Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-01

characteTlStlc styles OF this description is tbe
madeline" an importation intended for am
Easter bonnet IL is a soft finished tiutTJ
| emp, with straight crown, cut short and filed
| IN with curtain Of white Spanish blonde
WIN which the deep. close white satin bTim is
covered. The shape oI the hrim suggest fha
head covering of Sister of Mercy hui fb,.
white satin. the white lace, the dropping loops
| OF pearl, and the wreath Of small blood red
poppies, the exact size and color of the myriads
| of flowers which flame out from the grass nv
the side of the roadin France in the late spring
and early summer are more suggestive al th,s
| drapery Of the church of the Madeline in Paris
on tGte days and perhaps the suggestion fur
| niShed the name.
One of the styles h a cottage bonnet Of soft
| chip. trimmed with narrow thick white satin
| ribbon. black lace and very pale pink roses
crushed and shaded. 4 black chip. on the
| contrary, displayed a twist of black chenille
| ganze; decoration Of Marshal Mel roses
| ana clasps OF Roman pearls, to which was ad-
S SSe1 an interior trimming of shaded satin rib
| poh and chenille. The ribbons and flowers
| have great deal of character this season
| Inc lormer are thick, not wide, but ranging
| from one 10 three inches i'm width, and either
| having a surface of satin on both sides or one
| side satin and the other merle antique Re
| sides being reversible, the different sides show
| dlnerent colorS and shades, wood brown with
| pine. lawn with poppy red, or three shades of
| gray, with three shades of red and three shades
of biSmuth, with three shades of blue or three
| shades of darker brown, with three shades of
! bronze green. \ great deal Of use is made of
| thick satin ribbon only half an inch wide in
black and white, or black OH one side and
This is made into fiat loops and ends. which
| are used very effectively at the back Of the
| crown in front, and where larger ornaments
| would De conspicuous and out of place. Side
DoWS are very much used for ornamenting the
| tront OF the plain PrinceSSe polonaiSeS which.
made entirely without other trimming except
| TWO tnck plnlngS containing the c0lOrS of the
material, which are those of the ribbon also
| are one OF the features of the season. The
fSwerS Tic versa are beautiful and astonishngly faithful
| IN every detail OF form, though Of course not
| confined 10 natural cOlors. They still retain
| the wreath-like form. or rather they are
| mounted in long. rather wide bands with
| pendant buds and grass or moSSy fringe
| which almost concealS the brm and leaves the
| crown alone visible.
A bit of this fringe and tlowery band is used
instead OF lace to form curtain, or il is some
| times placed over lace. The flower bonnets
| nave had great success, and will doubtless
| be retained during the summer. They are
very pretty for evening wear at the theater
! and in the stalls OF the opera, and dreSSy any
time, as the absence of crown admits of am
/ or wrought ivory comb, which is now SO ndiS
| penSable feature of hair dressing.
| COLORS.
The new spring cOl0TS i'm design show mix
| ture o1 all quiet. neutral shades, one blending
! IN with another SO closely that il is impossible
10 tell wher" one ends and another begins.
| ibis Is true oi nOWerS and all ornamental ere
| atlonS as we'll as dress materialS-the quiet
shades forming the body part of the costume
the same blending i'm high color its relief OF
| ornament. The foundation color is biSmuth
brown, the softer shades of fawn and dull
| wood color before they become gray and the
greens tlnctured with bronze and brown. The
| blending of colOrS i'm flowers i'm leaves and rib
| hons. and IN the richer fabrics is wonderful.
| IL Is impossible 10 estimate the number of
shades, III many instances, so close is their re
| latlon. so impercebtible their gradation: and
| the only way. indeed. 10 get at the figures of
| this symphonic blending would be 10 calculate
! by means of a scientific instrument the dis
| tance numerically between the extremes of
| light and dark which are exhibited. The
fashion of combining several different colors
| in 0TnamentatiOn, which was introduced last
summer for the first time, seems 10 have gained
| in favor. and has taken on a certain Signfi-
| cance. With black, for example some
| ladies wear ornamental ribbons. combined
| in what are known as the Italian colorS black
| RED and green. While others adopt the Pom
| paSlan black and red, or black. red and yel-
| low. The ribbons, however, are no longer
| single in color, but shaded upon each side
| quite often in different colorS. One of the
new styles, for example, Will exhibit three
| shades of brown satin on one side and three
| shades of red-blue mOlre antique on the other.
