Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-05-03
FASHIONS FOR NAY.
tFToia Or Oscn Correspondent. |
n

! about, there has been many weddings this
| spring, and a wedding is no small affair now
adays; IL costs a small fortune.
| can remember when $500 prov ded quite a
| nice outfit; a handsome travelling, which was
also the bridal dress, a tea rose silk for re-
| ceptiOn dress. a black silk, an Irish pOplin,
(which was fashionable then1 two pretty
morning dresses, a black mantelet OF silk
and lace, and small articles al 6lTi,rsiits,n
| Aagirls belonging 20 we'll to do families had
| stock OF underclotbing OF their own making
In those days, and the articles enumerated
| were sufficient addition TO the simple but
! serviceable wardrobe OF the daughter Ofa gen.
tieman and gentlewOman.
| now, $500 Is the price put upon the trOus-
| seau of doll at fair, and the sum would be
| considered moderate for the wedding dress
alone of the daughter of a fashionable boot
| maker or successful tailor. Not that the
boot maker and tailor are not or may not be
gentlemen, but oddly enough it is persons
| who are or have been engaged in trade who
! row have the most money and who dress the
most extravagantly.
Clara We're de We're is married quietly in
| her ancestral halls in an embroidered muslin
| which was brought from Paris ages ago; but
| The daughter OF the man who has supplied
the house OF We're de We're with meat for the
| past twenty-five years has grand wedding
| in church, is accompanied by six brides
| maids, and wears dress of white satin and
| lace and flowers, which cost five hundred
dollars AT the very least. Who shall saw
| there is not compensation in this life when
the good things-these are the good things
are they nOt?-fdll To the lot OF the artisan
| and the toiler instead of the heirs of a genoa
logical tree. Ten thousand dollars would not
cover the cost of several trOusseaus finished
| since Easter for brides of substantial merit
though no special social position; but, as
married women with money and time To de-
| vote TO societies and institutions and fairs,
| il will not be difficult for them to achieve
that; and thus IL is that the name and some
what pronounced taste of Mrs BilDerry Bar
nacie stands as the representative of Ameri-
can leadership in fashion, while the high and
refined de NprCS fade and Ar N mn
seen.
The essential vulgariiy OF fashion is evil
dent now from the fact that only money can
relieve II; only the possessOr of millions can
or ought 10 afford the cutting up and piling
Oh OF rich fabrics; the adding silk upon silk
and lace upon lace, gathering il in deStruc-
tive pleatings and punches, trailing il in the
highways and by-wayS, and its form with
the frequency of the views in q Kaleidoscope.
There was a time when fashion was re-
StTicted TO simple designs, when the Il fer
ence between the high and the low was little
more than choice in color and fneness of
material; now, dress is absolutely a matter
Of dollars and cents. The amount of material
required is enormous; the using it up requires
the labor of days and weeks the disposition
Of the drapery demands the services of
maid, and the aggregation and amount of
money equal to the whole of what even
quarter of a century ago would have been
considered a large family expenditure. 1t is
not unusual for dry goods DIN for a year TO
amount To from ten TO fifteen thousand dol
lars, the dresSmakeTS bill to as much more,
and the milliners bill, including flowers, 10
at least half that sum. This is common with
persons of large income, and only these,
therefore, can compete for the social prestige
which leadership in fashion gives.
OFF TO EUROPE.
The dr0lH cOuTieTS OF the annual European
exodus are the buyers of the great houses
who, early in the summer, start out TO pur-
chase in the European marts for the fail and
winter season, and in the winter. in like
manner, travel across the ocean 10 purchase
for spring and summer. This year these
birds of passage have taken flight several
weeks earlier than usual, on account of the
changes, the revolution indeed, which has
taken place in the manufacture of silken
fabrics: The new damasks, silks and rib
bOns the soft serge and armure silks; the
Open-meshed prientals; the basket woven
Mexicaines. plain and checked, have given
an impulse absolutely startling to the trade
IN such articles OF luxury, and have set the
looms at work night and day at all the great
European centres of the silk manufacturing
interest. or course il is here "a every where
first come first served. The buyers that are
first on the ground secure preferential
choice, and sometimes the control for their
houses of certain leading styles: and when it
is question OF expensive novelties there
fore, of which the manufacturers will not
risk too large supply, il is highly impor
tant in order to obtain the best, To he on
hand in time, and, If possible. in possession
of the gold which is to secure the prize.
The current which has set for a long time
tohaye taken turn and with il the designs
viii change. The infinite complications in
dress of late years have generally been de-
signed with view of giving character to
plain self colOred fabrics. The new soft thick
silks and damaSks possess a character OF
their own which is best displayed by more
therefore as fashion, spite of its apparent
lunacies, generally has method in its mad
ness. We may look forward to important
modlhca!lons by next fall Of the present
putty and patchy styles.
On general principles il SC not advisable
ior ladies vino intend maKIAg trip TO
Europe to purchase on their arrival. 4 bet
ter way and the most economical in the end
Is n provide an old dress for the voyage a
suit 10 bloom out in at the end of 1t, a change
from this ~ meet travelling emergencies,
and stick to th.nSe till they reach home again
A suit OF handsome silk and ds'oD dele or
cashmere well made WI be newer in style
and more satisfactory than anything which
could be bought of hand without knowledge
or experience of the merits OF the rival can
didates for patronage. Sight should
De attended 10 first, and shopping left till the
last, III just previous to. returning home,
and then it Is chance if they do not find
their pretty things anticipated by their
lIlends or in the shops at home. This. how
ever, is not so important matter. 1t may
be true that the rarest and choicest corals
are sent TO Paris and New York. and are not
TO be found in Naples; il may be true that
prett1er ''charIns can be purchased for
lady's watch chain than those found for a
franc OF two outside the buried cities of POM
peii and lierculaneum, bat il is something
to say, Il bought this set Of Roman gold at
coral for mere nothing in Naples and these
charms from one who manufactured them
from the lava which encrusted the dead past
and hid it from human sight and knowledge
for centuries
TRAVELLING DRESS.
III is very common practice among ladies'
who go abroad to buy on arrival common
ready made suits and dresses on puTpose for
travelling" No Create mistake could be
made. Flinsy materials look miserably be-
lore one stage OF the journey is over, are a
source of continual trial and mortificati ton
and drop out OF existence altogether before
their purpose Is accomplished.
One really handsome black silk suit is
worth dozen cheap ones, and this should be
supplemented by second black silk skirt,
plain one OF good mohair alpaca which takes
up hardly any room, drdp d etc costume or
Princess polonaise, gray tweed polonaise,
and couple Of skirt waists for warm days,
OF brown and white batiste. This is suffi-
cient In the way of dresses for a six months
tour, with the addition of a morning wrap
per- For the rest black English straw hat,
dark green veil, q pair of pebble walking
boots, and gOssamer waterproof will be
found valuable items in an outfit and should
not be forgotten or neglected.
THE SUCCESSES OF THE SEASON.