The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-11
ARTISTIC DRESSING.
The Remarkable Costumes Designed b.
London Artists for London Ladies.
tHarner,s Razar, I

tHarpers Bazarl
Artistic dressing is nowhere better
understood than In the London Of to-
day. BY the Americans the term is re-
ceived, ] think, In It's general sense
but it has O. special Significance in Eng
land, referring to the style Of costumes
introduced four or five years ago In the
world Of artists, and thence influencing
even the grandest DANES OF fashion. In
what, it may be asked, does artistic
dress consist? Anything which 10 grace
full, picturesque, classical and quaint,
regardless Of the accepted standards OF
fashion. It matters not what century
serves as q model. what nation provides
nality form the keynotes, and casting
aside conventionality, the ''artistio"
dressmaker consults the form, COM
plexion and genre of her GU TONER,
giving Greek tunics or Elizabethan
ruff to tall or willowy figures, and
Q assfcal dTapery, close outlines ar q &c.
we're lines W stout forms.
There are several domineering ho7 se-
holds where it Is considered unpa do i
able for woman to attend any s. &c i
affair In other than an artistic 90
tume WHICH will in some degree i1as-
MOI ize with the medieval, Orient l. or
and at one house q recent Converse
zione" gave the impression to our I'M
initiated eyes Of fancy dress ball. A
pretty young woman in pale green
cachemire wrought with tall yellow
flowers, and having q scarf drapery
| from her shoulders, preceded us up the
stairs and the hostess wore a genuine
Maria Stuart costume, pearls, ruff. and
all. with the solitary nineteenth century
adiuncts Of high embroidery mitts.
There was young woman in cuel satin,
with a eloth-of-gold petticoat and FL
| leted hair, who wore q pair OF slippers In
which Queen Anne is said to have
! danced at Kath. and the dainty little
| lady stepped about In them with dill
| Guilty, the heels were so high and the
toes SO "nibbed;" but then, as a friend
remarked, they finished her costume
exquisitelyl
| There can perhaps be no better way
of illustrating the artistic style OF dress
than by describing asfew costumes, two
| Of which were from designs by Mr.
| Walter Crane, an artist who has done
much toward reviying splendoT Of color,
| and the picturesque or classical In de-
sign. One Of these was Greek tunie
of white eaehemire worn over q long
| trained petticoat of white silk. The
tunic consists Of two straight pieces, Of
nearly equal length, gathered into q
wide band, the two fastened together
by shoulder straps, either of ribbon or
similar material these, Of course. are
to be worn over high plain waist, with
sleeves of any and every possible de-
sign. from the narrow band to the clas-
sic puff. The waist is made by @ rather
broad band put on the gathered front
breadth, the back having O. wide tape
or linen band sewed half way across
the inner side, and buttoning around
underneath, thus leaving one-half
the breadth loose, the other fit
ting plainly to the figure. The dra-
perry Of the loose half breadth must be
carefully managed. Sometimes point
at the hem is turned up and caught
! lightly with @ bow again q close fold is
fanciful ornament; but, in any case,
from the centre Of the breadth elastic
bands are placed to meet the front
| breadth on the left side, covered with
ribbons and bow where they are seen.
| This produces the clinging effect with
out too much tension. The tunic sides
are, Of course, left open, and the front
| breadth is frequently cut SO as to hang
in two points at the side, where tassel
| is sometimes added. Made Of white
cachemire, and trimmed with gold Or
| TUNES are extremely graceful and pref
| ty, but they also commend themselves
| to soft silk fabrics, foulards and the
| like, while any Of the woods of O. bygone
day-Indian, llama, or Persian-pro-
duce most picturesque effect.
| A medieval costume designed by Wal
! ter Crane, and worn recently, consisted
of four pieces-a short underskirt Of
cheap white alpaca and coarse cache
mire, rounded slightly toward the back !;
on each side breadth pointed pieces Of
an embossed gold and brown velvet,
reaching above the knee, were placed !;
the second skirt was of white satin,
made In long sweeping train, cut open
on the velvet cores, and finished at the
sides with q cording Of yellow satin !;
| the next garment was a soft low Pom
padour chemisette Of yellow Indian
silk, which came up on the shoulders,
gathered into a rather white band, and
fell in soft folds nearly to the knee; q
tight fitting gypsy, Or low Zouave waist
Of the embossed velvet was worn over
this, laced across in front, with long
side pieces cut open on the yellow silk
Of velvet, slashed, with puffngs Of the
/ yellow silk visible, and reached nearly
| to the wrist, where they ended In a frill
Of old Honiton lace, similar frill being
worn about the neck gathered in just
over the shoulder, and lying downw ward
on the band, back and front. With
| this costume rich set Of amber beads
was worn in heavy strings about the
throat, and wound in the fair hair Of
the Wearer.
| The 3amented <. left d charming widow
and a daughter who grew up to be even more
charming. She grew UP with fearful rapidi-
ty, too, especially from her mothers point Of
view.
"Why Florence, what a big girl you are
getting to bel How old are your" said one
day an old friend Of the family.
Fifteen and half almost" replied the
girl; 'sbut don't let ma know"
The coIored Republic OF Liberia has 116
office-holders, beside petty magistrates and
constables, for $500 voters. It will not become
a haven Of prosperity until it rids itself of
some OF its official burdens.