Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-30
DECEMBER FASHIONS.
Panic Prices, Empty Purses, and
Stylish Simplicity-The End
of Extravaganza.


POIOnaises-The New Fisher Fur
Black Fox for MatrOns and silver
Fox for Maidens-TeiIeftes for Re.
cePtiOns, Etc.
Correspondence of the Union and American.
NEW YORK, Nov. 27.-The effect of
the financial crash, of which people
thought and spoke so lightly a month
ago, is now being felt In some degree
in almost every home circle. 1t is pos
itively the fashion among rich people to
say 81 am so poor this winter" and the
Flora MacFlimseys make public boast
of their empty wardrobes. Reckless
extravaganza is at an end for the pres
emf, it may be forever, and the women
of most substantial families are prac-
ticing economy, retrenching not only
in luxurfes, but in what they had hit6-
erto thought necessities, anxious
| ly watching when and how the light
ming will strike their husbands or
fathers. To meet this state of affairs
reduction of prices is the order of the
day at all the stores from Stewards
and Clafin's down to the smallest shop,
and In response women bewail that
they have so little money when goods
are so cheap. And it is a trial that
purses should be empty when French
merinos are selling at fifty cents a
yard, cashmere at one dollar, empress
cloths at 374 cents, and lovely prints at
nine or ten cents yard. Materfamil-
las thinks it all over with a sigh, alb
stemiously turns her back on such en-
ticing bargains, investigates last win
ter's wardrobe and addresses herself to
the task of making old clothes look
"'AIaist as weel as new"
STREET COSTUMES.
One self-evident fact, which may or
may not be the result Of the hard times,
is that simplicity has become stylish
and plainness is considered the perfec-
ton of street dress. Ladies Of taste
no longer appear upon the promenade
arrayed in fiounces and furbelows ap-
propriate for full dress occasions, but
have at once adopted the short clinging
skirts and long, simply-shaped over
dress sent over from Paris. As
a model for tasteful suits,
take one that appears and reappears on
Fifth avenue. 1t is composed of CAM
els hair and silk of dark almost in
variably) leaf brown. The silk skirt
narrow, round, and Just escaping the
ground, Is trimmed with two rows of
side pleating placed quite apart, each
headed by a corded bias band. The
polonaise Of camel's hair Of the same
shade is almost as long as the dress
skirt, hangs squarely and smoothly
without wrinkle on sides or front, and
is draped far back in a voluminous and
indescribable manner. The pockets
have flaps and are placed behind, ac-
cording to the newest fancy. The Eng
fish collar, tiny cuffs Of the tight
sleeves, and the facing on the edge are
of brown silk, and the buttons down
the front are of smoked pearl almost as
handsome as opals, prettily carved and
not vulgarly large, as was lately the
fashion. A brown felt Directoire hat
with curling plumes and deep red
rose worn with admirable chic far back
on the head, complete this appropriate
costume. A novelty this winter con-
sists in mixing materials in such way
that it is difficult to decide of which the
costume is really made. For instance,
a silk skirt is almost covered with pleat-
ings of silk headed by folds of
camel's hair, or else bands of cam
els hair corded with silk; a
polonaise of cancels hair accompanies
this, or the polOnalse may be replaced
by an Overskirt and Jacket ornament
ed with revers and rufus of silk Paris
ian costume of contrasting colors is
worn by the bewitching prima donna
Lucca. 1t is of dark plum colored silk
and light grey camels hair. The silk
skirt is trimmed with two scant wide
gathered founces, each edged with a
narrow ruffie. The cancels hair overskirt
is open at the back, one side hanging
straight and square while the other is
very gracefully draped; around this is
a two inch border of plum silk. The
wrap is an English walking jacket of
camels hair neatly finished with a silk
band. A jaunty French fur hat with
low square crown and dropping brim
caught upon one side, is trimmed with
a broad fold of plum silk drawn through
plain steel hoops, while two grey ostrich
tips fall from the right side over the
crown. The lingerie now worn with
street costumes is plain linen in Eng
lish styles rather than the elaborate
ruff which is preferred for full dress.
For ladies whose means Will permit
them lavish indulgence,ve velvet and camels
hair are combined for carriage and Wis
iting toilettes. Entire suits of velvet
trimmed with fur are also objects of
desire with fashionable matrons.
Fur trimming will also be used on
cloth costumes and is indeed appro-
pirate for all dressy mid-winter suits.
For the million, whose purses will not
buy these costly habits, there are all wool
serges, cashmeres de bege, limitations of
vivogne, and merinos in all the dark
stylish colors. These make very neat
and pretty suits, but it must be remem-
bered that they are not to be trimmed
as rich silks are, forwhen they are laden
with garniture the effect is tawdy and
the garment too heavy for comfort.
The choice Of the season in such suits
is dark blue serge made with two or
three folds on the skirt and long po-
lonaise untrimmed and clnging to the
figure.
INDEPENDENT POLONAISES.
Polonaises or redingotes for really
there is little difference between them
since they are now both made tight fit
ting) are provided for winter in heavy
cloth such as waterproof and light
qualities of Irish freize they are so con-
veniently made and comfortably look
ing that they have become popular and
are universally adopted for morning
shopping.
DOLMANS.
Seal skin sacques viii probably be
the most fashionable winter cloaks, but
do not infer from this that the graceful
stylish dolman has lost its prestige.
For the cold clustering days of Deem
Der long ample dolmans made Of heavy
diagonal cloths bordered with fur will
be comfortable and elegant, Velvet