, 1877-07-22
DRESS In LONDON.

having been here stnce before the Franco German
War, will find great change in the mode at
thought of the London popu1acc. That SO
enormous town should ever have had any faint
OF proviuciaism about it seems curious, but 1t is
q well-known faer that until within the past five
or six years the appearance Of my individual in
Regent street or Piccatilly (not to speak Of less
'ccntral locallties), whose dress and bearing did
not in all respects conform to the British model,
was the signal for the gathering OF clan OF
street Arabs, hooting. 1T the "turriner,' while
the battery Of astonishel glances from better
bred pussers-by was equally embarrassing.
Edwin Booth, with hts long, flowing black
hair, aud his soft, broad d-brimncd sonnbreFo,
created almost as much of a sensation on Regent
street as il be bad bce! an Indian in full war
paiut. 1t Is related OF well-known New Yorker
that bciug over here some years ago with his
Wifc he dressed himself neatly from head to
foot in white duck one warm day. The marked
about tho princi pal streets with his wife became
so annuving ut last that he turned round to
bis spouse aud said, It l. there anything about
your dress, my dear, which causes people to
6tarc!''
"I do not know" she replied. fsWhat can
there be out Of tho way in black grcnadine
dress, black lace shawl, and black bonnet
with scarlet rose in it:"
Presently they met an English friend who
frankly burst out into q laugh on seeing them.
that-ha !-ha white linen suit Of yours looks
SO like bath affair or sleeping dress.''
Needless to say how quickly our New Yorker
called cab and got back to Ills lodgings.
An American acquaintance OF tninc who lived
in Paris aud came to London frequently on
business, felt himself compcllca to buy English
hats and keep them stored in his office to put
on the momeut ne got ready to show himself in
London. His Paris mats had brought him too
many lerisiye salusations Of e. H1! FrenchJ!"
s.Doug jour, Mounsir,' to be longer endured.
It was very much the same with the toilet Of
womeu. II you did not wear large black
Spanish lace shawl, pinned at the throat with
brooch Of Scotch pebbles or Irish bogwooti. an
| immense crinoline, a tiny bonnet banging on
the knot vi your hir, your front locks s1noothed
down over your checks aud interfering with
boots, reaching only to the ankle and generally
laced up the inner side, why then it was evident
| you we're not Eug1si,-and not properly drcss-
| Cd. The daughter Of an English friend OF mine
went to Paris undcr the chaperonage Of
family, and while there ordered silk dress OF
parisian dressmaker. It was made las to the
corsagc) Us all dresses arc now lnatlc, smoothly
fitted over tho bust and narrowed in to the
waist, without folds or gathers. Her mother
| was ilorritcd when she saw it, :, 1T hts very
we'll remarked. sc Far too we'll, ~ she ret0rt-
ct sS;.e shall never wear It without 4 sack or
shawl over it'' TIC Inconsistency Of this feeling,
while the deeot{ete dress at dinner and at court
has always been in vogue III England, ia manl-
| fest.
Now, however, there is the greatest liberty Of
| taste allowed in won,en's dress, as there is In
the shaue Of mems hats. The London tall hat
Of this season has q straight crown with rather
| wide brinl, slightly rolling up at the sides;
| but in walk up ana down Regent street you
viii observe dozcn different nationalities in
| hats, some of which arc odd enough to provoke
! q smile. Yet in the huriyburiy, but especially
| On account Of the increase Of the cosmopolitan
feeling in London, they pass, L not without
| mark. Your natty Frcnchman just from the
| boulevards sports q tile with a crown SO bell
shaped it looks top-heavy. Those two cxQu'sites,
I whose hats are provided with hriuss not over au
| inca wide and straight all around, arc young
t bucks from Amsterdam, where their present
| odd lcad-gear is the t0pmost notch Of fashion.
