Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-01

L kBIenOe0
Natural and Conventional Co.'S
tumes-Su nInef Silks and Grena-
dines-The Handkerchief Dress,
ParasOIs, and odd Spring Fan.
cies.
From Our O,cn Correspondent
| NEW YORK, April 30.
One may become intoxicated with many Other
| things besides wine. Color, grace, beauty, are
all intoxicating and one can quite understand
the remark OF lady, who, after walking or
a bright day down one OF the principal thorough
fares, and seeing the windows aflame with Jew.
els, radiant with spring fances in brilliant col.
| Ors and delicate laceS and sidewalks terrace6
with incense bearing flowers, expressed strong
desire to rush madly into this sea of light ane
| luxury and perfume, absorb all that was posi-
| BILE In one wild, brief season OF extravaganza in
dulgence, and-die, having exhausted strength
There is undoubtedly very strong sense of
exhileration in the presence of bright and
varied color. but one soon tires of 1t and desires
| toget back to. something more subdued Doubt
less we shall find more permanent pleasure in
II when we know better how to use it; when
| tnere is less OF incOngruity and more Of har-
more Willingness to follow natural methods
and achieve agreeable and lasting rather than
| striking effects.
When nature masses high color it is for a
| very temporary purpOSe-a sunset for exam
pie, or sunrise, either of which last only few
| moments. Usually nature uses high color in
| small quantities, and with an Illuminating ef-
| rect, as In the woods among the rocks, and the
like. The general tone Of the sky is obtained
| from mixture OF blue, gray and white; OF the
earth EARTH IRON mixture MKT 1,t Of green gray and
combinations are carried out the effect is
| charming.
TIE most elegant dress seen this season was
| trimmed skirt OF dark leaf brown satin de L ION
and deep, handsome, aIl-around basque of
Drown Drocaded In shades Of dark pure moss
green. The front of the brown tabner was
wi
row shaded moss chenille, and the brown straw
bonnet with brown satin de L1jOn and great
crush OF woody moss and leaves, and berries, In
the natural shades of green and brown. The cos
tune was an absolute refreshment to the eye
and 1t seems strange that effects in nature are
not more closely studied by those who profess
10 get original designs and patterns for dress
The rage for embroidery is doing great deal
10 develop this taste, and Is therefore an educa-
tUr ~ certain sense Very little OF the en-
which adorns special imported costumes. There
are emDrOidereSSeS In the city OF New York who
require req no pattern, who will take the natural
leaf, spray or branch OF trailing vine, draw the
lines with pencil upon the fabric as they 90
along, and reproduce the object with the most
perfect accuracy and dellcacy, and without any
OF The conventional stiffness. A drawing room
was recently panelled with embroideries exc
cuted upon very rich pale blue silk There were
wonderful peacocks and birds and butterflies,
sticking to 1t; but the beauty of it all was that
there was no incongruity, that each panel
carried out Its own idea with wonderful truth
was paid for the execution Of the needle work
alone.
SUMNER SILKS AND GRENADINES.
Ihere is return this season to the plain tat
Ietta silks In light clear shades of color such as
lilac blue, heliotrope, English violet, ash gray.
wood, and fawn, which were fashionable MANY
months ago, and in the neutral t1nts made such
INQUEST quaker suits with drawn silk bonnets
tune was a white Grape shawl, which was CON
sdered the ne plus ultra OF elegance but now it
Is a little mantelet OF the same or small yisite,
alminu1ve In size. but trimmed richly with
fringe and ruch1ng or silk paSSementer1eS, with
perhaps rice, amber, or clair de Tune tntermixed
with the mesh. Knife pleating of the same is
tae dayorlt TIT. trimming for these silks. sometimes
headed with satin, but nothing is so really suit
able for them as knife plating and pinkeo out
ruching OF the SILK, and beaded fringe hand
some, but In small Quantity and matching in
flower effects, which are 80 pretty, aud is ap.
propriate to the nne texture OF the silk, while
the application Of satins makes the dress look
TOO heavy, and deprived 1t of its individuality
The white baIayeuse, which was so universal.
mas been replaced largely, and especially by
nigh class modistes, with fine interior knife
costumes do not need filling up with stifr white
pleating, and the uniform color and richer
material at the edge is considered more elegant
IMAM the flmsy cotton lace, which Is so easily
combination toilettes OF black ana gold or red
and black satin, and the high contrasting color
was not only used as part OF the mounting
and garniture, but as narrow interior plating
at the edge of the skirt, the color scarcely show
Ing unless the edge turned over In walking
the effect was so good and so much more salts
factory 10 the majority Of wearerS than the
usual white muslin that it has been, as before
remarked, largely abandoned. No prettier or
nesher spring toilet can be conceived than a
pale WOOd-cOlored silk, complete, weii-made
and accompanied by a straw bonnet, with.
perhaps small straight capcrown OF the silk
ara lor r. trimming, full wreath OF white
MOWERS or mignOnette and scarf of white Bre-
tonhe lace for strings. Lace and heliot )e are
Stlll more attractive to some, but OF course
color Is matter OF taste. The point 1 want to
impress Is this, that distinctiveness In this
style OF dress. Is lost by combination. Every
thing is combined" 80 that all dresses look
alike and character Is lost.
there are the soft and useful LouiSnes hut
these have been used so much, and mixtures OF
one KIND or another are so universal, that TIE
plain, clear, delicate coloring OF the fine self
colored silks Is welcome change.
THE BLACK GRENADINK
as sucn, is a thing OF the past. All grenadines
now are inquired or striped, and combined with
satin or satin de LION. The usual mode is to
french tW1lled skirt and drape figured grena-
dine over 1t, either as trimming or polonaise-
finishing the latter with satin collar double
ccilar) and cuffs or bands, and mounting upon
the skirt. The French twill" is silk finished
cotton lining, which costs about the same as
Sliesla, and, being white on the underside, does
not ''crack" white skirts as other Innings do
Black grenad1ne dresses are not this season
the fashionable uniform they were some years
age. The revival OF colOrs and the use OF blend
ed colOIS Is gradually retiring black to the back.
ground unless frightened and Illuminated with
Jet, and much OF this Is intOlerable in summer
Some very beautiful and costly grenadine
dresses however, have been made lately OF rich
figured grenadine, with no 1ntermixture or COM
Dlnat1on except lace and broad bands of fine
Jet, embroidered closely and In fern and other
designs upon black net foundation. These
dresses are demt-trained, the fronts shirred to
the knee, where there Is perhaps an ascending
scale OF narrow f1OunceS The sides are robed
with jet, the back Is draped In narrow, irregu-
lar folds, and there Is fine interior plating
round the edge OF the skirt of black satin. The
cut Is true Princess, and the neck Is usually
low. narrow square, with upright ruffies of
white lace thrown back from the throat The
mass or jet would seem to make such tOiletteS
very heavy, but these are not The absence OF
satin In the trimming, and the fact that the let
Is hollow and fine, almost as seed pearls, &C.
counts for the ughtness, while the efrect must
De seen TO be appreciated, for as yet they are
only made In the richest, most effective mate
rails.
VIEW DINNER COSTUMES
me exquisltely lovely brOcadeS which have
mace tnelr appearance, particularly the figured.
Surahs have doubtless suggested styles of max
Ing which do not utterly destroy and ruin the
ERECT OF the fabric. The ground Is shot or