Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-02-01
WAsHINGTON FASHIONS AND so-
CTETY.
Dress az Home and Abroad.
IrRoM OUR OWN CoRREspoNpENrl

NEW hOhh, January >.
There was time when Washington fashion
and society cNerted a much more decided and
definite influence upon the country 1T large
than they have of late years, aud this WAS
mainly owing Ia the superior character and
culture of the women who occupied the post of
honor The early PrcSid, ntS of the republic
were men of high standing and SUPERIOR A.
tainmentS, whose wives were drawn from a
rank equal 10 or socially superior 10 their own.
and who were therefore qualified i'm mauy
ways to lead in matters pertaining To- high aud
distinctive social ana domestic life. Such
women aS Mrs. Adams. Mrs Madison. Mrs.
| Washington, and others. must have made 4
marx IN amy community, and when CalIrd To
! I'll the highest place which can he occupied by
any woman in this country, were naturally
looked up 10 as examples for other women Ia
follow. But II Is not too much 10 Say that of
| late years the highest places have been filed
| ny q dlnelent class OF men and women: the
men nave represented force, and the accidents
ot circumstance rather than superior culIlre:
| and the women have been Of such a Kind as
are usually chosen by men whose lives have
| grown up out of hard, early conditions and
| Who have not had either the capacity
| Of their husbands or the opportunities
| afforded by close contact with many
| They have, therefore, simply accepted wha
| they found. and tried 10 conform 10 II. each m
| her own way, hut have none of the influence
naturally and involuntarily eXeTted by grace
and intellect cultivated, and trained To a clear
| sense ot lis own individuality and power.
Added 10 these conditions Is the fact that
Washington has no specific center Of gravity,
and Is therefore most unpromSing field FOR
| operations. Ii is moving Kaleidoscope. a
panorama, With no central orbit around which
| the whole system evolves, but rather a coIlec-
non OF mete"iS which fash upon the sight aud
| then fy OF into space, no one knows where.
| thus II has come Ia pass that Washington,
| me capltai OF the country, renowned for the
| taste of its women in dress. the center of 4
| mighty growth in art in science and indus
| trial nTOurpSS- has Influence N ~
! taste, of social science, or even etiquette. The
| etiquette OF Washington Is the etiquette of the
| official circle. or the diplomatic" circle
| and the dress is the outcome of Paris, of Lon
don, of Vienna. of New York of Berlin aud
Other great cenlerS, but really deprives Wash
mgton ot a character of its own, while is
| dlNerNlieS IL aS a spectacle TO the stranger
THE SEASON" IN THE CAPITAL.
| 1he system OF receiving in Washington dur
ing The season which enables any one to caI
| upon the families OF the representatives of
| government on certain days, fills the streets
With persons IN every Imaginable style of cos
tune There are grand ladies in regulation
| calling costume, who, perhaps, have no car
| rage, and cannot afford always te hire one
| There are the wives of minor officials, To
| whom the calling" business has become a
| nuisance and bore, who are obliged 10 wear
! simple dress, or content themselves with
such crude attempts as they can make on
| their own account, to give il a more ConSpic-
| Gus character. There are visitors from
| abroad, and visitors from the wildS of our
| own country, Who each carry about with
|
| habits, manners, customs and idi0SyncraSieS,
| and lastly the professional women. who are
| gradually forming a class of their own, and
| compelling their dress TO obey the modest and
| sensible requirements of an anomalous and
| somewhat difficult position. All these differ
ent classes, characters and individualilieS
| make the streets OF Washington unlike those
| OF any other city in the world, and create di-
| NeISlIy whose phantaSmagOrical changes de-
| pIlyes II OF character and influence
| The calling dress upon official occasions is
| or should be. the ordinary visiting dress Of
| polished life IN any well bred community 1t
| may be composed OF the very richest cOmbi-
| nation in fabric, but il should be always dark,
| and mc0nSpicuOuS in color, the relief 10 this
| uniformity OF color being afforded by the lace
at the throat, the delicate tint of the gloves,
| and perhaps OF the bonnet.
