Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-05-19
EecentricIties of Fashion.

New York Euening Post: When flounce;
are called ''gusts of wind" and fringes
FLAMES of fire." when fashionable colors are
spoken of seriously as ''cheveux de la RENE, u
sang de taureau," .'coq en- colere," OF
r0se,, "exces d'emotion," one is inclined to be
lieve that the heads OF the women of fashion
have been turned by some strange fancies.
When these colors are familiarly spoken of,
without beng translated into good sound
English, the result is sometimes ludicrous;
clerks and dressmakers have the names at
their tongues ends without knowing their
meaning or understanding their subtle sug-
gestiveness, and the result is a sort of Choc-
taw from which one unearths the well-meant,
though absurd, foreign nomenclatures. The
tender green of the linden blossom as ex-
pressed in ''hleul," as It'll" becomes the
familiar nickname to Matilda, and means
nothing; this seasons "biche," which paints
to the eye the coloring of the deer, takes on
the meaning of vulgar word, much abused,
and suggesting only the female of the canine
breed. But to prove that history repeats it.
self, even In so small thing as the names of
fashions, We quote a passage from an old
English magazine published in London
In 1893. The September number of that
year has in it a translation from the French
mother, who seems to have reproved her for
too great fondness for the follies of the day.
The young woman cleverly answers the re-
proof by hunting up and quoting the fash
ions OF her grandmother young days. ITO
convince you, " she says, that she is no worse
than the young women of other times, II
need only to transcribe a description of the
fashions as written from Paris in a letter from
my great-grandmother, to which you will
certainly agree, and which l found among
some old papers," Here is her citation:
"The ladies dress their heads very high, with
a toupet in front, and the hair cut in brush.
The point of the toupet, which projects on
the forehead, is called the physiognomy; the
curls on each side, which are very large and
separated, are denominated attentions. The
bonnets are of great size and ornamented
with flowers and English ribbons. OF these
bonnets there are two hundred different
kinds, from ten livres up to one hundred in
price. The lunches of feathers are of pro-
diglous size; when they are white plume of
the color of the dress is worn with them,
or one of Jet black. The most fashionable
color for the robe is called the queens
hair next to it in repute is puce color.
Straw-colored satin is very much worn,
trimmed variously with gauze, lace or fur.
They reckon above one hundred and fifty diff
ferent kinds of trimming. Next come painted,
brocaded satins, each one of which has
name. The most fashionable is 'smothered
sighs;' apple-green, striped with white, is
also much In favor; it is called lively shep-
herdess.' The following are the names of the
most celebrated styles: 'Indiscretion, grand
repute, preference, vapors, sweet sigh
ing, agitation, regrets, honorable compo-
sition.' Hoop pettlcoats are very small;
slippers are puce colcr, or queen 8 hair 1t
Is this part of the dress which most particu
larry distinguishes the magni6cence of our
fashlonables. They are embroidered with
diamonds, and it is thus that they are almost
universally worn. Ladies dare not show
themselves now unless their feet are like
boxes of jewelry. The slippers are long and
narrow; the stripe behind is ornamented with
jewels. Nantes are banished. Instead of
a neck-handkerchief they wear swans
down tIppet, which they call a cat
Thus every woman has a cat on her neck.
At the back of the shoulders they have
devices of lac gauze, or blonde, very thlckly
plated; this is named the 'Archduchess Med
icis, Henry w. or high-collared ruff. The
ribbons most In fashion are attention, don't
despair, 'eye-dejected, the sigh of Venus
instant conviction A lady was lately at
the theater In a robe OF smothered signs, or
namented with vain regrets, with point In
the middle of perfect candor, slippers of
queen hair embroidered with diamonds In
perfdious strokes; her hair Curled in super
refined sentiments, with bonnet of perfect
conquest, adorned with wild feathers, ribbons
of eye-dejected, with cat on her shoulders
of the color of strangers, a departing Medi-
cls and a muff of momentary agitation"
When the mind devo;es itself solely to the
matter of dressing, the result is about the
same In all ages of the world.
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