Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-04-01
TWO CENTS.
FASHIONS FOR APRIL.
Styles as Seen at tue s.Opeuiugs''-
spring Bonnets aud Spring Cos
Tunes.
NEw YORK. Mar

comprising twenty -four different Department.
each one OF which is larger than the or,inar,
retail store. Much valuable time has 70 D.,
consumed in PREPARATION, all the most cost,
goods and garments have to be placed on exni
bition, and rendered subject 20 the risk OF RI t.
handling, or at least OF the wear aud tear
touch aud iIspectiO ion. the regular business Il.
interrupted, and great crowd OF curiosity
81, Kerr attracted who DO not go % bay, but q I'd
stare and get ideas which they can turn 10 a.
count IN making over some forloru relic a.
better times, at home.
a. T. Stewart y 20. have no public opening.
and probably others Of the large dry goo FOL
houses will follow this example. The m tmuof A
opening of the season was AT Lord Il TAYLOR.
@hICh occupied three days aud wa, perh aps.
justified by the extensive alterations which
have recently been made throughout the enttr,
establishment, rendering il As perfect a model
OF ladies furnishing house a. IL rs possible %
conceive. There is something peculiar ant
suggestive in the order and method OF the grear
leading magazines OF fashion, something 81 N D.
sublime ln their quiet consciousness OF power ia
the possession OF the field, in the setting aside
OF all meretricious effort TO attract attention,
IN the not having - much r. a name or a sign,
70 indicate to paSSers by the occupancy Of tas
premises, and only in one or two instances n
display OF wares even in the windows Inside,
the discipline u as perfect a. that Ell an armg.
No one Is urged or requested TO buy by the
rows OF polite attendants, who are As cOuTte Dus
TO the purchaser OF a shilling print as TO the
buyer Of the ten dollar elk. Impassiye, atten-
tive, re ady, II IL yet a very obtuse person who
would want to test an apparently ineNhzustible
patieIce, and the Il sdiuOnal shopper" there
without buying anything, II almost extinct, or
possibly has become merged in the fashion
writers.
THE RxHIBITIoN
This year, for the first time. costumes were
shown ia the leading houses in connection with
bOnnets. Until recently bonnets have been a
SEPARATE Interest, milliners q class by them
selves, ana thelr spring and tail displays tOOK
place some weeks IN advance Of the exhibition
| OF costumes in the dry goods houses. Tue ia
yenton OF the costume comFist, however, which
included bonnet 10 match, tT~t seemed 70 sug
gest the idea of uniting these different brancho.
under one rooi;inoted dressmakers and leading
dry goods HOUSES added 2 bonnet. and ia some
cases general millinery department to their
other business, while on the other hand some
leading millinors took up the making OF cos
tunes, SO that to day there are scarcely any
WellknoWn names with whom millinery or
dressmsking, each by itself, Is speciality. Bur
the change, Of course, has been gradual, aud IL
takes time TO adapt lOng-establi-ned customs to
II, which will account for the stupidity OF nav
Ing the general opening OF millinery in March,
and heretofore the principal openings OF cos
tunes and wrapping garments in April, An ar
rangement most mconyeneDt for out OF town
inspectors ana purchasers, and involving a
waste OF time for every one except those whose
principal business ii is 10 see sights which cost
nothing class among women IN ach more na
merous than mig be supposed.
THE BoNSETs.
The bOnnets, probably from long habit, were
the first objects OF attraction, and, a. usual,
elected loud expressions of admiration. "How
lovely!'' "HOw odd!' s'How sweet, were IN.
