Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-02

| Striking tnan col0rS, ana anything but ne eco
| nonical dress that black has always been con
| sidered. A short Princess dress, made for !
/ young lady. Is OF silk muslin. trimmed Will
narrow bands of embroidered fushias. and
! fushfa-eolored satin ribbon. Another pretty
dress for girl OF sixteen was a rosebud foulard
made. up With white Silk. and trimmed with
! white silk and plated Breton lace. A pretty
evening fashion, and one employed for after
noon receptions and kettle-driims. is the great
or belt
Pans are carried more than they were last
season. but reallylartistic or elegant chatelaine
| may always be used. Many historical dresses
have been prepared Tor New Yeare day, it being
an occasion when 1t Is not in the least neceS-
| Sary TO be conventional in costume, the great
point IS to be original and effective. But OF
course It Is better to be conventional than outre,
| ana an historical dress should not be venplred
upon unless it has some sort of fitness or sig
nificance, and can be accurately made by good
artist IN proper materials. In previous letter
| have described several such dresses but very
| successful one made for handsome and pop
| ular woman In New York society may be worth
| mentioning. 1t is Marie Antonette dress in
black velvet, with embroidered satin with dull
jet. 1lchu OF fine India muslin. trimmed
with ruffes of the most exquisite old lace is
| crossed upon the bosom, and the hair Is rolled
| over cushion and powdered, a style peculiarly
| becoming to this fair wearer. A dress which
will be worn by young lady, because 1t hap
| pens to be In the family, is of pink satin. with
| short, pointed waist, cut body, short sleeves
| and gathered skirt, plain around the bottom.
The hair will be arranged in plain bands at the
| low near the neck, back which is arranged in
| round braids. The interesting part about this
| dress is that the young lady when attired in it.
ard her hair dressed to suit is fac Smile OF
the original owner.
| sEALSKIN COATS AND CLOTH KEEPS
one of the handSomeSt street dresses of the
season consists OF brown cashmere combined
J with black or satin and worn with new, long
| close-cut sealskin coat or jacket lined with
| quilted gold or ruby satin. The capote is of
seal brown satin or velvet to match the cos
| tune, and Is lined with pulled ruby or gold
| coored satin to match the lining of the coat.
The SealSkin muff is lined also with the bright
color. Solid velvet visiting costumes have also
| appeared again this season, and are very dis
| tinguished. Dark ruby or wine-colored velvet
| are the favOrite shades, and they are perfectly
plain, only complete throughout with lining of
ruby satin, and upon the bonnet a little ivory
lace, the same as the Jabot at the throat; but is
not striking in conjunction with ruby feathers.
using ivory instead OF ruby feathers, and tIim-
ming the mun as well as the bonnet with lace:
but this is not often done, although 1t might be
and has been thus finished for bridal recep-
ton.
The same idea is repeated In different colors,
one in bronze, green velvet worn later, had
| narrow putting inside the capote OF geranium
| red satin and bunch of red geranium flowers
attached by bow of bronze satin through the
center, and was lined with geranlum red satin.
The flower idea originated In Paris but 1t isnot
widely copied here. These costumes are always
| made with the short coat, which is such q very
fashionable feature Of the winter street dress,
anu lll6u WIFI SdUlu VI SdlISen Is
warm for the weather, which has been excep-
tionally mild so far. II muf is not made to
match the costume. a round close collar, and
muff of grebe, or chinchila accompany 1t, these
soft shaded frrs looking particularly well with
ruby or bronze green or brown. The col
lar is novelty, and very suitable ac-
long or short, of cloth Or OF Velvet, though
really but little needed for protection, and after
replaced by the white tie, or three cornered silk
| handkerchief, which are as popularity worn as
ever The long coat alluded several times il
a sort of ulster, but closely fitted, with coat
seams across the waist line, long skirt with
made in light colored cloth, with small breast
pockets also, and are very much affected by
what are called "nobby young women who
often have little muffs of light colored cloth
| made to match, and lined, as are the pockets of
the coat, with maStic satin; round beaver hat,
with wide, rolling brim set well back upon the
head, and trimmed with broad, full feathers to
match, placed close round the crown, is the
| proper chapeau-what the dress is, is Of little
consequence, as barely the edge OF the skirt is
seen.
