, 1874-04-05
Gaimsnt adapted to Deyotien-'The Aulneu-
iere apart Of EGery Costume.
Velvet Out Of Season---The Chameleon
Qualities of Fashion.


expectation among fashionable people. They
are in fact, 30 busy with their vernal outfits as
to find the extra cllurch-going OF Holy Week
serious and most inconyenlent lnroad upon thelf
time. They know they can be clothed without
being good; but they do not believe they can be
good without being clothed
Tie weather, though very bright and pleaaant,
Is not WARM enough to render the wearing Of
EASTER COSTUMES
unaIloyed delight; therefore it is probable that
tnany, perhaps ma1ority, Of the now suits, will
te Of black silk. The use of black silk is getting
to be like the would Wits advice to the learner
Of whist: When you don't know What to play,
play card. When you don't know what to wear,
wear black silk. While it renders streets and
drawing g-rooms disagreeably monotonous in tone
to hare twenty-four out Of every twenty five
women dEapod in black from head to heel, yet SO
much matter Of habit has it become here that
the native metropolitan is inclined to set down
every woman who appears in colored street
dress as from the country c.. from any spot
on the globe except the Island Of Manhattan A
most pleasurab1e relief to the eye, now and then,
is to gee something of other than sable hue !;
and, for the sake Of variety, few grny, and
brown, and blue, and bronze dresses have been
prepared to be shown next Sunday.
EccLEsAsT1c ELEGANCE.
A beautiful church costume Of s1rer-gray silk
is in this form: The skirt is very narrow,-not
more than three yards and q quarter at the
ridest-aud just rests upon the ground.
Around the bottom Ia a bias founce twenty-four
inches wide, when finished Of the same as tho
dress. About two inches and half from the
tod Of the hounce is inserted four-inch band
taiso bias) Of silk, two shades darker than the
tin: OF the dress. Then the founco is shirred
through the strip OF dark,-the threads about
of q ehirred band set on the aounce;
doance psn itsef sen The bottom of the % ounce has
for1-inch facing Of the darkest silk turned up on
the outside, with two ppings-one OF each shade
inserted between the upper edge OF the facing
inches Of the light silk left above the shirred
band forms rna,ed head to the flounce, and is
lined with the darker silk, which just shows
above the edge.
there is quits plain space between the begin
ming Of the founce and the end Of the jacket, it
has. of course to be covered by some kind OF
trimming For this purpose are employed two
si1-,uch, shirred bands, combined OF the two
Snade atfr nf thu the bs ol ehe
the Eamo length all round fits
inches below the waist, and buttons to the odee
in front. It has in front plastron, OF the
darker shade Of silk. reaching from where the
revers turn away at the neck to the bottom Of
the jacket, and being practically the same az
rest
The edge Of the jacket is finished by t-ro soft,
covered cords,-one of each shade e,-whle = DELI
cate double-edged Cl1antily lace, three inches
wide, follows the outline Of the plastron. turns
square corner when it reaches the bottom OF the
jacket, passes under the cords till it reaches the
back seam OF the Jacket (Which is slashed), then
is brought up the opening and gathered into
has plated fraisc.-of the light silk lined with
the dark,-which extends about halfway round
when tho piece is turned inside out. the edge
being Eewed to the OF the neck, and turned
Indeed. these combinations Of ruff and collar,
or ]ape1s, arc the most stylish mode OF finishing
necks. The sleeves OF the jacket are naturally
cc61-shapc. with curiously -contrived plated
cuffs Of the darker shade Of silk. The buttons
are OF carved, smoked pearl,-v pretty, and
decidedly expensive.
TIE AUMoSIEEE.
There! had nearly forgotten the a71moniere,
which is, just now, part ct every costume. Ju
this instance it is something like shield in
ct silk. and bordered by lace to match the jack
ct. The aumoniere is charmingly suggestive Of
charitv,-I do not remember when charity ap-
peaed in a prettier form, m,-but, alas! it is only
suggestive: for, in this Babylon, We should as
coon think Of carrying our hearts in our hands
as our purses in these cunning devices Of the
Tn0G1iste's art.
To my taste, too great uso OF
VELVET
ia made in tho spring costumes. When RIO are,
III 3 certain manner, compelled to employ it
through ut least half the year, it beems pity
not to have little variety and do without it, il
only for change, during the other half. While
velvet is not, in reality, very warm. it looks
warmer than any fabric in the world, and. in
our climate, We Want not only to be cool, but to
look cool.
The wearing of velvet petticoats, which widely
prevailed in Trance last year. did not meet with
much favor hero, and is otlikey to this season.
For once. it was discovered that fashiou is not
necessarily good because it is French, and that
there are certain climatic differences which
ought to modify nearly all imported Styles It
il 30 seldom that reason is brought to bear on
matters Of mode that we cannot AFFORD to pass
this instance unObscrved.
AASTUAS vAGAEEs.
Did tell you, last time, CT the time before,
the polf in the back cf skirts Was intlie-
pelffable? Deluded mortal that WAS to trust
is, That it wes Indispensable fortnight ago, but
now it is already going out. At leGst gay the
very latest hints from Paris, though
doubt not it will be back again be-
lore I write again. To-day, overskirts |
arc out and po1onaises quite in style
ccxt week. the reverse will. undoubtedly, be
the law The ups and downs of these two gar
nents remind me more thau aught else of the |
contests Of the houses OF York md Lancaster. !
Now it is the Red Rose, and now the White: |
end before yen hare time to say which it is, it
Is the other. Cine odor Of the peat-bogs, anu
aware, peryades the last sentence; but let it |
stay) may have led you away in other pAr-
tlculars. ~lthni. Not Voluntarily have turned |
you % astray, but through my own too e1cat
1a1ta In that faithless monarch. the Queen |
OF the Mantua- Have declared, heretofore,
tnat bias hounces and bias b.nds aro the so1re:t !
way OF cutting? Well, they are not. Straight |
1ocnces aud straight bands sh.ll nlone saye yuu |
from coming under the odious heed of '.countr1- |
red Even striped goods. when used for trim
n.lns, whether verttca. OF horizontal arc cut SO
as to ps3ng the lines up and down Doubtless
YOU VII! agree with me that this is no improve |
1nent, slnce no straight, full trimming can be |
made to hang so gracefully as il cut crossw,ae.
Let US be consoled With the fact, however that.
not pretty, it is new. Mayhap, If it be- u1Iy
enough, it will lessen the tendency to extrae..
CANT Garniture in which case Nc can val. s.fford
good. Aol Ao'o1e
1t is runored that We may still be al1owad tha |
single biack silk skirt to b. worn with III ~
sctiptions OF EoloaGises. But even that st,nd |
bJ Is given grudginely, and our enjoyment ;a
poisoned BY the knowledge that it is higher styie