Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-31
OUR NEW YORK FASHION LETTER


! but certainly If there had this season would set
/ 1t 1t rest forever.
People have been POOR for year past. That
! is- many have who were formerly rich, or
| thought tbeUCelves 90, ard the rest have felt
prOr. a wise fashion under these eircum-
stances wodid have appealed 20 tue practical
common serse of the public; ii would have Gre
sted maTvels out Of ca,meute serge; it would
have dore wonders with hOmespun; il would
have tan sht moral Lessons through "-ofc' feI,
bgts, and instead OF adding Ieathers knocked
The N in on the crown, g men do, to make them
o'k isunty, aud sold them at the natural hu-
maU price.
But TO. Fashion could not 10 anything halC
SO sensible. j. has tlken the be2utii al Jleus
ia gathered them, ard pie IteG taem, and laid
them over in huge folds, and added he lyy flouu-
ces, and tabs, and slShCs, aud charges Sl2J IuC
a oTeEs OF them, which Is utterly ruined by he
weight and c!unslDeSs of tue supeTfiuous ma
teri8l.
All the softDess aud freedom and style of the
fabric IS lost. If we're man and had invented
such materials OF an artisan and had manutaC-
tured them, l could cry over the wicked waste
the lack of artistic sense, the utter failure TO
appreciate the possibilities that are thus sbOm-
nabiy sighted or de sfrOyed.
Thirty-fve dollars should purchase ss hand
some cheviot or serge suit ss a woman need -
wear. Forty tive dollars should buy a costume
OF silk and wool, allowing twenty dollars more
in ore case and thirty dollars in another for
fabrics, and fifteen dollars (Which ought TO be
known as dreSSmskeTs' Trimmings.
Bot try - Iurchsse a suit or costume ready
made, and II will cost from seventy-hve 70 one
| hundred and twenty-five dollars. Aud fash.
| iOuable dressmakar will run up TO the same sum
In tie same way "soft" felt hat, which
costs from one dollar and ten cents to one dollar
| and twenty-five cent?, and the beauty OF which
is its simplicity, its readiness, its hexibility and
| its adsp ativeness, is brought up in the hands
| of the miiliner to sixteen dollars; by long
plume or even by two three worthless little
ieather tips, BTummagen buckle, a faring
| tow, twist OF velvet, and binding.
Now here was something that might have
| e'addened the hearts of thousands Womcr-'Or
sil, rich and poor alike, want hat for ordinary
| we9r-low priced, of a material like til It o
| men, which cannot be spOiled by rain, and % ~
be finished in plain, inexpensive way, with a
| binding and wing Of game bird, pei lps or a
| band and bow, ,tonething that would TO largely
incTeaGe the &C L and allow irE dollar for The
sii2tt labor of pulling il on wOGld still give us
| JGst what IS neeGed at sum OF from three To
! FIVE COisrs.
London millineTs advertise their new :: guinea"
bonnets as a speciality. II C)me New York nil
lin er b2d wit enough TO advertise ''a ii We doll sr
! hat TOR ladies, aud had judgment and tate
enough 10 give il look Of style and simple ole
| gance, she would make fortune.
The manufacturers have done everything but
| trim ladies' hats. They fnI nish straw ana feIt
arc beaver. and even patent velvet, but they
/ will have to finish" everyday hats for women
as they do for men and children, before they
will lind the desideTaidm required.
THR JET INSANITY
Keepers than their lady patrons It's asCOni-n
ing TO what an extent jet and beaded I, iInminEs
have been manufactured, aud the D. .ces thai
are asked for them. The mania is one that must
be shoTt-lived, because it makes drc7s 90 con-
spicuOUs and to put the fashionable amount
uDOn a costume for day or evening wear would
be TO invest IN it the cost of small house.
.letted aprons are S75 each; be led iackess
from go TO Sl25; nechtes beaded, Az; pillars
composed wholly of jet beads on wire, SIS. Belts
are SIS, with leaf-like pendants composed of
IN ~Iz.
made in the same way are i've aud half to
five dollars, and 3 passementerie bordering
composed OF leaves OF fne cut jet, or a jetted
fringe with network headings are either of them
ten to fifteen dollars per yard.