new and useful evening and carriage wrap,
Of chenille cloth, in large end Scoth plaid, cut
| as ragus cloak, or very large talmer, with
texture Of this cloth is as soft and thicker than
| velvet, and the price Is moderate compared with
the fur In one wrap, which, despite this cost,
them in preference for evening gen. entertainment
purposes, which are very hard on heavy silk
wraps.
ORNAMENTAL NOVELTIES
Very odd are the small stuffed birds and but
terfifes of SILK brought from China, which ca
price now places In the hair. They are made
bits ofbue, red and yellow silk, quantity touch
ed up with crimped gold wire. Their length is
three inches, and this does not include the uD
right crtmped wire tail, feathers, or in the bit
tertiies the projecting feelers, extremely costly
for articles SO small: it is the daintiness of the
make, the wonderfully careful stufing that rec
ommends them, and their oddly. They may
be worn either at the side or middle of the front
a for. oil fnlti &c odd
b5en so general as now, and not only are quaint
ornaments chosen, but they are oddly disposed
about the person. Queer little Chinese bags
wrought with silk and made of sections of satin;
silk and gold cloth hang where the chatelaine
pouch is placed, and even with it placed below
or above the pouch. Belts and bands made OF
strips Of japanese and Chinese cloth and with
terrific configuration of dragons or hideouS lit
tie birds are also worn, and these are very broad
and different on each side and different again
at the back. Bits of strange looking oriental
silk stuff oddly embroidered are used as neck
ties and Sewed into the corners of handkerchefS
as monogram might be. Besides these stngu-
lar additions to the toilet to which their bril-
lancy OF hue and neatneSS OF execution give eff
feet the most remarkable bibelOtS are added to
the pendant chains at the belt. Rats and mice
in wonderful enamel, Initiating those seen in
the Chinese markets, funny little mandarinS.
worked by a small battery within them, and
rolling their eyes or moving their Jaws mracu-
ture models of the eastern bird called the
dip dabber, tiny iron figures OF Buddha, French
jewelers. SnlelQS Win Une l6dQ OF MeQuSa IN
cameo, belt brooches with figures of Dagon
with her Mermaid finiShingS; miniature Hal
herds; barred helmets and morfonS, head pieces,
QuiVerS, and parishes, limitations of the portion
OF armOr called jambes, with the spur attached;
golden bugles, tiny ivory caStanets; ldtes, Tyres
and tambOurineS, as well as bagpipeS, and all,
If many are worn at once; and this is the rule,
multitude neutrality-suspicious. one TO the
other. The cost of these bibeotS, If jeweled, Is
no small matter, when there Is not even pearl
to heighten the effect of the enamel, gold or
silver, of which they are for the most part made.
For wedding present pair of vases is being
made In PariS-to be brought oyer-in which
dragon fly OF gold rests on its forward feelerS.
Between the upper feelerS is placed O tube OF
iredescent glass, meant only to hold single
flower, while the insects body, marvellous in
| workmanship, covers the tube and appears as
just lit The wings appear transparent.
ARTIFICIAL DIAMONDS.
The notion that real diamonds can be made
by an artificial process is profeSsedy dScredited
by dealers, and the holders of properties in dia-
monds: but that 1t is creating anxiety there is
no doubt. When trade Is good, and money Is
plentiful in this country, there is always great
demand for diamonds, men being more willing
to put money In this form of luxurious display
than any other which comes under the head of
personal adornment, for the reason Chat dia-
monds have been considered as permanent a
form Of investment as real estate. There is no
better evidence of the improvement in the gen.
eral financial condition OF the country than the
fresh activity in this field; and the important