Evening star., 1876-09-01
buttons necessitstss the use OF numsrous

"
ows of both
Three abreast Is the usual arrangement OF
the latter down the 'front.' of q basque, aud
the number OF rows OF the former upon the
overskirt, cuffs, etc, is limited only by the
taste And means o. the owner.
A single row OF very small buttons down
OF basque gives q sense OF insdequ quscy. aud IL
more cannot be used, 1t y better TO put bows
A great difficulty In regard to the small
buttons Is the time required to sew them on.
and when 10 this is added the necessity OF
making them, that Is or covering the thy
m,Souids; no rom economy or inability to match NJ
labor is increased ten fold.
SMALL AND SLENDER
Fashion lately seems TO have adapted It
self expressly to the small, slender women,
of which America furnishes the type. To be
sure they are not usually short, but neither
are they very tall. American society Is full
OF specimens, among the young women par
ticularly, OF graceful slenderly shaped beau
ties, who would be short, IL they were stout.
and too tall. being thin, II an inch more
were added to their statue, but just as they
are, set of dress to perfection, and are only
spoiled by the addition of padding, big busts
or bustles. Worth Is artist enough 70 under
stand this, and his favorite customers are
two or three young American women.
III the truth were known dare say IL would
be discovered that recent fashions hal been
specially designed 10 suit their peculiarities.
be does not permit such women as he takes
fancy to dress To wear stifr ugly corsets;
but insists upon small satin corsets, clasped
closed 20 the figure, and only surmounted by
an edgfng OF lace or pointed edge of en-
broidery, which outlines but does not cover
the bust and is covered with a fine parcale
or linen cambria corset cover, fitted perfectly
TO the form. Small and slender women ma
iuxuriate therefore In the present styles, for
they seem to have been invented specially
for them, and while the taller and thinner
OF their sex must wear "dress improvers"
and pad or wear large corsets, which gives
nrarr M. Of
aDd slender ana not too tall may depend
wholly upon what Nature has done for them,
and simply prevent art from disdguring
them.
CoLoRs
offer nothing new since last season, except
the different applications OF red to black, and
white or cream color. Evening shades are
tints, as they were last season, faint celestial
blues, creams, water, and moonlight shades.
Day colors have resolved themselves all into
the darkest seal brown, claret, indigo blue
aud black; but brown takes the lead. Nor
do the mixtures OF color and striking con-
Nothing is SD fashionable or SO distinguished
in this country as a rich costume of one shade
OF color, with, recently, the relief, when IL Is
black, or very dark, OF a cream tinted hat
and gloves. But we see for street wear no
cream colored silk vests with DARK silk
dresses, or white polor ses with dark skirts
These, II worn at al, would be reserved for
in-oOors, or at least for carriage costumes
Even the introduction OF high coiors IN the
way OF ribbons, feathers. and gold buttons
will be very sparingly allowed; for there is
nothing that vugar1ZeS n rich dress more
certainly than the presence Of spiashes OF
bold, foreign color. London seems TO be be-
hind rather than ahead Of US In design, for
s1Ik costumes composed Of several shades of
one color are spoken Of as a novelty, while
here they have been common for several
years past.
LONG WAISTS.
The long slender cut given TO the waist
Aoe- k.AA.. -s-a--
has reached its most extreme limit. The
difference OF an inch in a mans nose is pro-
verbal; the difference OF an inch In the
length Of q dress waist not only marks the
difference bstween fashion and the want of
would give as the measure between the sub,
lime and the ridiculous. A waist curved
smoothly over the hips in true May-en-age
style is graceful at least, an inch longer and
IL is not.
The long. sloping waists has rid as OF the
hustle. The fullness, what there is, is
masses oe or rather sa It should be said
little massing OF folds. Princesse Polo
naises are buttoned down the back, far be.
low the lines Of the skirt. are then caught
up, or drawn together, or arranged with
loops or fringe In such way as TO form a
drapery that dtsposes Of itself quite natu-
rally amid the fOunces and furbsiows OF the
Tight fitting basques not being good
"form" for the street, the long plsiu cuirasse
which most girls affect, and ali well formed
half-fttipg jacket, made OF the same dark
material as the dress, but buttoned in 'front.'
while the basque is generally buttoned be-
Portable suit, quite warm enough il toe
Jacket is lined with opera flannel for far
into the winter.
KNIFE PLATING.
Hand made "knife," or nne side plating
will come back to us shortly, reinforced BY
90
Quisite plating which has been 80 common
here 10 hardly TO be seen In Paris, and is
scarcely known beyond certain exclusive
limits IL Is Just beginning to be popular
as . "French" novelty. Certainly. there is
no finishing to silk dress OF medium tex
ture and quality which Is % pretty, so grace
dress In the world for q young girl Of the
slender, chestnut haired, American type, is
dark, navy blue silk, fully trimmed with
only relieved By inside ruches OF white taiie %
at the neck and wrists. The idea OF sucn q
dress is an artistic inspiration worthy Of the
century.
OUR COMBINATIONS"
This year will probably see the last of the
combination suits. They have served one
turn, they have tided US over the worst Git is
hoped) OF the hard times; they have enabled
Us to wear ont our old clothes, put two
now we are tired of them In fact, like other
combinations" IL is not In the nature of
things for them to exist too long, they get
demoralized, and that is exactly what is the
matter with our combination suits. No
Chatham Street dealer could turn out q more
dfsreputable looking lot OF suits and cos
tunes than pass In review upon any fire.
quented thoroughfare. The mixture OF the
old and the new; home made attempts to
copy the intricacies of modern fashionable
style, the rebellious efforts at comfort In
spite OF fashion, and the desperate endeavor
OF poverty to ape the manners OF wealth, are
all written out as plainly as the writing on
the ancient wall, and are grotesQue enough
10 make one laugh, and pftiable enough TO
make one weep. But through It all Is plain
ly seen the death Of the "combination" as Il
at present exists. Perhaps its temperance
under some new form is probable; but GER
tatnly there will be a revival, to some ex-
tent, OF simpler methods.
COLLARS AND CUFFS.
We have one consolation In the midst Of
the confusion OF ideas and the general per-
plexities which exist In regard to dress, and
that Is the sensible solution, for the pres ent
at least. OF the collar and cum question. And
TO certain extent this solves other problems
for us; II preserves the general character Of
the clos0-cut sleeve and the high bodice.
The straight rim Of linen collars, with
small, square corners turned over, but not
rofA Aoe av1H e.