The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-07-18
SOCIETY UNDRESSED.


-Macmttion's Magazine.
SOCIETY UNDRESSED.
Pictures Of London Fnshion-A - small
ana Early" in 1850.
The scene is picturesque, and some of the
prettiest women in London grace it, The
rooms are so framed in with flowers that only
occasional glimpses of the dado are to he
seen. The strains of Coote and Tinney's
band mingle in ones consciousness with the
delicious perfume of the blossoms. Great
banks of moss, ferns, and feathery grasses
give an effect of coolness to the atmosphere,
and but for the music, the drip. drip of that
pretty fountain in the conservatory at the
end Of the vista could he heard. The fire
places are filed with tropical plants, arum
lilies, and other growing flowers. On the
stairs, the landing, the balconies, and nearly
every dress in the room are flowers, real In
almost every case. Some of the dresses APP
pear to be more than half made of them, and
June roses are the favorite blossoms
Most of the dresses are white, but about
fourth are black. No one who had been
absent from England for three or four years
could fail to he astonishcd at the form and
make of the dresses. Even to my accus-
toned eyes they seem to have grown tighter
and shorter within the last two months. As
the dancers fly past in the whirl of the
waltz, one or two figures stand out with
startling distinctness. One in flesh-colored
Jersey, cut low in front and at the back,
would probably, IL seen on the stage, suffer
from the Intervention of the Lord Chamber
lain. Another is clad in what appears to he
pink satin corset, laced down the back,
and a skirt SO tight that at every turn of the
trois-temps | expect her knees to come
through IL. drtss-if that can be called
dress which looks alarmingly like an utter
absence of dress-worn by well.developed
lady, is of the color called nymphe emue,
which is so exact an imitation of pink flesh
tints, that, combined with its extra tight
ness and shoptness, it is not matter of sur
prise that several dancers, on first catching
sight OF it, stopped short so suddenly as
nearly to upset the couple Immediately be-
hind them The ensemble was none the
less startling from the fact that the stock
ings were also Of color nyinphe emue, with
no lines of embroidery to distinguish them
from the veritable cuticle which they SO
tbinly covered and SO faithfully initiated.
Some others of the dresses proved how be-
coming tho present style may be when not
carried to an extreme. fair girl wore a
white dress with stomacher of real white
roses. Her hair was not so tightly arranged
as is usual, and dropped loosely at the back
with few rosebuds apparently entangled in
it, A fringe of begonia leaves and forget
me-nots edged dress of pale sea green.
One lady, who did not dance, wore black
" coat. of-mail over long, trailing dress of
black velvet, with lovely gloire de Dion
roses scattered over it in punches of two and
three. A necklace of similar roses and old
lace, with a bouquet also of roses, made
a very complete thing of this perfect gown.
An inveterate dancer wore a dress of hello
trope tulle with some scores of pansies on It,,
wreath of pansies round her neck and a
few in her hair. Several of the dresses had
a trellis-work of real flowers up the front. A
very lovely woman wore silvery white
dress with stephanotis and gardenia blossoms
scattered over it. Their perfume was deli
cious, though | heard a lady complain that
IL made her i'll, and no doubt the heat of the
room made their odor rather heavy for some
delicate organizations.
Some of the hirtations on the stairs pre-
sented peculiarly favorable symptoms. of
course il is very strong to overhcar anything,
however unintentionally, that is said OH such
occasions, but could not help observing how
charming was the propinquity of blonde
head wreathcd with oak leaves and dark
one close cut but curly. But then, no one
could help noticing that lovely dress, min
Cling of dark brown tulle with pale, soft
pink, and oak leaves and forget nots for
trimming.
"And the consequence was that mamma
was very angry" Aud the world said:
"Of course it would never do, for he is a
younger son and has only few hundreds a
year and she is one of five daughters"
| Alas for loves young dream on this soft and
balmy June night.
Millais would love to paint this beautiful
woman in brown velvet, marigolds, and vel
low lace, or this dreamy-eyed girl in white
satin and dark fur, while Leslie would be
content, indeed, if he could have for model
that auburn haired, sherry wine-eyed demi-
blonde" as Wendell Holmes describes the
type, in dark green velvet. Topped back with
tiger lilies, or that virginia. head with neck
lace and cOronal of daisies. Delicious, too,
is this contrast of primrose foulard and dam
ask roses-as perfect as the unison of those
buttercups with the old gold satin on which
they make deep fringes. A black tulle,
caught back with sunnowers, is another
lovely dress.
Many changes would he noticed by any
one who had returned to English society
after an absence of n few years; among the
rest that sleeves, trains, and foreheads have
almost entirely disappeared; that chaperons
are verging turbanward; that voices have
grown louder, manners more prononce, talk
more slangy, language more forcible. There
are more pretty faces, and, as to figures,
they have all improved All due credit II
Elise and La Ferriere.
A detail.--Men are delighted to get rid o
the trains which used to be SO much in tn,
way, but they are none the less inclined t.
be critical Of the shape and dimensions o
Al IL Il .Iu,. Ia.