Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-12-01
OUR FASHION LETTER.
THE SE.gs0.s' Nv Web X.ORH
Music aud Toiiettes-C0sfun,es for ID sy
and Evening wear-ZuNurtes for
Those W no Have Money.
FROM our Cwa CorrespoRdsa,.l
NRW YoRK. NOyamhpr Is

very dutl oue, ana perhaps they are right, yet
there is a possibility that every body for once i.
mistaken. Though not a brilliant, the winter
OF 1876 promises TO be a pleasant one. Business
which was 30 depressed up to the middle of No
yenber, il Ieviving, and reviving in the right
direction, notin the purchase Of a showy, mere
tricous clsss OF goods but in a coBsj jierab.e and
wide-slr read demand tor the real ami the geru-
inc.
Tie approach of the holidays is an uHmistsk-
able test OF the feeling whicf prevails among
al classes, and II has stimulated the dem .ni
fer high class iewelUy, silveT-w and other
costly articles 20 an almost unpFec edentsd ex
tent. Large firms are advertising for diamO MS
Of exception al beauty and value, the stock on
hand not being suttcit ut TO H. orders.
Change a,wsvs means more oriess OF disorder
ana the changes we a!e undergoing are only dl5
to the panic OF agar ago, the paIic was the
result Of the preceding initiation.
II Gh prices and the enormous profits ma le IN
business, iadHced Thousands to rush into ir who
he'd been engaged in the slower but more useful
office of proc uction. Pne process of distribution
was oyertuue, and when the reaction came
large numbers foGnt themselves embarrassed
by the obligations they had assumed, in the way
ofrtnts anC other expenses, and y !ta little cap
tai 10 fan back upon. An this was natural. Il
wss simple ignorance CT stupidity which made
people suppose that speculative prosperity
could always continue, or that trade must not
sometime cuIne back T. its natural level. For
the past year il has been trying to find this
level.
Few large 5n'eTta Gul.hts are ever given early
in the :, a>Ou; ladies are too busy with til cir
toiiHttes and preparations for the holidays.
when these are over tie rush begins.
II is not likely, EONCvor, that there will be
many cosby entertainment. this season; they
nov involve too mach expense TO he gwen VITA
out distinct motive, and only limited nun
ber OF persons, even In Society" have houses
lar ge eDou. n for them.
Informal receptions are preferred, where the
refreehmen's are few and simple, and where
a. Hamapdpt m
Or "high" sunday evening teas. These teas ire
del ghtful, and have been made a tsatRre bg q
charming woman who unites fashion ID literary
taste and high culture.
"Dulr' as the season may be, and regularly as
the days come round, it is d m 2tter OF no sn Ill
difficulty To find d.seOgaged evening when
there l. anything spec al to be done,
opera, theaters. and society meetings take
many Of them, Then there are the reception
Gays aud evenings of clubs and ftien Is aud reia-
uve', and between all these, private and spe-
cial vifiting snd hOspit alities have - be woven
in, leaving little margin for the eXi yenCieS OF
domestic or tue necessities Of working lfs.
The tall opera season, which has just closed,
can hardly have been very lucrative one to the
management {. the cdmpany being very large
AND expensive, and the audiences-durins the
early part OF it-thin.
Society, particularly the opera-goIng part of
II, II New Ork city, Il largely III abe up OF per
sons who live in the hotels and fashionable
boarding + uses aud who do not settle down
for the winter until Move mber. This together
with the general leaning towards economy, and
the fact that until the coming of AlbaUi there
was no great ana decided attraction among the
pTima doDs. viii sufficiently account for dis
couTaging lack Of patronage, notwithstanding
the ComFlet5 ness OF ensemble and the superior
manner In which operas have recently been
pres Bted, adding to operatic representation
chorus which III Ncw York Il never knew be-
fore.
The latter half Of TIE season, which gave us
Albsui, Verdis new work, and revival Of Lob
eEg7aH, Will long be reu emberCd as a marvellous
pres nta'i0n of triumphs in musical art, and as
furnishing a series OF experiences worthy OF 2
golden setting aud OF being pat away forsver in
the galaxy OF remembered pleasures that ara
blessngs.
