The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-22
FASHION TALK.
What Should he Worn in Feb
ruary.
The Style of Dress That will Proba-
ably be Fashionable this Spring
Flowers and Feathers.

Flowers and Feathers.
The waning winter offers many suggestions
to the shopping community, and as February
Is the woman's opportunity 1t would be well
perhaps to seize 1t before 1t flies. just ut
this season, when the requisite winter pur-
chases have been generally made, and NOR
chants are looking about them for room In
which to stow away their surplus stock and
make ready for incoming spring, the advan
tage I'm general purchases Is chiefly on the
side Of the buyer. All standard goods. cash
mere, camel's hair and sniting materials are
usually "marked down In February or early
In March, as sagacous merchants prefer not
to la up their treasure for moth and rust to
corrupt, but convert 1t rather Into the con-
quering gold of com .neree.
Special fabrics such as are required for
bridal tollettes, and those needed for full
dress and evening entertainments, as we'll as
those which make up the sable gloom of
mou0ing costumes, Will ever com mand an
unvaryiug price. for wedlock and death have
oil seasons for their own. But we venture to
suggest to those to whom days are dark and
littuuS aiS tNW bhdp " Juil1loao ths5S0h't1b
In some standard material for next winters
best dress will be found. when "the melan-
choly days" come again. to have been step
In an economical direction. The care that
will be required to protect such precious pur
chasas from the rayages OF the insidious moth
during the summer Is fully balanced bya
comfortable consciousness of means well be-
slowed. ] do not quite agree with the preva-
lent masculine belief that the privilege of
shopping s one Of tho dearest to tho modern
female heart. But there Is no denying that
sense of duty we'll performed follows the
purchase OF iirst-cIass materials at "cost
price" Therefore / t would seem well, Wher-
over practicable, that women should indulge
virtuous propensity which serves her purse
while 1t antedates her necessities,
STREET DRESS.
II has been noticeable, as the winter drew
near its close. that the styles for street dress
became more distinct and severe day by day
While visiting and reception toilettes have
been as rich in material and elaborate in de-
sign as pure taste would permit, street
dresses have been ramai 1ably plain Many
Of the ekirts are entirely untrimmed where
the material Is rich, and where 1t liz simple
the tlounce that finishes 1t on the foot ts mere-
ly stitched Ia half dozen rows. But 1t may
be said Of fashion as OF fate, whatever Is, Is
costumes have been made which cover all the
requirements Of street and visiting proprie-
ties In one. And not only that but In many
instances these toilettes have been manufac-
tured from the accumulated stores Of other
years, half worn silks joining hands with re-
novateu cashmerea. and making, for the wn-
man who had "knack' In using them. d hand
some and inexpensive costume Well may
women of stratened means cling to "combi-
nation styles which have placed them In the
van Of fashion
The decided revival Of the polonaise which
indeed only retired for a brief season, may be
kept In mind rs guide To the amount OK ma
teral required for q full suit. IT anything
can be foretotd as tD the intentions Of fashion,
polonaises will be the favored overdress In the
spring and summer. The demand for plain
costumes has increased oil through the win
ter. keeping pace with that which was equal
ly vehement for ths most gorgeous and Ella
borate tOllette5 for Visiting and reception.
coLoKs.
Buthigh colors, likepiquant lavors, quickly
satiate. and this eager graaplng Of all that
II bright reacts lii another direction and sub
sides into quiet tints and unobtr,lsive styles
Our streets have been as gay AS South Ameri- |
can forests and mothers and inalIs as bril- |
liant o. the birds perched upon their bonnpts
But excess IL suicide, and when Fashion, |
naughty dame. reaches that pass, her fate Is
sealed The most charming styles ever in
vented cannot endure too great popularity.
~
will come under that never falling rule OF too
great familiarity that breeds contempt.
STYLES or DRESS.
The fashion books from "Merrie England" |
and those also from New York, announce the
continuation OF short costumes for "all out
door purposes When simply made the en-
tire costume Il In keeping, the skirt basque /
Or polonaise and hat all being equally severe
In outline. II trimmed. the garniture should /
on the lower edges Of each por-
ton of the suit III order to avoid an appear
ance of top-heaviness
The variety OF street and promenade
dresses is so great that all tastes and condt-
lions may be ministered to both as to mate
rial and style Of finish. Trimmed skirts are
usually worn with basques, and plain skirts
with iiOunce only upon the foot are best
combined with polonaises. Some very pretty
new designs are already to be seen, and are
almost In advance OF the fabrics to be used In
their manufacture. An oversktrt designed to
be worn with q walking suit has double
apron, the under one draped low and the
upper part Topped In the middle under q
cluster of ribbon loops. The back Is grace
fully draped and entirely untrimmed. The
lower apron In front may be made OF con-
trasting material and become very striking
and effective. or both aprons may be trimmed
with band OF contrasting colors
A new polonaise has deep panter basque
front cut-away for short space just below
she waist line, then falling in point on each
SluS over dldpSi dkIoH. 1 ue dptoH iS
shirred sufficiently to form slight curtain
iraperes on each side, and the back width Is
'hirred at the top with heading. and irregu-
arIy looped.
The Narcissa costume consists of skirt
With plated flounce on the foot sections of
his ilounce being OF plain goods, and those
alternating OF contrasting material. This
skirt is trimmed with curtain draperies on the
ront, and the back Is slightly bouaant. A
,asaquin, having fronts draped in panier
tyle and a back in jacket form, completes
Fery stylish and elegant design.
SPRING HATS AND BoNNETS.
1t is quite impossible to foretell what the
pring will bring forth as to hats and bon
lets. 1t is probable that willfuI bellies will
ling to those yles found potent during the
winter, and those to whom comfort and con-
'enience are precious will hold to the pretty
apote. 1t would seem as II the whole scale of
Iesign had been played and exhausted in the
vast season, but there are heights and depths
md widths In millinery that the uninitated
ever dream Of. A chapter might be written
N the nature and attributes OF bonnets that