The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-19
The Last Openings of
the Season.
OLD PROBABILITIES AND THE MODIsTEs.
Spring 10 Try Women's souls-A Psep Into
arroadway Palacs-The Newest Features
in Millinery and Dressmaking-
Chapter on Gloves.

during the past month under the management of
Ola PROBABILITIES, and the lair devotees OF Fashion
have been in continual, state OF perplexity, not
knowing from one day to the other whether It
would be advisable or not to venture on Broadway
or tine avenue IN all the bravery OF spvIng attire
That always uncertain period, opening day seems
to have literally diused itself over the past two
| months, many large houses having deferred their
annual exhibitions OF spring styles until the present
week. Could anything be more vexatious TO tho
/ female mind or better calculated TO test to the
utmost the Job-like qualities with which that mind
Is generally endowed The threatened revolution
In the realms OF fashion has been averted for
| the present, and novelties are rare, except
| in the adaptation of old styles to modern
| ideas. So. much the better, Tor revolutions
In dress generally lead to extrava gance and the
entire abandonment Of taste. 1t IS cheering and
undeniabs evidence OF the return OF more pros
porous times aud OF The readustment OF the rela-
tons between capital and trade TO see the lively
interest evinced by the ladies' this spring. In the
daily expositions OF fashions In the dine. ent
branches OF The business known under the general
head OF millinery and dressmaking. The eager
ness TO see the styles has been so intense that IN
some OF the large houses the '0penng expositionn
mas been continued Tor an entire week-the doors
all the time being so densely crowded that locomo
ton was effected with muca difficulty, and sgnt-
seeing become very inconyenent task. In one
house, for the conveyance OF visitors from the
lower to the upper floors OF the building two
steam elevators were employed, being constantly
In motion from an early hour in the morning until
nightall, 10000 ladies visiting the dressmaking
depar ment alone, independent OF the vast
crowds that thronged the departments OF mil
nnery, carpets, upholstery, lingerie and furnishing
Certainly IN Some OF our Broadway houses there
Is everything that can make the teminine heart
glad and furnish q belle or palace to their ut.
most desire.
Er uno disco Onanes. Here is one stately house
into which constant stream OF visitors Is pour
ing. A double line or carriages, extending 1or
blocks, and tnronged sidewalks, announce the TACT
that grand exposition" Is In progress. Eoowcd
and jostled and occasionally squeezed by silk and
satn you manage to get within DOORS Win, per-
haps, lew stray souvenirs Of passemenefe or lace
to remind one OF the throng The entire world seems
to have been laid under contribution IN the be-
widerng display of materials, which the modiste
spreads before the visitors.
There are robes rich and handsome enough to
please the fancy and tasSe or the Empress OF the
French, and every grade and quality OF the regal
silks down to the simple cambria or chlntz gown,
so neat, charming and proper for the home toilet.
In style those dresses bear evidence Of the fnest
Pa isian and domestic handiwork, and in the com
u
defend the claim OF the modiste TO artistic Dress
making. In the costumes shown, beside an aim st
Infinite variety OF the ever useful, eegant and
fashonabls black, there is q performance oil the
many beautiful and modest grays Of the season
duerent shades OF the late mahogany browns,
the heliotrope shades, the fraise ccras6e or
crushed strawberry, ana the tour de Surenne,
or tpsy color, amusngly suggestive OF the
semObllvions condition in which Surenne
returns It's visitors to Paris, or, in other
words. Of its noted convlvfality For the
benefit OF prospective Brides there are elegant
wedding outfits. Suggestive Of the gaieties which
succeed Lent there are dinner aud reception
toilets beautiful as to call forth from the ladies
who surround them continued Explanations OF
surprise or delight. Many OF these dresses are un.
exceptonabe in cost, t,le, co,or and garniture,
and Of the millinery exhibited not less Ia true
Among the bonnets there are some from Lna deIt
fingers Of Mesdames VlrOt, Chevaie, Mentel and
Therese, Berblere, Euphrosyne, Lesas ana Camille
and otaer equally noted Paris houses, and more
tnan avoraoiy comparing with them are those
tilnmel or made by tho excellent workw0men In
that me belonging to the New YORK establishment
| This season cue distinction between house and
street costumes Is more marked than ever
Elaborate trimmings ana Dr0aOncJe enects are
admissible on toilets, put while street costumes
are rich aud sLYllsn IN effect they are simple IN
sign ana trimming
| A nouceauly simple but very stylish costume,
designed ayoung lady, has the skirt OF delicate
shade OF gray challs, cut wa king length anu Dor
| dered with u gathered nOunCe OF medium depth,
| finished OH the bottom with broad hem turllcd
up on the raght side against the narrow tod, aud
mas Deep shlrred heading. The Iedlnsote IS OF u
light qualty OF basket clptn OF the same shade as
the material OF the SKIRT trimmed with bah fringe
in the material producing an apparent difference
in snades The heading Ia embroidery of SIR aud
WOO, loosely wrought, IN which Is noticeable the
redngote, known as the "Leohne," ~ very SIM
pie, tie fronts being pam and tight fitting and
fastened about tnree-lOurths the way down by
handsome opal tinted pearl buttons and the back
very narrow, in the French Cut, and draped below
the waist in novel manner which gives The effect
OF broad box plait falling below the point OF
looping. The tout ensemble Is thoroughly artistic
and lorms charming Easter costume.
Another, more dressy, Is MADE in grisaille SILK,
brown and white and plain brown silk cOmbt-
nation. This skirt IS also walking length and is
trimmed with combination Of narrow Ulas,
nounces and shirrs In which narrow 0lds OF PLAIN,
brown SILK are introduced. The costume Is COM
draped apron edxed with shlrred trimming q
vest Of plain brown silk, the sides OF the front,
are lined with brown silk and reversed and carried
to the back, where they serve to support the
drapery in two deep olnts. The back - trimmed
Is carried from the middle OF the back 10 the lett
side. me sleeves are OF brown, with trimmings OF
Drown 1Ods are introduced IN the edges, Dut not
very elegant toilet OF cashmere-nnisned black
silk Is literally spal king with Jet. The train,
which Is scarcely more than long demtrain, Is IN
pointed shape, the back without trimming ana
ttached to the belt In deep plaits. winch retain
their shape all the way down. Inc sldts are orna-
mentcd with u trimming shrred perpendlcularn,
and n graduated quite narrow at tne top and the
tab Ter Is ornamented with rows oi elegantly cut
let fringe disposed in scmcit cular shape
An aumonere embr odered WI tn Jet Is suspended
on tue LETT side by a cham OF large cut JET oeaus
and on the right an elaborate chatelaine OF smar
chains, with handsome Jet ornaments. Inc mover
"coat'' basque, the 'Vva.n has long skirts III tue
back ike o genteman's dresscoat ornanented
with jer embroidered pocket laps, broad sash,
embroidered on the ends and finished Vita Jet
Irlnge fastened between the tabs. Tne front -
double breasted diagonally, and ~ embroidered
with ier IN the corners, and has embroi1cr
noct ets and the epaulets and Guns on the sleeves
are embroidered To match Tue desixn Is thol-
ouqiy unique and disttague.
The alberta" toilet Is OF light gray silk, the
skirt a gra cefui demttran, trimmed In the back
with q series OF nounces embro .dered on the edge
with shade darker, and on the trout with two