Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-01
FASHIONS FOR APRIL.
Spring BOnnetS Easter BOu0uets
New Costumes. Etc
From Oar ottrs Co,resp0,l1esf.l
NEW YORK March 2Isf Is1 &

Faster with its songs, its anthems. its
flowers. its promise of light and beauty was
never more welcome than this year After a
winter So severe, a March so stormftll as TO
exhaust the vital forces and make us long TO
bask in more genial atmosphere. Mas
, matlc mounds of mud, Slush and tiebris. over
Swallowed by dismal gray skies and under
toned with crust of frozen earth which
gradually SOftenS and eXudeS more mois-
lure, more miasma, are not favorable to the
cheerful contemplation of new spring bon
nets or any other of the lighter and hner facts
OF this mundane existence. Outdoors, water
PROOF and overshOeS; indoors, bright CRATE
fire, cosy curtains well drawn. gas lit In the
middle OF The day, dollhouse flowers and
generous lunches are the contrasting pic
lures. Yet some must work in the darkness
while others live in the light, some must
"shiyer TO the April cloud that others may
~ arm and clothed be- and so we find that
while underground the busy wild flowers are
preparing TO send up a thousand tender bios
SONS to meet the first breath of returning
warmth and sunshine, so in obscure places
are toiling hands patiently at work, fashion
ing THIS dainty dress and that pretty gar
ment, ready for the first evidences Of awak-
ching love. of death and darkness past of
life and light 10 come.
EASTER BoNNETS.
The spring bOnnetS gives a more fee like
appearance TO Easter costumes than any that
we had for years. This arises from the re-
vivai OF all white in material as well IN
trimming and the employment of a profuSon
of flowers. Nothing can be prettier tn an the
undressed, flexible chips, low crowned and
with large Irregular brims, turned about with
Al.
scariS, knOtted at the back where a cluster of
pale roses also nestles; while under the brim
Is twist or facing of pale blue or flesh pink
with peariy rose and buds. a feathery SPRAY
OF delicate heath, or half-wreath of Sweetcr
May blossoms. Then there are the jardInel
wreaths, and roses white and red, the passion
HowerS especially dedicated TO Easter and
seen To perfection on pale coffee tinted chips,
trimmed otherwise with twillcd turIuoiSe
SILK, palest bun. or cream in tint, a combina-
tlon which must be seen TO he appreciated.
The great deSideratum for Easter however
- The combination Of white and red corna-
lions with creamy tinted chips and dama~k
SILK; >tume To be worn with 10 being uni
fcImly fine black cashmere. trimmed with
black SILK in infinitesimal knife pleatingS.
The styles of hats and bonnets are infinitely
varied ana would show real genius il they
were original, but they are almost an exact
reproduction of the Italian modes Of about
The fifteenth century worn by men; one can
md them all in Ristori's "Lucyefid ROrgiu,"
which is correctly cOStumel. Nevertheless
they are picturesque and becoming when the
lace is fair an' the toilette rich and a little
removed from the commonplace. There Is a
great lnasStng of ornament at the back and
under the brim, unless, as i'm eases the brim
IS thrown up from the side OF in front and
then flowers take the place of the feathers
and ieWeled ornaments OF last season.
\ quite new idea is the facing the brim
with shlrrci silk. the shirrs formed with
wires, which are run in an! bent To the shape
like the Old drawn" silk bOnnetS. This full
framing is found very becoming. as il softens
the somewhat too bold effect OF q faring
brim.
The fine, pale cOfee-tinted chips are a nov
city, of which only few have been imported.
and which are, therefore, both scarce and
hlgh. Some call them ECru" chips. but
this Is incorrect, as they have only the tinge
OF bun, which cfedHed coffee has, and show
precisely the same shade of pale amber
brown. There are also two shades of gray in
these fine, flexible French chips-ashes of
roses and lighter pOrr- ash gray sha,je. All
these are trimmed with thick armore or
mattlaSSe scarfS and feathers matching I'm
color, the flowers alone tightening or bright
ening the effect.