The poorest trimmings into which Jet is in
troduced have doubled in price, although tie
most OF them have no real or intrinsic value,
and drop OF little by little in the street or in the
house, without any strain whatever being put
upon them.
To see handsome silk or velvet vulparized
in this way-a5Ove all, see ladies actually
paying to have their rich re3l lace spoiled Oy
'beaClng,h ls enough to make one conclaCe
that women are bereIt of sence where dress or
fashion ts cOnCc med. There are some, how
ever, who have 5caped the infection. ..Do not
meT ZION beads 70 me, ;" SAID one Of rhe most eie-
CANT women in New York TO her dressm9ker
Teclntly, "or shall lJOK ont for another mo.
ciste. wor'd not touch jet upon any cOrsid-
GRAFTON, or be seen wearing pPrticle OF it."
Ihe Ime lady went 10 half dozen of the
large furnishing horses in an attempt TO find a
plain stylish costume OF silk and wool. Or
course IL was not &c be had. She then bought
the materials, took them 70 the persoD alluded
to, and said:-'' II you pnt side plelting, or a.
bunch Of folds, or a heap OF gathers, or any
other soominstion on this costume, | shall Ce1d
It back upon your hands" These vigorous
measures enabled her TO secure a costume OF
black faille and velvet free from let and a ccs-
tune oI silk and wool which is perfect IN its
wav and a most agree able contrast to the ma
jOrity Of the complicated and iiiotc structures
that cost twice as much and demand the
strength OF Hercules to carry about.
Seriously, the weight OF clothing which the
clmbinatIOn OF heavy materials with beaded
trimmings, and the enor nous quantity OF the
fabric employed in "buildiDg'' its different
paits, is an EVIL which must be experienced TO
be fully realized.
Pale, delicate women walk the streets scarce
ly able tc move their limos under the burden OF
their trsppings
TAR STIRRING MANIA.
Old ladies who Temsmber what were called
the drawn" silk bOnneta, and the way full
sleeves and skirts were caused at the tops thirty
years ago, will understand what ''shirrtng"
means. IL is simply gathering in rows, two or
more-and this season dresses, suits ami cos
TIMES are composed wholly of gatherings and
hne side or tss they callet) knife plsSt-
ings-WittcCr any reference TO material. its
fitness or entire uDsUirdbIli,y 10 such pur-
I Jse.
There is Class of siiks, soft, light and fue,
which my Re ''shirred' vito but sight fulaess
TO advantage. Bat imagine quantities or side
pleatlngs which require rae length three times
over, and rows OF sbIrI.ng drawn thick uu1n
Dice, wherever II is pc-- Die > pat il. In velvet
IN thick diagonal serge caInei's hair. chevOt
and even matelaE 20 silk ana cloth. This - ab-
soiute waste CT time, m0nsy and material
TIE JACKET AND APRON OVERsKIRT.
The Jacket and apron oVerskict have almost
superseded the pOlOn aise; quite, indeed, except
the polon.!Sc which stimulates these, together
with a sash or scarf back.
The new apron Is cut broad, laid in three
pleats upon each side, and mee's at the back
under he b2Sque or under the folds OF the skirt,
sash or cascade Of beaded loops terminating 2
in wide ends, removing the appearance OF plain
ness, ana giving the rrquisite finish to the en-
semble of the cCslume. The most fashionable
method o. making the ash is to take three
yards OF the silk double it +ogether at the sides
and arrange 1t either as sash, starting from
the side of the waist, or as q ladder of bo MS
down the center OF the back.
A more dre>3y method, for ceremonious din
toilettes, is to trim the skirt rather high IN
front, leaving the train plain, ard cut the apron
and side sashes all none, arrans ing these 30 a.
to form fiat trimming for the sides and appar-
emily hold the back, its broad pleated train aud
Po1f Cif there ie one) in position.
Whatever fullness there is in skirts, whether
OF day or eve ming dresses, Is now all massed at
the back and disposed OF in a broad, double or
triple box pleat. In q suit or demi trained dress
this will be plain and straight, but for grand
toilestes the back breadths are cut from