Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-01
SPRING FASHIONS I'M NEW YORK,
Art In Dress-NOvelties-Th New
BOnnet-EOOt Gear.
Our Otcn Correspondent,l ]

| VssaCs-E OOt 9seaIs
tFrom Our Otcn Correspondentl
| NEW YORK, April 2S, 1879.
| III Is pretty well understood nowadays that
genius In any direction is not In itself an acci-
ueu'; tnat Shakspeares, for instance are not
ioup0 among sayages, or great artists among
| the EsqulmauX. 1t Is true that we have not vet
learned what are the exact conditions for prc.
ducing genius, or why 1t is Just as likely m
make Its appearance under the thatch or a cot.
tage as the roof OF q palace; but we do know
that 1t is the result OF something that has gone
| before; that 1t Is the culture, the culm,naf,on
me lrultage OF past experiences, OF past effort.
OF past growth, finding expression more or less
In the men OF century, but contracting II SeIr
more In one man who may be, and often Is nor.
great In other respects ~ o''
This being true OF men it must also no trua
OF women. and II so what will the COMING
woman be, the outgrowth, the cIlminafion'
the fruitage OF the sidewalks, the millinery
social life Of the present time? great deal Of
talk about art, and thought, and intelligence.
and education, and whatnot finds its way into
pr u5 ror 70 sne one woman studying
are hundred at least flattening their noses
against the window panes OF the fashionable
snoRs, or sipoWing each other In the crush Of a
spriDg exhibition OF costumes! Is ft possible to
make them see that the life OF each one of us
CONSTITUTES the material out of which the
woman OF the future is to be made, and that it
asslst N producing noble work, or makers O;
cay images, only presentable beribboned and
compelling no mans true heart-Wors6in o'p0o''
DRESSING As FINE ART
t would not be matter OF 50 much import
much time and attention to dress, II tney did II
truly ana from a strong, genuine, artistic point
OF view. Lie offers but limited number OF
exercise her tastes or her inclinations and
dress, self centred and peurlle, it fs is one OF
those which women may indulge to the top OF
their bent without being maligned for III or
charged with evil motives, the weakness is con.
s.dered SO very wOmanly. Let them work up
dress, therefore, study ft, learn all there is TO
be learned about 1t, ind out what women have
worn IN the ages that are past, where stufrs
come from, what relation colors bear to age.
character and the like. what style OF dress best
becomes them, that Is to say, brings out the
In the strongest light. or, as we are accustomed
10 say, to the best advantage.
is the Incidental, fragmentary, patchy way
IN which woman take up the subject OF dress
that makes it so pitiful that deprives it of au
character, and their laborfous efforts TO achieve
something In the well trodden field OF all value
sc,snSe soS fan nave discSyered principle 10 art or
II woman discovers or thinks she has dis
covered fact in regard TO the relations bet Ween
heTsen and dress, II only lasts as long as the
afeSS laSts, and may be set aside by the next
freak OF fashion.
For example, know a very stout lady with
pretty face but no ''flggur contrary to her
uSuai haolt she appears on one occasion In a
plain black silk, thick, rich, and untyimmed.
you are aSton1Shed at the air OF Refinement m
imparts TO her at the apparent reduction in her
Of her handsome moderately trained sEir.
Being privileged you say why, my dear Nra A.
Low wen you are looking. how becoming that
devoutly that she would stick to black for the
.est OF her natural life, and eschew oveisk1rts
pannierS ana fusslness Of every description.
hess sns and S0rs 1ss down upon
was becoming to her, and the very next tinre
you meet her, is wilderness OF red and vel
larded with bows, pufIs, staring contrast Of
sleeves ana drapery drawn tightly across the
Now what is to be done with women who
spend so much precious time upon given sub
ject and fall TO comprehend or apply q single
principle In regard to It? Who after all dress by
ACCIDENT, and1n accordance with mere caprice
herring to fixed principle, and making Il the
basis at least OF their attire, they could secure
an always elegant and becoming costume II
black as uniform are usually the thin. salioW.
eutIal tinted persons who would look best In
ONE warm color. garnet, or Bordeaux, with
pienty OF S Ssoltening OF their rigid, lines In the
No woman needs to be plain nowadays who
has money and taste; dress is so marvelousiy
10 varied requirement.. f is dan1erous nracl
uce to copy what is lovely and charming upon
The young and the beautiful. Youth ana beauty
Oh trfumphantIy what would simply excite M I ridi-
cule in the older and the plain. It is q little
lard on the plain women who have no other
sooner they begin to study dress fron the art art
rather than for the merely fashionable stand
point the more satisfaction they win get out OF
.heir N existence: II s something Il one cannot
different from them, and II we cannot win adj
CUR want OF 1t.
GET RID OF DRKssMAKKRs' BrIIs.
Why do not more OF our bright young Amer
lean girls turn their taste and talent to account
in getting nd OF the huge dressmakers' bills?
II They wi wil a emDToider @ tdies and chair covers,
mantelpieces with pieces OF rough board and
sore hideous stun that they cali drapery, they
WIN dress Ire up piano ie they WIN paste Pic
and is only spoiled by the operation, they win
spend world OF time and trouble Ia producinC
fbellous limitations OF buttercups aud daisies
upon innocent cups and saucefs; but are dis
susted at the merest suggestion OF saving fiye.
ten, fifteen or twenty dollars, rs the case may
oe, by Undertaking to cut and make piece OF
"SlAty-nve dollars for q simple washing
dress!' said lady TO friend In my ears the
other day at grand. opening" About all i
dresses will not do for met" II was q pretIy
dress, delicate clustered stripe, trimmed with
plain batiste and narrow satin ribbons in two
c0lorS OF the stripes; q dress that any gtri OF
taste could reproduce for herself at an expense
or from ten TO fifteen, though the materials
were fine and choice. Girls are always dis
tressed for money, even the daughters of rich
parents. for their allowances are usually yerv
inadequate to meet their desires and when
they have not an allowance the money for their
clOthlng Is crfbbed from various souroes-
mamas housekeeping fund principally, aided by
aneXtra from papa when he Is In q good humor.
Allowance method Is, OF course, much the best
ara most agreeable, as 1t educateS girls to the
use ana care OF money, makes them feel pleas.
antIy independent, and furnishes them with a |
mOuve 10 economy. How, under these circun-
stances, they can help being stimulated to the
exercise OF their own powers In useful direc-
uohS, ls mystery which Is vain to attempt TO |
soive, because the cause lies deeper than their |
9nWlilngneSs or lack OF power to accomplish a
9ennue OBJECT. There Is q great field In this |
drecuOn IOr their taste and Inventive skill
ana tney must work It II 1t is to be worked al |
all. 1t Is education and art culture which sun
plies ideas, but these cannot be carried out by |
oidlnaTy modiSteS, even tho highest priced /
oLes, and to have designs made expressly and |
specially carried out Is an annihilating process
only possible to prfncipalities and powers We /
near so much about historic dress, and original /
design abroad, that one gets the impression /
that ladies walk about London and Paris In
Queen Annie or Henri Deux costumes come
down TO breakfast in Greek tunicS, and 90 to |
dire In Gatnesborough hats, or Elizauethian
ruffs! But this Is all as unlike the very COM
mOnDlacp reality nOagihle nnonlo ynS,ct no l