Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-01

| English NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Bon
nets-Tafesa sfIk-Mahogany Brown
| -PercaIes and Linens.
Correspondence Of the Union and American.
NEW YORK, Feb. 27.-What will be
worn in March is a problem easily
solved. The answer is, nothing new,
nothing striking; for during the blus-
tering days of the first spring month
ladies make point of wearing their
winter things to ''get the good' of
them, and take comfort In doing SO.
"Spring comes slowly up this way
and what are properly called spring
dresses, are scarcely ever donned before
summer. The demi-season, therefore,
is time when ladies let the present
provide for itself out of the past, while
they take thought of the morrow in the
way of getting up the wardrobe of the
| future
A MEDLEY OF STYLES.
Nevertheless there are restless lovers
of novelty, lwho insist upon change,
and failing to find it here, send abroad
for it. Such imported outfits as have
arrived for March, show a strange med
ley of styles, combining the Medicis'
and Henri Trois costumes with classic
drapery Ia Gree, and the square, Sc
we're, masculine tendencies of the pres
emit English fashions. The last shall
be first described, as they are most
useful.
LADIES DRESS COATS.
A swallow sail jncket, shaped very
much like the dress coat worn by gen.
tlemen is the new spring wraps that
Will appear on the first sunny days of
March, if any such there be. tits made
double or single breasted, with very
short fronts sloping longer over the
hips and falling in square behind al
most half yard deep; the back has
buttons far apart at the waist In man.
nish fashion, and the tail is pressed in
fat pleats, held down by buttons; the
faring English collar, breast pocket
and coat sleeves are neatly bound with
braid. This jaunty jacket is made of
diagonal or basket woven cloths, or
black, brown, or invisible blue.
ENGLISH COSTUMES.
What is called the English costume
is similar to the habit suits chronicled
in my last letter. This consists of
very long apron overskirt clinging
closely in front and on the sides, with
the long back draped slightly to form
pouf. With this Is worn an English
basque ike the famous English jackets
of to-day, but made to fit snugly by
two darts In front. The back has lap
pels set in the seams, and pockets are
on the side of the long square basque.
The English collar is made of the
wooden goods with a silk lining, and
the coat sleeves have a deep cuff. This
basque and overskirt are worn over any
dark silk skirt IN the house, while for
the street is added a sleeveless basque
made longer than that Just described,
and sometimes sloped open, leaving the
basque front beneath showing like a
vest. The three garments, viz: basque,
sleeveless jacket and overskirt, make
what is called the English costume,
and are sold as such in the shops.
Cancels hair, cashmere, vigogne and
serge are the material for these useful
costumes; sometimes deep fringe Is
placed around the overskirt. This sim
pie and tasteful dress is commended
for travelling suits, and for second
best" dresses for general use.
MARCH MANTLES.
The DOlman made shorter and alb
brevlated about its winged sides is the
most dressy mantle for between seas
ons. The newest importations are
made of very fine cashmere with the
rough finish of camel's hair, and are
striped longitudinally with bands of
jet-studded ribbon-the new kind of
passamenterie which goes under the
name or galloon. The edges and neck
are finished with yak lace also heavily
beaded, and supported by most intri-
cate fringe made of tassels, balls and
fluted braid. Spring shawls for morn
ing rides and country wear are of Of
toman reps in broken stripes, or In
fringed stripes, of black with any color,
but especially with gold. The easily
soiled and conspicuous white stripes
Of shaWls are out of favor.
HENRI TROIS DRESSES.
The handsomest silk dresses for the
house, the carriage, church and visiting
show a revival of the peculiar styles
worn during the reign of Henry III. of
France, the vain, dandy son of Cath
er1ne de Medicis. Let us hope that the
steel corsets invented by his mother for
COMPRISING the figure as in a wise will
not also be restored; rather let the Venus
de Medici be the model here, and the
wholesome round waist of at least
twenty-three inches remain In vogue.
The pretty features of the dress are its
smoothly fitting basque with long front
and short back, its tight sleeves with
armor-hke puffs at shoulder and elbow,
and its stiff, standing, taxing collar.
Such basque made of black or other
dark silk should be trimmed its whole
length with perpendicular stripes of
guipure insertion an inch wide, placed
two inches apart, or with the Jet gal
looned Just mentioned. Fine Brussels
thread or Chartilly lace edges the gal
loon trimmed basques, while fringe
or guipure lace is used to
match those striped with gui-
pure. The puffs on the sleeves are
of velvet or of the dress silk, and are
often made of reversed pleats that make
the puff sharp and stiff-looking, as this
effect is considered in good style. A
kind of chatelaine overskirk made of
square side breadths is worn over the
demi- trained skirt which is founced in
the most capricious way it ever entered
into Worth's brain to dictate. For in
stance, the front breadths will be plain
while single back breadth will be
founced to the waist, and merely a
pleated border around the edge; on an
other dress an elaborate tablierof puffs
will cover the front widths while the
back is absolutely plain without a sim
gle rufie for garniture.
THE HUGUENoT ovERDREss.
The modistes are borrowing the most
charming features from various periods
to build up modern toilettes. Among
these is the Huguenot overdress
which is square, without drapery, and
has the armor-puffs and stiffiy wired
collar Just described. This is worn