/ Ii YOU ser welt-drcssed man I'm otner respeets}
( who wears on the promenade in the afternoon a
/! variation Of tho genus hat known here as the
| ''b.Ily~cock," you may be sure Lie Is an Ancs'-
As was coming out OF the National Gallery
| in Trafalgar square the other day, met
| party OF three gentlemen, whom shouiu nol
have hesitatcd to hazard something we're
Americans. They were very nice looking, es-
{ uecjally the yo,lngcst,-onc OF those handsome
New York 1'boys - OF ours,-nca1 as . ph' a's
| immaculate clothing 6tt1ug him as il he had
been nodded in it, his shapely hands 1r9shly
[ .1lnvei, and carrying handsome light walking
| switch. but, alas for tho etiquette OF Londo1l
| streets and clubs be wore slouca hat-one o.
those Drigallier- General affairs. which equalgd
the brieadicr-Gcnctals themselves in number IN
war times, and have never entirely lost their
| r,unuIarity since. Our gentlemen like them
| bccn,se they are convenient to wear, soil to TIC
head, are generally becoming, anu aTe no. T. SO 50
| are positively not the C.. 7. (correct tmng}. II
| il rather curious that Americans disl1Re the
| hfeh hat SO much. know Ncw ork gentle
man who buys silk hat once every year-to
31e $r7-- -nfJfiT
| again. When the next year comes arouna ne
buys another and repeats the experience. ct
! when eouiure his image to mJ 1nind's eye (op
| every day but New Year'sl must confess
summon the vision Of @ SomcthlnS 10 OF , Fo"as ~ u,
Influences Of the fashions which surrouno lnc
lust now. No doubt If were in New York
arain / should be shocked at the IDEA oi con-
Meeting the word 'roway Win tns senttGntn !1 "a
would seem all right But know II ! were =
MAJ, and came To- London from New York, my
frst; purchase would hc a high silk hat. An
essential cauon Of good breeding is to elace
(outwardly, ut icast) t9o ptonnnenr n:1ro u .,',
ri INV sort In walking the streets, or IN a
drawffIc-roou1, one should not be too naaitestt}
an American, Frcnehman, a Russian, OF a.
Honaty 9ni i o Sen one my Be q
so pr1uu} may be revealed later, it necessary:
Tic retirement of the Queen from prominence
! IN st,riptv and the SUBSTITUTION In her place ~
rrcat f1cgree OF the Princess Of Wales, has had
m,nrkci intlucncc in Parisianizlng wosnen's
toilet in England. Alexandra is extremely 1 iont'
Of coouettist apparel, and until London court
| dress,narkers had educated themselves up 70
The standard OF the Paris dfelers snc 9IS0ronsi}
| sent for her wardrobe tc the frencn Caoltal,
Now, however, the improvement IS SO gfeat
here that lady can be as we'll dressed n Loaoon
rs she can in Paris If she goes to the r1enl y u
placcs. There is one 'sladtcs' outhtteF" +" II
| Rercut street who exhibits in her Wlndo" no'
| oniy m official certificate OF appointment a.
| dressmaker to the Princess Of wales, out alse
onc from the Princess Mettcrnich, which Is O
| farmorc real value, because i,numcrabe trades
nconin. many of no special ability, flourish tbest
! dinlomas rs purveyors to the itoyal 1am1ly.
an told these certificates can De l'aa lor nattc
OF or 10 pounds by any English trauesnan' tht
| money being among the perqa'sIes ~ o. sais
t,nistress Of the robes, ;" .Woufn OF the oea
chamber" or something. fht6 may pe sca"oa'
| hut it is q r1lmor often heard
very entertaining series oil papers enel1ltt
An American Looking-Giass, ~ anu SAID 70 Ut
! frof, the peu OF our talented countryWonan
Mrs. Louise Chandler Aloulton, is appea1h2
| inst now iu the columns OF paper callca tns
| T;.fj<r. In these articles comment Is mn4e upoi
/ the lack OF taste OF dress displayed ~ EngIsl
womcn when they slip On a seaik1n jacket o7e'
white piouc or d brown Holland dress-cef
ta;nly taste1css, aud, one would think.
| scnse}ess combination. Yet cltu,ate has mncf
tn do With these ways OF doing things: In sa1
| Franc;sco. CITY where the elegance oi iaaies Il
matter which docs not admit OF the sltentes