Money is well spent IA the highest form 10
which music can be given to Us, as the Inter
prefer CT all the passions and emotions Of the
human soul, anu whtnit is dons with go true Al
appreciation of its power and capabilities, 90
Conscientious an effort TO fuldll the high sst aim
aid purpose as is shown by tie present direc-
ton of Italian opera, II ought 10 be met by
hbeg ality OIL the part OF the public.
OPERA TOILgTTKs.
No cause Of complaint has existed on the lat
ter score recently; the audiences have been
large and brilliant IN appearance as they should
be. Opera in unfress is hardly opera at all. IT
has been distinctly observable that gentlemen
psy more attention to the detail Of their dress
than has been the case for some gears past. 1t
is rare TO see gentleman inside the Academy
OF Music excepting IN evening dress, and cer-
tainiy he would not dare to speak to a lady there
if bis costume were not irreproscbable.
Ladies also exhibit great taste and elegance
St nee OF shCwy coloriDg. The style Of dress not
being adapted to evening bonnets, few are
worn, except by ladies who occupy seats i'll the
body of the building and who wear visiting COS.
TUNES of which tAe bonnet or hat forms
part.
Light gloves added TO this passes muster, but
in tie boxes and dress circle, where there il any
Iretension TO dress, no hats or bonnets are worn
only the hair arranged low in curls aud braids
or that latest and most singular combination OF
the modern with the antique known as the
"Cstogaa" coiffure. This style, which | have
before described, consists in combing the hair
excepting fTpge, yer the forehead, in smooth
waves towards the back OF the head, tging it
ard arranging it in lCng single brad which is
fastened up in a loop with bow-it cannot be
permanent. Ii is only becoming TO very young
ladie of peculiar type, and the married ladies'
who attempt it seem 10 be aping simplicity to
such an extent that they gladly return to a
Grsd which they can fasten close to the head
and arrange as a corOntt
Small wTesths OF flowers are much woT0, set
up in front of the head, or single flower, a rel
or v hite rose, upon the side.
GRAY AND BLACK,
more correctly, it should be said. Quaker dTab
and black, are very fashionable and elegant
combination this season.
Gentlemen wear dresssiik cravatS and gloves
of this soft shade CT drab, and ladies unite it
with black silk or velvet, with fine effect.
One OF the baudsomest costumes seen at the
Academy was oil black velvet, with vest OF dTa6
satin, drab feather introduced among the
back plumes OF the velvet hat ana light trao
gloves to match.
for black velvet costumes and polonaises, aud
with these skirts and ca bOnnets of drao silk or
satin are used, the latter trimmed with drsb
plumes and ornaments of aqua marine.
Drab Is also being employed by the nost dis
tinguished modistes for ball dresses, ia silk aud
tulle, the tulle puffed and plated upon the silk
in Infinitely varied forms, all arranged to follow
the outline OF the fgure rather than to produce
drspery. Scarlet geraniums or trails Of red aud
white roses are prettily employed for ornament
ing these dresses, which are particularly beeoin-
ing to bfunettes.
VELVET DRESSES.
The most distinguished dinner and reception
toilettes OF the season are of velvet, very simply
made, but frequently enriched with an apron of
netted jet extremely flexible and lace-like in its
Gelicacy, but brilliant by gas light as a net work
Of diamonds. These aprons must be made of
real jet or they would be too heavy for wear.
They are, therefore, very costly, bnt they have
the merit of being rare, and III conf unction with
rich toilette, very beautiful.
The dresses are cut with plain trained skirt,
square or V shaped b0ddice, and coat or elbow
sleeves. The trimming often consists only OF
the sash, which forms ladder of bows or three
loops and ends at the back.
Of course the style Is varied, sometimes the
front of the skirt and the coat sleeves are made
tliphtIv hauf,la-ee black. QrAy II ChamOis0