Explanations heard on all sides. Fer myself, 4
confess 10 not being able to discover much that
was original or much that was charming. M
admiration was principally expended on the
ingenuity which, out of the same old materi ais,
year after year manages 10 create something
which has the semblance OF novelty, and even
TO get VI an enthusiasm for IL. a professional
critic, blsse, and naturally incapable OF bsin-.
pleased, who has only one act of abrams AM
leaves book az the title page, il the last per
son from whom one would want an opinion, an
perhaps this may apply TO the chronicler OF thu
vagaiies of bonnets; therefore the sentiment
half pity, half contempt, felt tor the rapture
INTO which an ordinary woman goes at n"
"opeDing" must be taken With several grains OF
allowance. But the "bonnets are bOnnets.
and IL Il said there Il comfort in that. do no.
snow why, for We were equally delighted when
they were only head dresses; but it may be set
down to the happy sdaptability of human nN-
ture, or woman nature, and they are becoming
when they are not overturned and are prop
erly worn.
There is less childish variety in the shapes
than last year, though an abundance for practi-
cal purposes, and nearly all, except the hats TO-
girls, and the broad brims for country wear,
have a suggestion of the NOrmany or Charlotte
CoTday ETY. les, which IL capableof picturesque
treatment and effects. The general air OF soIdIty
probably due to the English tone which just
now pervades French fashions, 10 the fashion
able prominence of English chips and strsws,
and the general decline OF Clancy" stock, with
the collapse OF the Dolly Warden" At any
rate, the fact is undeniable, and for so much
we have cause to be thankful. We have reason
TO rejoice also over the Withdrawal OF the bold
wide awskes, the American" hat, with turned
up brim, set back upon the head, which was
worn here year before il was known abroad.
and never received from high authorities any
great degree OF favor.
All the brims of the present season are drOop-
ing, or in the case of hats, are only turned up
on one SIDE. Soft crowns for m iterial of cos
tune bonDets are in high favor, and the m ,st
Grape covered with thread lace.
The use or lighter silks and satins of pure
quality, in preference TO the heavy, sarcny,
linen backed fabrics formerly used. is q fact
worthy OF note, as they are much lighter upon
the head, and work up into much more grace
full forms. The French always use violet in the
spring, and some of the most beautiful bOnnets
are Ina two shades of this color, with crown OF
black thread lace, and mixture of the two
shades in the trimming, which consists princi-
pslly OF ribbon and the modest flower OF the
same name.
Few OF the metal, straw and jet ornaments
are used which were 50 common last year, bar
upon the French bonnets there II such prOfu-
sion OF ribbons and flowers a. to destroy much
Of the grace aud symmetry of outline in those
bonnets which possess any. The ribbon, too, is
broader; scarf ends fringed out and knotted are
used, and with these and flowers, unless there
rs great judgment and taste, an overpowering
effect is produced.
Flowers mixed in color are very generally in
vogue; wresths composed of varieg sted roses
bouquets of field flowers, and purple orchids
arranged with white hyacinths. Still, there
are many composed of color upon color, or diff
ferent shades of the same color, the latter de-
signs being mainly carried out in bonnets for
costumes, the former upon straws, to whose
mounting of lace or elf-colored ribbon the gar
den variety affords pleasant relief.
COSTUMES.
Who is to wear them, and when? This is the
hIst thought of busy women, whose simple suit
or dress that "children cannot spoil" l. worn
year in and year out upon working days. Cos
tunes heavy with an amount Of labor and ma
terial which makes the thought of them bur
densome. Costumes 90 dainty that human
touch would seem too rough Tor them. Cos
tunes so perfect IS works Of art, that the eye
loves TO rest upon them as upon q wonderfully
wrought out painting, but which one would
want to keep to lock at, not all TO wear.
Self-colored silks, soft, thick, satin finished,
and o pure, lighter make, more like tAffetas
than nything In silk we have had for q long
time, are the fabrics used for the dnest dresses
and costumes, enriched with quantities of inch
thread lace, embroidery In silk and let, ana six
and steel, and an amount Of labor in material.
the detail Of which Is as remarkable in its way
and a. painful as that Of middlemarch. Huma1
labor abroad is thought les of Is vet than il is
with rs, or the frighttully minute folds, And
tuckipgs, and puffs, and pleatings, and stitch
ings, and houncee put upon one imported dress
would hardly be considered practicable, vet
they are copied by swollen eyes and weary do
Rere. and trOd0en IN dus ~ifhouf fhou