Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-24
Taste in Dress.

"SHE has great deal of TASTE" often
means only "She has great deal of
money! Now that the fashionable
milliner and dress-maker recognize GER
tain laws of color, the fashionable wom-
an, with long purse, has simply to put
herself into their hands, and she will
never shock the eye by garments that,
as the Parisans say, Hswear at each
other" But for the poor woman-and
| mean only the comparatively poor
woman, now-one who has bonnets and
dresses sometimes-it is another thing.
Cheap goods are seldom as finely
tinted, and they seldom fall into such
graceful folds, as rich ones; and when
bonnet is bought one month, and
walking suit another, the results are not
as perfect as when the whole costume
is in the hands of one mOdiste. But
there are ladies who produce q finer ef-
feet on a small sum than others can by
large one, for shape and color are, af.
ter all, the first requisites. How these
people manage is a mystery to others,
for they arc artists in their line. But
there are certain things that any one
can do who wishes to look well-dressed.
The first is-tdke thought Gb0b IL.
Whatever is worth doing is worth doing
well. Before you 60 out to shop make
up your mind rs to what you want.
Without this you will be talked into
buying something that you will detest
until it is worn out, ('which has often
| occurred to me.'O After you have de-
cided upon fabric and color, take pen
cll and get vt the exact sum you can af-
ford per yard for the piece goods-at
the number of yards of ribbon you want.
A half quarter too much wastes money,
or half yard too little spoils dress
that can not be matched.
Then go out; ask for the thing you
want, and do not be beguiled into look
ing at anything else. As to the color,
try it in bright hght-day or gas-as
you wish to wear it. All good New York
stores have a room in which TO exhibit
oolors by gas-light, and as navy blue
and hunters green are dull black by
this light, and some shades of sage
green turn-to your horror-to lead
color, and most purples are quite lost,
while a beautiful faint lilac becomes
dirty white, this Is necessary If you want
to be sure what you are buying.
think that, except TO very handsome
| people, who are quite conscious of their
own charms, buying a ready made bon
net Is the most trying OF ordeRls. To
stand before the glass with ones hair
out of orimp and whose Is not at such
a timer there Is q fate In it--and don
successfully bonnets too large and bon
nets too small, bonnets, each of which
makes you look worse than the other,
under a fire of mechanical admirn-
| tion from the salesWoman: "Oh,
ohsrmingi" "That certainly becomes
you;" that is lovely;" " that Is the
most stylish you have put ON" "just
the shape for you'll l admire that,
mR'am;h with madame, fat, comforta-
BILE, and with her hair In perfect orimp,
| advising and even commanding from q
short distance, and some ten or fifteen
lady customers highly interested in the
affair, gazing ut one unreservedly, with
that air with which New York women
regard each other when unacquainted-
all this Is enough TO break down the
self-composure Of nun, or a prima
donna. More mistakes are made in the
bonnet through nervousness than In any
other way. Therefore, persons who can
not command the chief milliners of the
! city TO send imported bonnets TO their
houses for inspection, and 10 be tried on
before their own glasses, advise
choosing a shape and the stuff to cover
and trim IL. Then dOHp trim it yourself,
unless you know how.
II you are In doubt about the color
for dress, buy black. You can always
enliven and enrich it with trimmings
and ribbons. 1t lasts better than any
thing else. IL is more becoming 70 more
people than any one color, and if you
are very stout It is actually the only
thing you should wear for dress
look well in the hair and at the bosom
which can not be worn with anything
but black, and no color looks i'll with it.
] Mary Kyle Dallas, in N, Y. Ledger.