The most beautiful, becoming and suitable
| costumes for this purpose are the cOmbina-
| tiOnS OF dark velvet with faille. There are
| many as costly, perhaps more expensive COM
| blhaliOnS in costumes of figured velvet. with
! plain, Of plain velvet with brOcade. of velvet
! with rich embroidered silk and the like: but
| there are none that for perfect adaptability,
| begin 10 compare with the rich, plain Lyons
| velvet in very dark shades of wine color and
| violet, trimmed with thick taie, matching in
| shade, OF showing a skirt of the silk well
| trimmed. and sleeves the plain, cOat-slape, of
| which is now So handsomely relieved by the
| stately falling cuffs of deep real lace.
| Figured suifS, il is necessary always to
| remember, Increase the apparent size, rub
| and are injured by contact, catch dust and
! hold it. and are therefore better adapted for
|
| the many chances thai wait upon the broad
| light OF day and the open thOrOughfare The
| sPleGdOr Oi embroidery and brocade Of raised
| stitch, and embossed hgure Is therefore more
| frequently, as well as more properly seen in
! elegant dinner dresses, in the striking conn
positions for evening wear r. than ia the really
| for more publicly ccremonlouS occasions.
GRAND TOILETTES.
| Washington itself has no great shops, no
| Well known mOdStSS. few ladies think OF buy
| ing articles of lmnprTlnpp there we'll
| tG-dO resident who does not purchase in or
! send TO New York, buying in Baltimore,
| where are some very large and complete mag
aZineS, and where taste is as undisputed as
| are the traditions OF its wealth and former
| grandeur. Still no where are seen So many
| rich novel and beautiful toiettes as in Wash
| ington, for the reason that here are first dis
| played SO many of the grand costumes brought
! from the great fashion centres of Europe aud
| America, the superb trOuSseauS Of wealthy
| brides, and the stately splendOrs of the wives
| and families of the foreign diplomatic corps.
| All there Is ot beauty, style, elegance, and
| fashion is found in Washington during its sea-
! sen, but not so much as part of Washington it
| self, as combination from every other part Of
! America, and even from the world at large.
| IL is quite easy 10 distinguish also between
| the grand danes of society and the new com
erS into the charmed circle. for the latter like
! very young ladies from al great American
| cities, are attlred in the latest STYLES, and
| newest most Respondent fabrics. Older and
| greater ladies'. however, give more indiyidu-
| ality To their attire; they adhere more closely
! They like TO call their dresses gowns and
! have them of one rich fabric, overlaid perhaps
| with real old lace or needle work, hut they de
! SpiSe combinations and modern pTetenSeS and
! shams, such as oyeTSkirts and long pOlonaiSes
| have made popular.
| To give descriptions of special toletteS is
| simply TO reiterate an Oft-tOld tale. The pret-
| tIeSt dresses worn by debutantes, are cut low
| and square, and are either of white diaphO-
| nous material, trimmed with fringeS of How
! ers, white silk or satin, mixed with damasse,
| and trimmed with frlngeS OF silk or chenille
mixed with pearls or lovely tinted faille, per-
| hapS mixed with satin, and enriched with
| lrlngeS OF brown grasses, headed with hand
| embroidery in shaded cOlOrS, or the newer EN-
| bOsSed figures and designs in applique velvet
| The revival OF satin, and the reintroductiOn
| oil rich figured Stuffs into grand toilettes have
| diversified the attireS uf chaperOnes, and mid
dle-aged ladies, from which, however, in some
| 1oIm OF other they are never entirely excluded.
Satin mixed very effectively with velvet, and
also with brOcadeS, and show up fine old lace
to much better effect than when placed direct
| ly in contact with the figured stuff.
most effective dinner toilette worn on A
| great occasion in Washington, consisted of a
| trained PrincesSe dress OF black mOire pjped
with Satin and trimmed with fine gold and
silk cord and black thread lace. The bOddice
was cut low square, and filed with crossed
folds OF white tule, the sleeves were half short
and enriched with mapni6penf rT1 FIJI NJ hl..l