New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-21
THE FASHIONS.
APPROACHING SPRING.

MEDIC sTYLEs-TENRI TRoIs BAsQUE-PAsTI-
IONS OF THE FrRsr NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
CAMBRICs AND PERcALEs--NEw JBwELRY-TTE
CorPFURE. I....I.t
IL IL rather odd, and perhaps ont of place,
that Spring fashions and goods should come In dur
ing the Lenten fast particularly when praying
10 bo delivered from temptation, notifying the
hash, and undergoing rigid schdenial. and cutyating
Christian eraces Even st. Simeon Stylites would have
been tempted 10 a forgetfuness OF the last command
men II he conld have peeped from his pillar 10 cubits
high al the exquisite things promised for early
Spring IL Ia 70 simple thing 20 morty the flesh nj
the table but, an, how say ." we have followed
too much the devices AMI desires OF hearts," with
proper uncou, when the Irislike hines conseerated
to the goddess % Spring arc floating through ones
mind and laces and muslins, fresb-tinted and
gossamer, come thronging TO need. The
colors dainty and fresh, with q toning down
OF all glazing tinis while the different shades OF
color will still predominant. In violet. Ind
derful inerminging OF shades, ranging the deep
Tyran ROYAL purple to the paest that frames
pansy. All loud contrasts especially avoided There
tnts making think OF Sheey's dissolved
opal" where soft blue shades into The faintest green
aud pale amber into dazzling SHOWS, and the delicate
pink OF coneh sha crcaminess OF the
tea-rose. For earlier Spring days come the familiar
faces Of the browns These called mahogany brown,
and represented therein a shades every imaginable
tint II found from the richest and darkest TO the deli
cate tcru In grays there 60 shades, or this
family ia the blue slate, chen gray, fainter TINT called
Suede the yellow gray OF the castor glove and the pure
READ without intermixture Of other shades cool
looking ana silyery. In coco laA reddish gray,
there Is nts to be found This very fashionable
10 gloves.
In the making mp OF costumes three shades OF color
will he very fashionable again. Black Will be extern
sively introduced, for instance black skirt, over
which VIII be oyerdress Of some pretty coored
fabric The for rich passementeries ID on the in
crease all black passementeries thickly studded
and beaded with Jet, and sell at fabuons prices.
Fringes and gall0ons glitter with jet, and used
without stint upon dresses well outside garments.
The poonase st trumphs and ts continued success ia
owing to it, economy, Its beauty, and its usefulness
We are, however threatened with innovation in tho
way OF quaint coat "swaOw-tnll basque" as it 10
called by the modlstes. This resembles In the vest
which it is wOrn and in its shape, the dresscOat OF
gentlemen; IL ia both single and double-breased, fas-
tened by single button and the vest after being but
toned has double points An imported model lately
hotcd in this STYLE the entire dress Of black silk
and literally covered with jet gaoon And so, between
Dolonaises, redingotes and swaowtail basques,
strong rivalry will exist. 1t is needless 10 express as
constituent at the extrayagsn prices which oil fashion
able dressmakers charge for toilets when consider
the elaboration and enormous quantity Of work upon
them.
Among the inexpensive fabrics for Spring wear.
find old friends resnsctated from long oblivion such
quaint pom gee India silks cashmere, and prunella
And there are several fabrics, they may be old
rejuvenated; among them are hne soft, light reps in
the brown shades mentioned, called eroSt CLOTH
and there is new German cloth OF finest sOftest WOOL
which will be formidable rival OF cashmere. The
Napoleon blue this almost black blue will be
more fashionable even than last year. It's most forWd
able rival will be the mahogany browns. Evening silks
reproduced In more decided yet extremely delicate
aud lovely tints, such ocean-mist seafoam coneh-
shell pink burning lava, paestOf lake blue the faintest
OF gray blue all blossom tns, Orosee mother OF pearl
which ia pearl white with the slightest possible shadow
ing of pink pure rosy ac aud others equally perfect
Tue fabric is much finer than the heavy gros grains
indeed the surface may be almost called smooth as in
tafeta; and this. too hnd economy both IN wear
and cieanIiness TO correspond IN beauty dainty white
tuIo neck toe are oaroessy about the throat.
and two bows are fastened by a bunch of roses,
frou frou crimson, and white or, If preferred. little
bouquet OF bright flowers, such as scarlet geranum,
rose-buds. geranium-loaf, and violet or sprig Of
heliotrope.
Here let us Offer tribute to memory Of the former
Empress Fashion and France. who mas been 80 much
abused for encouraging extravagance In dress 30 lar
the republican system has not been able to accomplish
any improvement In that line. Dresses are made up 1t
Is true with what Ia called great simplicity; that means
in quantity, according TO the now prevailing narrow
skirts but hitherto unheardof profusion exists IN
ratey fashioned or richly trimmed and embroii
cred In buttons, for example, there il remarkable
extravaganza as well variety They are In steel,
FURNISHED brown or blue, engraved or cut IN diamond
facets in antique silver; their polished surfaces
monogram single initial ia sometimes seen, and there
are buttons Of metal, OF ivory and she'll Those OF
tortoise-she being exqustely carved and correspond
iugy costly. beautiful coucet, however exravagant,
are buttons made OF lovely shells real sea-shes. OF
mother of pearl luster here there spotted with
small brown and greenish dots and elegantly mounted
Then we have opaescent mother Of pearl buttons, with
cut steel ryeted on Just now therage for jet
buttons increases because they correspond with the
elaborate Jet trimmings so much employed. There are
bands OF threaded jet beads of different widths, which
look well on cloth or velvet Topped jet frnges and large
let aqraes and buckles, hanging balls Of jet and en-
brodery thcky studded with tiny cut jet beads There
fore We may safely conclude that Jet viii be the trim
ming par excellence.
In the models sent from abroad nnd our predic
tons OF the Autumn verified regarding the making up
OF Spring costumes and the revival OF the Medic styles
stiff and ungraeeful they they find favor In the
ewes OF fashion The Medci fraise has been worn all
winter and here and there the Medic sleeve but now
decided revolution has taken place, particularly In the
sleeve indeed might wesbe incased in armor so
much is the symmetry OF the hidden by the puts
and stiff up-turned cuffs Another fashion is the quaint
arm hole puf Of Henri Trois; this is not becoming
the sashed sleeve lower edge s cut IN deep polnts
and over soft misty pungs OF ne lace are laid bands
OF let qpoon velvet embroidered with jets bands OF
the sak material az dress There certainly
grace obeauy the cosecut coat sleeve and so those
who cad boast OF pretty may rejoice that it's reign
rs over Ind that the haihowng sleeve takes its place,
"a well IA the fancifu puff sleeve in graduated pus
from the shoulder the wrist. To this style neither
lean nor full arms can object IL will be impossible just
now for the poet Of the period 10 sing OF
Glowing robes" for nothing can be more 81 n
and square than the Medci oyer-skrt and
the newly imported Henry Ill basque perfectly fitting,