worth.
The truth is, Saratoga, from social
and fashionable point of view, has be-
come more sensible and independent
than formerly it no longer adheres to
the traditions it does very much as 1T
pleases, and it is rather amusing to see
fashionable women who profess to hold
''womens rights in such bitter con-
tempt taking advantage of the public
opinion which its upholders have ere
ated to release themselves from E.any
forms of social bondage. In the old
times five trunks Of immense size We're
necessity, and ten not unusual for
any lady who proposed passing SIX
weeks at this super-fashiOnabic resort.
Then full dress dinners were the vogue.
and those who remember the corp II
1eH OF the old United States Hotel at
the fub1c dhofc, viii sympathise some
what with Mr.. Marion (the present
owner, or lessee to revive the glOries
of the four O'Clock "dress" dinner,
when his magnificent structure, The
new United States, is completed.
But Mr.. Marion will make a mistake.
We cannot bring back the past. The
present is ours to do orr best with,
but we can no more recall the past than
we can anticipate the future. The past
belonged to those who had it in posses
sion. The future will belong to those
who come afterus We have the present.
And the present is-welI, mixed. It
! has not the distinctive features OF its
own which belonged to much more
crude and imperfect age, and it has
| not vet reached, from any aesthetic
point of view. the definite future after
| which it is IlnconsciOusly striving. 70
use musical figure it has got beyond
| the simpler notes Of the scale bnt it
has not reached the symphonies in
| forms or color, or sense, or taste, or
sound.
Excepting the merely external of
tOilettes, the grouping and masslng of
color, Saratoga is more attractive and
much less enjoyable than ever. There
is a virtue in the air such as Is not
found elsewhere. There Is perfect
freedom III dressing. ladies wearing
Just what they please throughout the
day, or rather whatever they hnd best
adapted to their tastes and pursuits.
There are two or three distinctive
styles III fashion represented: what
may DE called the traditional stylt, the
Paris stvlp. and the American stvie
BHt 10 call the ordinary, utllitarlau,
independent Innit OF dress, fashion
would he - n1s"ol4sr. 1t Is the cor
relative 81 fashion, bH6 moi '"&hi"n
itself
The tfadltioiiai stEi", as ! maze
termed II, IS seen dinbHT fh" cuban
ladies more r..TtlclI .riy and other OK
tr@ne Southern representatives Of y
past "rt5tocr"cT. a.. Sti'l wear hoops,
much reduced IL aiz". bat still ewing
AN nnmistai,ai,ie tliiness to the Dire &.
Their uver-sl1lrtl are short and l'unchy,
their basque deep. their sleeves wife,
Their color. tiGl, ti!elr trans long aad
wide; and though they hav" breakfast
tOlletteS, aud elaborate Gunner toll
cites, and evening tDliette", yet they
have none Of tlIa useful Walking :pil
cites which The modern American w0-
man wears the whole ;lay long.
The Paris STYLE is also somewhat be-
hind the aoe-at least til. Paris Styles
which are sent 10 America. Either tie
French ,!rvssmahcrs 10 Tot know any
better or they cannot grs over the idr:
that we. are oulv one remove from bar
barians and delight III ride forms and
crude ornaments. French STYLES INST
arrived from Paris Still exhibit panierS
which the graceful cxponcnts of
true American taste entirely ignore. or
rather. have got past long ago. THESE
truest REPRESENTATIVES. OF the incoming
future Of dress are for the most part
Young, stylish scions of good American
families, who's" natural aptitude has
been qulckcned hy travel and cu'tlya
ton, and who now only lack III" lnsp1-
ration OF genus, or ideas. to give us
as perfect harm"nies III dress as the
great masters have given III music.
The new tints and standings are a step
in the right difec' ION, but we need ar
fists, both men and women, capable OF
adapting them and tracing Their cor
fes '.,
no 1itiiei ,1,''I a. '' - az
la',tII,,ni =, aaiar JrIa ,'I-;tt - III
l, 4
a. ,,,rIa. 4,i,;1;na, "a. ,alon,to,r.
,';;l 1,,.i ~
~ f"+s'.t tsaoa - ', ta,i,,, ,..i'' ny
;e.I - ,.a+l,ar I<,,<r III, a,,4 ;,aIll+
fnr,,, r,,itI' - fr.isn -. ,,ia-,+in,r i,'o+eaI
nf - .olIar wL;cl, 10 H. OH ~. low, a Wv
cordinr to length of neck. Coat
sleeves. and hair combed straicht I'D
from the naive of the neck and az
RANGED IN two sombre plaats mon the
ton of the head with only y side curl
or u light fringe of hair over the fore
head make M n fo,f rDscj,,Llr almost
conventional IN its strictness
~, II,
49,. pi1 n,Leaf''oai 1 - 81 f,,6 u,eher' pt
ti,a r;,,,o,;as +bo ra1s ana @,roonso,,I
IL IL - IL - ~l .i' CIV
ot'iee ,'ii'' oiio liio,'ei II "oniah
ol l"1iii"il nus ioI NS. SloSii mo we
Hyl'li'ro,I. ch VI 1 III i II[
in'" '' i1ai, 1 ''d.n 1 L al'l'n n,'h 1
u:b,ta which aro aac;lt noade TO aocorJ
.n,7 Il, NOT nffana her sti1 rndaraln,,aJ
sense Of fitness and harmony