Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-06-02
FASHIONS FOR JUNE.
New Styles i'm SHIFTS and COstum e..
IFFOna Our Ulen COFTtsp7adcat
NEW YORK. Nav. ISL

- PROMISE OF III on the EARN, IN the ar
and sky, and so started out the other day
to see what new things had come to greet it,
and report accordingly; for one does not learn
much III regard 10 fashion from the street or
the shop windows. Women walking are as
alike as two peas-equally tied back in a
bunch at the back, equally indiStingushable
ana equally, and one would say, horribly I'M
comfortable.
There is a total change from the fashions
OF last summer: but few ara aijuSted to them
hence dire confusion. Moreover. by the
time they begin to see their way through
ana con2ra tulate themselves that they have
something 10 wear "like other people, pres
TO change, and all is chaos again.
The result of this system is seen in the bar
gains which are now offered al the great fur
nish1ng and dry goods stores. Polonalses in
rich raw silk ana in silk and velvet are of
fered for twelve and fifteen dollars without
obtaining purchaser, which last year sold
for sixty and seventy dollars. The waste OF
material and workmanship is simply dread
ful, for they are beautifully made and of the
richest fabrics. But this is part of the price
we pay for novelties, and it explains why
dry goods dealers require a heavy percent
age on made up garments.
Whatever there is that is desirable seems
Tins season to be in material There is no
variety and nothing prac teal in design.
Why do not fashion makers turn their at
tention TO form and invent styles for the diff
ierent purposes for which dress is needed?
Just now we have the tablier straight or
rounded, and jacket or basque, and That is
all. 1t is that or nothing.
Linen Is made up into suits consisting OF
skirt, apron jacket; the latter loose, jockey
iSh, the former heavily trimmed with pleat-
ings and the apron requiring sash, which is
lncOngruous, always Ill assorted, does not lit
III anywhere, and is a nuisance generally.
PolOnaiSes have gone out. There is moth
ing in linen between the skirt apron. over
skirt and jacket, and the ulster" which
can only be worn as a buster, but which NAV
he recommended 10 ladies i'm the country
who ride TO the station and want loose
cool garment TO protect them from the dust
of country roads.
There are embroidered linen and cambria
suits unmade, but who would dare make into
skirt and poiOnaiSe when not n pOlonaiSe is
To be seen? What has become of Them? Why
they have been cut over. The top has been
cut off below the wSist line to form basque
and the skirt part turned hind side before
and rounded OIL into an apron or else gath
cred up and ''draped" at the back. Talk
about extravaganza, there are no women in
the world who cOntTive 10 dress faSbionab,y
upon so little money rs Americans, but they
are lavish of their own time and strength to
accomplish 1t. The effect of a new fashion is
something magical. The transformation is
effected in one night, but they sit up all
night TO do il. We have morning dresses, in
which there is very little change year after
year, and bathing dresses, which are the
same, but we have no walking or stylish
dress 1.-THE most necessary of all since we
have got rid of the polonaiSe suit, the most
sensible street costume ever invented. Per-
maps to the masses Of women ii does not mat
ter so much as yet, the majority of those to
whom variety in dress is necessary have
time To dress for the street as if they were
going 10 party but there are women vino
have not, busy women, business women, and
of these, fashion this year takes no account.
She makes them feel their utter unftness to
live.
ECRU LACE COSTUMES.
The only summer costumes proper, that is
simple oyerdresses, which are displayed now
that ii is too late for cashmere are in
or ribbon,) but principally ecru, dead
buff These costumes consist Invariably of
tablier and sleeveless jacket fastened down
the front or back with silk bows and worn
over silk dress TO match. Black, brown or
1luc, with ccru over the fdvOrite cDmbina-
lions, and the parasol of the same shade of
Tx, is covered with ecru lace TO match. 1t
in these silk and lace costumes c0plpIet
that ladies 60 TO ride i'm the park, in these
iOvely, latter May and early June days.
Tier chip or Panama hats, encircled with
cream colored scarfs, damaS ked in coral pat
tens and with trails Of flowers with back
grouDd OF tinted foliage. But they are not
suited to work, or neglige country wear
They require perfection in detail and a
means of lOcOmotion very different from the
democratic omnibus and street car. This
ecru lace is really a very beautiful material,
ard II is pity IL is not better adapted to
purposes of ordinary wear Young girls NAV
utilize IL by putting it over blue, aud in its
highest shades over pink batiste, but batiste
excepting for simple suits and morning in
door wear, is not admissible for mar
ried ladies whose tOilettes are required
to be richer and more expensive.
black grenadine, but IL is supplementary to
the costume, which is complete without it,
OF course ecru lace is not used for skirts, but
III often forms part of the trimming alter
nately with silk pleatings or fiounces, or
forms supplementary flounces and trimming
for the corsage. In addition to the ecru, there
Is The white and unbleached white en-
brOidery, which. makes beautiful toilets in
conjunction with pale tinted silk, white or
brown foulard or white ecru lawn. One OF
the most stylish designs in which these COM
binatfOns are displayed is a princess over
dress, shaped over the hips with broad in
Sertion of the solid fabric, which is covered
with the open embroidery. The tops of the
sleeves are finished in the same way. and the
skirts are very fully trimmed with fine knife
pleatlngs OF the plain fabrics, and fiounces
of the embroidery put on without much full
ness.
1t must be understood, however, that al
though dresses have very much the same
general appearance, yet hardly any two are
made exactly alike. The combinations are
as varied as the tastes of individuals and the
ingenuity of mOdistes can make them; and
while some are examples Of artistic skill
others are sad specimens of ambitious fail,
ures.
BLACK FOR SUMNER WEAR
BLACK has become such a necessity for
street wear that black linen is reSorted TO.
and made up into very striking costumes by
the application OF fine machine embroidery
only two kinds of embroidery are fashlon-
ably used-ecru and white-and these are
employed for the edges OF fiounces inc ruf
fling reserved for the trimming of sleeves
and basques, precisely the same as the navy
blue linens of last year and also OF the pres
ent season,
In PEASANT, if may be remarked that
neither blacks nor navy blues should ever
be washed at home, unless by an exception
ably good laundress. They shouid be
taken 10 a French laundry, and, If good quail
ity, they will then be turned out equal TO
new. The reckless and lazy soap and-soda
process known as washing by nine tenths of
the Bridgets will ruin any fabric in time and
no color can stand it. Navy blue linens
have lost caste here on that account and
few ladies dare to buy them, knowing that il
would be destructive to submit them TO the
ordeal Of the washtub. To safely wash them
no soap should be used, but a couple OF pota-
toes grated into terid soft water, latter hav-
ing been washed and peeled,) into which
previously teaspOOnful of ammonia has
been put. Wash the linens (black or bIue,)
in this and rinse them in cold blae water.
They will need no Etarch and should be dried
and ironed on the wrong side. An infusion
OF hay will keep the natural color in buff
linens and bran in brown linens and prints.
1t also served like the potato for starch.
Black grenadines are more and better worn
than ever, but they are more expensive than
ever before. The later summer importations