| These work up most effectively into trim
mlngS, and are not only used upon dresses,
| but upon bOnnetS. great deal OF bright
col or is. therefore. used, but is in small par
GELS and with infinite art and taste. For eX-
! ample, woolen costumes particularly. the bu
! retteS and mixed SergeS, are trimmed with
! double pipings OF silk in the prominent cOlOrS
! and shades of the material. These cOlOrS and
/ shades are reproduced in the broad, close
! blossom or berry like wreath which encircleS
! the brim of the bonnet, and with tendrilS OF
pendant attachments forms a sort of cape OF
| curtain al the back.
An original combination, a striking or sly lsh
! mixture. Is sure Oi success, but beware Ot an
/ attempt To mix crude or common coloFS which
have no relation to the object they are intend
ed To adorn. The effort will be failure and
! expose the Wearer TO ridlcule. Better go armed
With neutrality, or with only just enough of
! color TO lend relief. than broadly stamp the
sign manual OF ignorance and crude taste
| upon ones belongings, 50 that he who runs
! may read. The combination of moss or olive
green with pale blue, used last wear, is as much
! adlnlred as ever: but II Is common now 10 ln-
| trOducc little pink or poppy red into compO-
StiOn. yellow is also exceedingly well worm
not straw color, which looks white by gaslight,
| but the dull yellow, the color of old gold. In
art il is well known that the presence of vel
| low is required TO bring out other cOOrS and
| shades OF color Ii is therefore quite i'm ac-
| cordance with the principles of ART that yellow
should be used more or less in con junction
| with the Use and blending of many cOl0rs and
many shades. This old yellow is particularly
| handsome in satin, and dress made of Hwith
! the sleeves and trimming of white Spanish
blonde. the ornaments of yellow roses shaded
from palest tints to brown, constituted one of
I the most elegant toilets at a recent grand re-
ception, and one of the most distinguished /
| ever saw The rule of quiet, inconspicuous
dressing for the street still holds good: stIik-
! ing colorS and combinations, and even very
delicate tints, not being considered suitable
for the street-7especially the streets of the
city.
NOVELTIES IN TRIMMING.
A charming feature of an entertainment re-
Gently given i'm New York consisted of a Sol
denalSe DANCED by a number of young ladies
b attIred In Flower dresses" as they are called
Z The foundation of each one consisted of a
Prlncesse dress of white tuIle overlaid with
nowerS of distinct kind selected by the
Wearer; the lily of the valley. the rose the Yio-
let, the prim rose. the mgnOnette, the apple
blossom. the scarlet geranium. and others
were represented, of course, and the effect
was novel and very lovely. The detail was as
follows: the entire dress was covered with
MOWERS. which became very small aS they ap-
, preached the waist line, and were So ftattened
as mol AT all 10 Increase lis apparent size
, toward the bust they grew larger and round
! The shoulders became the natural size; the
| nounceS al the bottom, also tunic shape and
! basque, We're outlined with fringe of grass of
| pendant buds or flowers. From the waist they
! traIed of into vines which draped the tunic
! Scarf trimmings for the fronts of dresses are
! more fashionable than ever. and will be re-
talned through the spring and summer for the
| nhlsh OF out door costumes, as well as Prin-
cesse and reception dresses. Silk lace, tuIle
! eauZe, and very elastic knit silk with
fringe netted in the fabric are all used for the
| purpose, and also brOcad ded silk, damaSsee, and
danasked gauZe, in fact il is not so much
| what is used nova days, which gives distipc-
| tiOn, as the manner OF il, and the effect which
| is produced.
Travellers returning from Paris bring back
such quantities OF clair-de-lune amber old