National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-11
FASHIONS OF THE PERIOD.
SPRING CoLoRs.

FASHIONS OF THE PERIOD.
---' E---as-. -
81 SPRING C0LORs. ,sz-,'- 2 On -
Iron the n. Y. Graphie.l
Spring in winter Is not unfrequently succeeded
BY winter in the spring, and IT is no. at all un-
likely to prove so this season. At any rate,
notwithstanding the generally mild weather Of
February, spring styles and spring business are
little slow In coming, though It is quite be-
lieved that the latter will make up for its tar
diness, when It does come, by being unusually
active. g,-z
Spring colors are foreshadowed In gloves,
which the best authority has had prepared in
pure Quaker grays and browns.
A study of these colors in dozen different
degrees of each shade is lesson for lifetime,
and would prove revelation to many who
think they know all about color. Commence
with the silver gray remember we are talking
about Gloves and 60 through from the pure
drab gray to blue gray, iron gray which is
almost black, aud bronze gray which is almost
brown. - f.a-.s-. 5a
OF all these, the pure drab is the finest, the
clearest, the choicest-one envies the Quaker
ladies who have had It and the rarest shades of
brown to themselves so long.
.Drab gray, or Quaker gray, Is the most du-
rable and economical of all colors in gloves. 1t
looks exactly the same hy gaslight, is delicate
enough for evening or reception wear, and can
be used as hack glove afterwards.
But do not confound gray with lavender,
Many do this; and should you by chance ask
our glove authority to match lavender silk
with gray glove you would set his teeth on
edge, and SO disturb his equilibrium that he
would turn you over to one of his subordinates,
considering anybody good enough to wait upon
lady who did not know gray from lavender.
Next to these pure grays contest the wood and
nut-browns, and these, in all their varieties, are
to be the livery of the spring, relieved with a
dash OF color or CLEAN Of white in the trim
ming of the bonnet or the square silk hand
kerchief which 1t is now the fashion to wear
about the neck.
The most elegant costumes complete will
consist of two or more shades of these colors,
blended together in what may be called minor
symphony. ~. De-. ..'..-
SPRING FABRICS.
The fneness and daintiness of the new spring
materials harmonize well with the purity and
delicacy of color. Chene silks have reappeared,
the small irregular vine or leaf or shaded in
wood color upon pale gray or other neutral
tinted ground.
Hair-striped summer silks also show only
line Of color-brown, violet or purple-upon
an ash or creamy surface, and the old-time
lustres or new twilled challee, fine as The finest
tamisc cloth, though varied with blue and bluff
and mauye, and almost prettier than grena-
dine In black, still exhibit an enormous pre-
ponderance of the soberer tints of the season.
The only new fabrick whic the season has
developed SO far is all gray and brown, in all
the different shades ofthese colors 1t is lovely,
soft material, very fine, and all WOOL 1t Is
manufactured in what are known among tail
ors as fancy diagonal patterns, but is called
basket SURGE" 1t is very choice and desir-
wear during the spring and cool days in sum-
mer.
The price is one dollar per yard.
In silks there is decided effort to return to
lighter, smoother, purer styles than have been
fashionable during the past few years. Heavy
gros grains, and other thick and apparently
massive silks have been discovered to be charged
starchy substance to increase their bulk and
weight, and the fact has discredited all silks of
that description.
Pure black silks, 20 smooth as to approach
tafietas in quality jsspers which are In dark
colors what chenes are in light; leaftinted
chenes, hair stripes, delicate and fine, added to
the mixtures and wool, which seem as if they
had been made to testthe degree ofrarity which
dress fabrics could attain and live; present .
and-ready wool and cotton textures which have
been considered style" for the past two years.
Jet Is the rage just now. Certainly It may
be considered SO when no costume Is considered
complete without some admixture of It. Jack
cts are covered with It, bodices are striped with
it, polonaises are fringed with 1t, necks, bon
nets, arms, and wrists are ornamented with It,
drapery Is caught back with It, and rufus arc
mounted with It.
The beaded laces, moreover-imported large
ly last season, but which had no great run
then-are now In great demand, and will be
used, together with jet fringes, instead of the
choicer qualities Of hand made lace, for black
silk suits, for pOlOnaises, for grenadine suits,
and in capes, scarfs, and jackets, for independ-
ent wear.
Lace of this description has little intrinsic
value; 1t is not worth keeping; it is made to
be worn out quickly before the fashion, which
is necessarily ephemeral, dies out. 1t affords,
however, together with beaded bands, an easy
method sof' freshening upold black dresses ort
lace garments. Beaded insertions, velvet
bands, with beaded lace edge, and beaded
passementeries (ligbt, lace-like gimpe) put on
in straight bands, will cover up many def
ciencics of jacket and bodice, and impart q
fashionable appearance to what may be consid-
cred . quite unpresentable garment or COS
tune. -. 10y =. : r.
But Jet is very heavy. This must be kept in
mind in mounting it upon lace, and also upon
grenadine costumes and polonaises-a little too
much, and it is string instead of polonaise.
I .r.-- --- DESIGNS, 4 r -r.--
Fitted basques, slashed jackest, swallow
tailed coats-these are what we have promised
to us as the designs for spring outdoor wear, to
the confusion and extinction of the long endur-
Ing pOlonaise. But do not believe myself that
basques or jackets or swallow-tailed coats will
be able to do away with the polonaise this year.
It is too useful, too well adapted to everyday
needs. --..-.-
Basques, fancy Jackets, and coats with vests
and lapels are pretty and jaunty and we'll
enough in their way, but they are only suited
to deliberately trimmed toilets. A basque over
a short, plain skirt is very ungraceful. A
slashed jacket requires an effective arrange
ment of drapery beneath 1t, and q swallow
tailed coat either q man or q monkey to wear It.
Take out the wearers of all these and there
will still be sufficiently large constituency
left for the polonaise. &.
SLEEVES.
/ Sleeves are q most important feature Of the
spring styles. The. newest, and ugliest, are
pulled or trimmed with bands lensthWise upon
the corner. Extra sleeves in black or white
net, the pufings divided with bands of silk or
velvet or Jet embroidery, are now made to all
the dresses of ceremony by fashionable modistes.
The Huguenot sleeve is coat-shaped, with an
upwrght puff, which, added to the high cut
upon the shoulder, makes the arm seem in
oidinately long, the shoulder exceedingly short.
I A more becoming sleeve is Henry H., which
has been in vogue during the winter. 1t has 3
second puff over the elbow. ,--.a.
The Nilsson sleeve is made with inserted
pulls OF lace, is only half long, and finished
with round single or double cuffs turned up
over the arm.
RUfFs AND COLLARS.
Rufus of pleated lace, white or black, white
dotted with black, and all tipped upon the edge
with jet, are still highly approved for dinner
and reception dresses, but the new suits in
tended for street wear are finished at the throat
with q standing collar sloped down in front,
but rising higher at the back, where It is laid
In double b0x-plcat.l This is lined ON the in
side with fine pleatlng Of linen or lawn, or . /
linen collar cut round SO as to stand out from