Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-01
NEW YORK FASHIONS,
The Social Season. Balls aud Hall
Toilets. New Grcctan Bend, Walk.
INK Costumes. etc.
From Or O,tn OO7reqosEn,.l

and the two prec, ding are crowded a. much
OF gayety, dressing and Fashionable desrrip p
tion as can very well be contained in that
space Of time. and the beginning OF Lent
finds society women as thoroughly wora ont
and exhausted by the mere labor OF seeiug
people, changing their dresses, with the as
s.stance of a maid ,goirg from place Ia place
staying up al night, and worrying over their
aDxieties in the morning, as IL they were
vasherwomen aud had to 20 out daily and
earn their own and their childIel's bread
ard butter, or bread without butter. For il
is rot all plain railing: they have 10 put
their hands ia their poke; every moment
but do not always find the purse Of Fortu-
natus there. They cannot change their Sty le
of living, nor perhaps does II seem really nc
cessary That they should DO so. Yet the -
fects OF the rich mariS panic" bears heavily
upon them. The demands are greater than
ever, the income much smaller, aud the bills
therefore very grudsingly paid by the head
OF the house. Hundreds Of apparently rich
women In New York, who ride in Iheir car
riages, and appear In their boxes at balls ana
operas, have not n dollar of money in tn
world 10 expenG as they please. Sttll, II f-..
carriage rs there, ard the maid Il there
dress their hair and arrange their drauar-
properly, and II credit is good a. the Ia
millinery and dry goods house there is not .
much difficulty. The real trials coIhe 10 tho.
who are Obliged 10 preserve an APPEARANCE 81
wealth ON means when are daily gFow.a-
smaller ard more prcCarious. Appearance
10 be maintained, Invitations accepted, agJ
no money FOR gloves, carriage hire. or new.
shoes, no possibility OF new dresses. or eve.
OF freshening up lie Old ones with "a -Stinss.
alittie ribbon aud flowers.
Obliged 10 forcEO the pleasure or wearing
even lie pretty evening dress, which Wa
got late last winter, and stick 60 the hprrif
cd black Six, or. worse stan. venCrsria
velvet, because pretty iElt evening ures rt,
require pretty white ShC-s. and a genera.
care ard dehcacy in tICa-tt.ls % the tot
ictte which. in the abSeCr- ~ tEHdS. H. is inn
possible 10 beS'ow upon them. NIL 'rl- Hr
dollars and thousands OF institutions are 90.
voted 10 2melio.alng The condition or IA.
very poor, wijrOut much appare1t5-aSr ' To-
for the poor, viii siwsys bapOpT. but TIilk
II were an AStOr, or a kOi lSclfli. or a / sly
Burtett Counts. / should look 10Y fna .srl
spectacle" poor aud Al unexpected time,
drop in upon them with the help which
would lift them ont % their dark places.
BALLS AND BALL TCILETTES.
a ball j. really IN "a large city, q very I'M
lOTtaut matter TO al concerned. % peciltIV
The great Charity balls. which are the 0dty
public ones 10 is co, Slderat proper o. attend.
TIE cost OF the great "CLarlI-" BAH iglve.
for tie benefit or the Nureor- a 81 Cl-Il's
HospiiaD 10 some persons WOClI support a
poor family for year.
IN The first place hundred dollars is paid
for hCN. tFeu new tGilp.teS are uttered
from WORMS, aUd dollhouse flowers Tor
every member OF The party, yet the items 30
IMPORTANT 10 less wealthy people IN EUch a
case Rs this, are all left ont: that = 10 say.
the carriage, the E3ipireSElrg. aud Btlr:
minor matters. which seem 50 insignificant,
but which in the aggregate, and especially
If often reDCated, cost no trifiiDg sum. u j.
serious affair 10 young gentleman, who
upon salary OF Si,J00 per year
lives lin an attic. IL Is trUel in a fashionable
boarding house, on fast iOnable avenue.
keeps himself In irreprC2cE able collars sni
necktiCS, boots and gloves, ard has 10 wear
his dress coat nearly every evening. The
agonles that those poor fellows suffer no
tongue can tell, and IL is safe 10 say that al
least half the usual calling upon young
ladies' has been given NJ during the present
winter IN consequence or pecuniary inahil-
lty TO meet the requirements Of escort 10
ball or party.
