The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-07-27
The Dress of the Natives.

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER FROM THE DUCHESS
OF FANDANGO TO HER SISTER IN PARIS.
While I will not deny that American
ladies are often prcttily and tastefully at
tired, do assert that they seem to lack one
essential element Of good taste: percep-
ton OF the fitness Of things. They adopt
foreign fashions without caring whether
they are suitable or not; nor are they the
least solicitous to select the fashions in
vogue among the classes to which they be-
long. Every American woman considers
herself the equal OF any woman IN the Old
World, and consequently only the fashions
OF the nobility are thought worthy OF imi-
tation. TO descend to particulars, a
modiste produces French print OF q
morning dress. 1t is made OF rich mate
rial, with a long train, and opens IN front
to display richly embroidered white I'M
dcrskirt. The French lady dons this dress,
and leaving her dressing-room walks
through her boudoir to her breakfast-room
adjoining. Breakfast over, she may conde-
scend to see the servants who await her or
ders, or send them through her butler. Her
American sisters, charmed with the beauty
of the fashion-plate, immediately made it
their own. The lady residing In the brown
stone-front has something made which re-
sembles it quite closely. But that lady's
bedrooms are in the third story cher parlors
being on the sccond) and the train must de-
sccnd many Il step before she reaches the
dining-room. Breakfast over, it must sweep
into the kitchen, unless she intends to go
without dinner that day, for cook must be
looked to and directed. II an early morn
ing visitor should call the lady may be seen
later, in the same costume, ut the front door,
showing out her guest. How foreign lady
al in 11O1fP
cochere it is impossible to say, for do not
think one ever found herself there unless
her hotel was on fire and she had to fly for
her life.
Like a pebble thrown into stream the
fashions plate descends, and widening cir
cles mark its course. In the outer one we
generally recognize itas made from an old
dress, and when it appears at the front door
it is sometimes drawn together to conceal
what represents the embroidered petticoat.
Our French friend at visiting hours, it she
wears train, invariably has her carriage at
the door to carry it as well as herself, but
the native American wears it boldly, with
out page or equipage.
Time was when the mention OF train
suggested the audience chamber OF queen,
but now its dignity has departed. But VINO
would forego that appendage! Does not
the working-girl dream that il hers is very
long, she may be mistaken for lady out for
walkp Shall not the wife OF an American
mechanic have the privilege OF holding hers
up with one hand while she carries her baby
or draws q bucket OF water with the other!
We have seen this convenient costume in the
wilds OF Jersey as we whirled along in the
cars. We have seen it going down to the
lighthouses at the sea-shore. We have seen
it in the kitchens Us robe de matron,
for surely il cooks best suit Is Of the
same pattern as that OF her employer, why
should not her working-dress be also! We
must add that with the usual lack Of judy
ment alluded to above we have never seen
it made OF any material proper for sweep
ing the crossings. 1t strikes us Is rather
inconsistent that a people who are always
Boosting of their freedom should bow their
necks SO submissiyely to the tyranny OF
what they consider fashion. We should
think their homes would be much more
comfortable il they could be brought to ac-
knowledge that even in this favored country
different states Of life do exist and that
styles OF dress should ditfer.-Philadelphsa
Times.
..