There is ;t great rage Tor black and white.
lS well as white ithe unbieached white being
always underStOodl and black English and
ltalian chips and StrawS are FREE uently
trimmed with it entirely, the damask silllen
scarf and flower constituting the principal
part of the trimming, and being all white,
ihey are dreSSy Accomplishments to spring
costumes Of black silk and black cashmere
bat look better when the toilet i solid black
with white necktie, than when made up of
mongrel checks and mongrel colors.
ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS AND EASTER BOU-
DUETS.
Flowers, ii must be said, ha We attained the
utmost perfection of which artificial flowers
are capable. The leaves of the roses can be
blown apart; the white roses tTemble with
the weight Of their own sweetness. Bouquets
OF wild flowers are in high favor. and there are
snowy wreathS composed OF oats, blue corn
flowers. peoples, and marguerites, which are
used unfortunately for large brimmed
hats or fastening back the thin drapery of
trailing dresses. Small flowers are also
much uSed-hedge-bloSSom and the pretty
mysotes, violets in clusters, with tea roses
and trailing vines of the sweet pea or scarlet
HoWering bean. 30 natural that one uncOn-
sciOuSly looks for the homely pods which
should be hanging from them. The new
Hover, however-the ornament pdF en~eHeacr-
is the carnatlOn pink. in red aud also in
white. the two being usually united. These
flowers formed the most beautiful of the
brilliant Easter bouquets, and the most cost
Iy OF The church offerings. for y zen t,.nre j.
run on particular kind of flower the sleek
Is quickly exhausted, and fifty dollars is not
unirequently offered and paid for q single
bouquet. This was the case in an instance
where Easier bouquets, large in size and rare
IN quality, were required for two sisierS-one
al white the other all red. Pare whit and
deep red carnations were furnished AT "A cost
el one hundred dollars TO the donor.
SPRING CLOTHING.
In Tins climate change of Clothing for
spring is almost unnecessary; in fact. it
might be said impracticable. The bitter
cold that usually extends through March
only resolves itself into chilly rains and pos
sible SHOWS in April. When furs are not
needed, rubbers and waterproofs are, until
late in May, when all at once we wake up
some fine morning and find ii is summer. In
twenty. four hours transformation has been
effected as complete as any ever seen upon
the stage; there i blue in the sky and green
upon the earth, the birds are singing. and the
trees covered with pink blossoms. We cour-
ageOuSly keep up the fiction OF a spring. how
ever We talk about spring, and perhaps.
tempted by the beauty of the materials. we
purchase pretty spring dress; but ii is an
use. and We lay IL away. hoping To be able To
utilize II in the autumn. But ALAS by fall
the fashion has changed. and we must be
content 10 be counted among the ''outs," or
buy another dress for middle season purposes.
The camels' hair cloths are the most pop
ular materials for early spring costumes. and
a. remarked in my last, are checked in all
the shades of gray and brown. with frequent
ly bar Of color crossing them at wide inter-
walls. These vary greatly in quality, some
being almost light enough in texture for
summer wear, others thick, yet soft and
rot heavy, yet very warm and serviceable
for changeable weather and for travelling.
well adapted for spring voyage across
the Atlantic, for which they are OF, IN
selected. Plain camels hair, brown AZ gray
IS often enriched with embrSidery, either
blacl or brown, and this detail is Carefully
carried out in tne rest of the toilette All
costumes tnis season consist of an overskirt
and plain basque cut deep, or cuirass Jacket
The design seems to have been mo ieled
strictly on that rule of art or architecture
which states those des'g ns are best which are
composed of the smallest number of parts
and which consequently are likely to neei
the least attention or repair. The new over
skirt requires no cutting at all. II is merely
a straight piece of cloth, or may be made of a
| straight piece, If il is wide enough drawn
| straight around the person. and dranad l., :.