II girls were willing 20 accept the situa-
ton they would have much better times,
but no, they must all be treated alike, one
must have everything that another has. the
carriage, the bouquet, the supper, invol wing
the expenditure OF nearly a weeks salary.
and so, though many are willing 10 be called,
but few are chosen.
BALL ToILETrEs.
The senSeieSs fashions and habits o. tne
majority OF American people are 70 where
more plainly eNempiifed than IA a bail
room. The girls are all dressed like married
women. There is none OF that distiu Give
ness which characteristics the costumes 81 the
letter class IN France, or thai due, and cul-
tiyated taste, which renders simplicity in
young girl obligatory. Tneir trains are As
long, they wear as rich fabrics, and as costly
Jewels as their manners, and they REQ liTe for
the proper arrangement OF their drapary,
fingers as practised as those which place in
artistic position, the attire of a prin ,ess.
Combinations OF heavy silk, with s6tla
decoration of point lace aud diamonds are
lot uncommon in the attire OF quite young
girls, and OF course these render neces.a Nv a
thousand other extravagsnces. II young
unmarried women Wore shorter simple
dresses; il they were less exigent in the mat
ter OF carriages and other costly accesSoi les:
If IN short with the passion o. which they
MAKE pretence for the old styles, they
would for a time at least, take up the old
habits, they would ind their opportunities
for enjoyment greatly increased as wei a.
their chances in the matrimonial market.
COMBINATION EVENING DRESSES.
A very serious mistake IS often made
by persons IN combining several shades OF
one color in evening, especially ball dresses.
While very beautiful, Ii well designed and
executed, for day wear, they are rarely effec-
tive by gas light. The reason is mat the dir
terent shades do not light up equally well.
and the result is that either a preponderance
OF one or the death OF the whole. This is
particularly the case with the blues and
greys, the colors generally selected for COM
biz alton. Tue result has been so marked
this season that bail room is enough 10
send shiver through an imaginative person.
Instead Of an assemblage OF gay contrasts
and striking colors, looking like parterre
OF flowers, The general effect OF the ain yrelt
shades of grey, the watery green's ana pale
blues has been CHASTITY, if not ghost ", any
thing, indeed, but enlivening. Mos OF me
toilets seem 10 have been constructed with
next summers wear, one can count on ones
fingers In any assemblage the dresses that
have been made for, and are strictly appro-
pirate 10 the occasion. The all white
or cream white are nearly always the pref
test il they are properly relieved with Or ight
variegated flowers. a fine combination OF
black and white is also effective, or black
and pink, good contrast being much better
under the glare OF the gaslight than a mere
combination OF shades. Decided single colors,
or color upon color, as, for example, ruby
q a nv q Nr ffah
mite impression. but IL affords no special
opportunity for artistic design. II is, how
ever, always safe, and therefore In the con-
struction OF ball dresses IL may be consid-
cred best as a general rule either to select a
single color, or combine two as, for Instance,
fawn and pink, dove color and blue, salmon
and maroon, cream and brown, black and
white, or ivory white with natural lOwers.
Black looks well with almost any color ex-
cept brown, but English pink specially aud
pale, not tco pale blue.
The most charming toilettes for girls are
white upon white, or all white with natural
flowers; or color upon color, as Eglt pink,
blue, or green, with white flowers, or a mix-
ture OF white and red incarnations. or roses.
Evening dresses for yorng girls SHOULD be
made OF light glace silk, II OF silk at all,
rather than heavy failles, and corded fabrics,
and mounted with gauZe, paffed upon the
first, and draped at the back, the silk form
ing lengthwtse IOyIS between. The SIX and
gauze should be arranged alternately as