American citizen., 1876-02-26
Hints for Centennial Dresses.

BY these we mean The costumes which
ladies have to get up in order to assist at
the Centennial tea parties, now the favori:e
method for raising charitable funds Some
OF the States are also raising funds for
their buildings on the Centennial grounds
by giving these entertainments in their
principal towns. The costume is easily
made if one has heirlooms in the way of
old dresses to fall back upon; and failing
these. a little ingenuity and patience will
convert modern COSTUMES into old ones
anything Is better than paying high
price for a hired dress; prices in these
commodities being unusually high and
beyond the means of many persons.
1t must be remembered, first of all, that
the Centennial dress is that worn by per-
sons living in Washington's time, charac-
tiers being often assumed for the occasion.
The costumes worn at the Washington re-
ceptions are frequently copied. This was
the dress of Marie Antoinette's time; our
intercourse with France and the presence
of many French mobiles among us helped
to cultivate a taste for elegance in dress
and manners which was already adopted
by the colonies dependent on the
mother country. The style of the time
must not be confounded with the strange
dress introduced by the French women at
the time of the Directory, about twenty
yeaIs later; or the short-waisted and
statuesque robes of Josephine at still
later period Many families have these
dresses in their possession, but they are
not exactly fitted to the Centennial style.
The LOUIS XIV. dress in n modified style
was worn. Pointed bodice with square
neck, finished with ruffies of lace; full
skirt looped over another of different
shade, and opened in front to show trim
mings of lace or quilted satin fronts. The
Watteau train was also in vogue. This
was set at the back of the square neck
in large box plaits, and joined the waist
at the side, usually of damasked or bro
caded material with large figures. For
this a very effective substitute may be
found in the handsome satines used by up
holsterers. Powdered hair, high puffs
and cushions, aigrettes, pearls and flowers
complete the head dress.
Another style observable at the time was
the more severe one of wearing short hair, ,
falling naturally on the shoulders with
| this a square cut waist, and handkerchief
crossed on the bosom, and rather tightly
fitting skirts, make a dress resembling
Nine. Roland's.
The most charming, albeit the most
simple, of these Centennial dresses Is as
| follows: A black or brown dress, Quaker
| like in cut; a folded white handkerchief
across the open bodice; a Martha Wash
ington cap, easily made by allowing a full
crown of muslin TO be drawn in on a wire
to fit the head, and finished with plated
ruffle and ribbon tied in bow ON top
and at the back. This, with powdered
hair, black ribbon around the throat,
and old fashioned earrings, make be-
coming and coquettish dress, which holds
its own among the richer and more elabo-
rate costumes. And it has special
charm of its own; it recalls the image ol
Americas noblest women, who, in the
day of their cOuntry's struggle, set aside
the fashions and extravagances of the old
er nations, adopted simpler manners and
chaster costumes, as it became the wives
and mothers of heroic and self-sacrifcine
men to do. And the nearer to the truth
we keep in our reproductions of theil
dress, the more truly shall we set forth the
spirit of that time which we are now sc
proudly commemorating.- Y. Eoenina
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