Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-02-02
THE EVENING STAR.
SDAY. February ,, 1850
FASHIONS FOR FEBRUARY.
OF Refinement Thrifty Black
Earliest Spring COstumcs-Rrida
Wells and Lace Masks. ETC.. Etc,

There is nothing more Enthusiastically refined
| and aristocratic in dress and belongings than
that wearing of delicate tints and colors in rich
| or thick materials-those for example that can
not be cleaned by ordinary, everyday processes
The first requisite OF poverty, or even thrift is
| something in the way OF dress that Will not
| ''show dirt"-that will be permanently useful
| on this account, and so unobtrusive as to pass
out OF memory when out of sight. SOFT duA
| greys and browns melt into the atmosphere as
| 1t were and become an unconscious part of it.
| Plain black is uniform which is never old
and never newt is the livery of those who
must spread every dollar over the largest pos
| stbe surface, and, OF course, affords no scope
| for effects, except by the contrast which it
| presents to surrounding color and luxury.
Winter is especially the season in which dark
| clothing Is considered proper and suitable.
| Dark thick woolenS, heavy furS and SOmbre vel
| vets are brought out, worn, and put away
| a. ain year after year-the longer they retain
| Their soliditv of appearance and resist the en-
c oaehes OF time aim )spheric andinfuSorial life,
the better they are appreciated
This is responsibility, but it is not fashion
ard it is not taste or luxury. If white clothing
Is lovely in summer 1t Is ten times more charm
Il in winter. II it is attractive in muslins and
gauZes, ii is enthralng in soft wool and shin
M ring Satfn-fn richly piled velvet Moreover
| 1t is Infinitely more effective as a groundwork
| ,or color than black: more youthful more Sc
auctiVe more susceptible of charming effects
ma ore in harmony with the beautiful in art
| a. nature. No better illustration can be found
| han the contrast presented by two social as
the other OF high intelligence perhaps but also
economy and PRUDENCE middle class gather
ing in fact In the first, ii it is in the evening"
deicacy Of tint will be so universal that the
moving forms will be seen to float in a sea Of
white light, broken only by the dashes Of rich
color and the black masculine outlines. In the
second, dark ttntS will be so uniform that the
light as well as the color will come in as dasheS
upon an almost nky groundwork.
rms, lt IS easy to see reduces and saddens
the general effect and it fault of our present
Stylp of that III is
distinctive, too wanting in character. This is
owing to the growth OF taste rather than to the
lack OF 1t. We have learned to fear committing
solecism, but we have not learned how to
avoid them or how to achieve exact results in
our dress. and we therefore endeavor simply to
avoid making mistake, and are content to go
armed with neutraliteS The white OF worg
satin and tinted brocade, which shines reSplen-
dent in the drawing ROOM does not penetrate
beyond it, and black is still the uniform at
home and in the street. and particularly in the
small social gatherings which need life, and
light and color.
This was not always so. Half a century ago
and less white dresses were worn in the street,
even in winter, under long graceful cloaks OF
blue or scarlet cloth, and very elegant and dis
tlnguished they were. 1t IS doubtless an evil
dence of advancement in good taste and In the
knowledge OF the fitness OF things, that we
have actually almost settled down upon a dark
street costume, Which in essentials shows little
change .1 year by year. and which is travelling
fast towards the simplicity and permanent use
iuiness OF the dress OF men, but the temptation
is to wear this same useful inexpensive cos
tune In season and out of season, indoor as well
as out OF doors, and thus acquire a habit OF
neglectfng the opportunities which dress affords
for identifying and varying the monotony of
life and reducingit to dead level
Besides fashionable women, by whom is
meant the women OF wealth and leisure. are
not driven by the same neceSsity-for economy
or unobtrusiveneSS in the selection of mate
rlalS They are not obliged to wear their
clothes out, and we have a right to look to
them for eXemplification OF the beautiful, the
striking and the picturesque. Such women
spend too little rather than too much on dress,
or rather they do not spend it in the right way.
A lady will purchase thousand dollar fiounce,
because 1t Is an elegance which can be always
turned to account; and her husband will buy
for her set of diamonds. because they do not
wear out OF lose their value and are always
good as an Investment: but, after all, those be-
| longingS are only chains by which she is bound
| as long as she lives, because they cost so much
| With her diamonds in her husbands safe and
| her lace flounce packed securely away until
| some occasion arrives grand enough to de-
mand it, their owners will wear a dark silk or
woollen dress three years in succession. and Sc
| leCt black cloak in preference to any other,
| because it can be worn upon all occasions 1t
| is the best hours of the day. those that are
| spent at home and with their children, the
best years OF their lives that women exhaust in
this perfunctOry sort OF mourning.
There are a few women who understand this
subtle art and expression OF dress, and thus
| never seems cat OF place but always a most ex-
qusite and perfectly natural part of their sur
IL
New York "a modest fat, one may any day find
his wife refined looking, but not at all hand
some woman. She possesses no diamonds and
but little lace, for she would have none but the
real and fine and these her husband cannot at
FORD: but he can supply the requisite for the
dainty wardrobe which she fashions herself.
ard her soft white morning-goNn of simple
y col, with broad gold belt and red talma with
Rood, which she puts on when she steps to the
balcony, makes as charming and picturesque a
costume as 1t is possible to conceive; intensely
in harmony with her tasteful
birds and plants flourish, and books are the
most treasured friends. One little boy belongs
to the pair and he always calls for his pretty
| mamma. His name is not pretty. but he Will be-
lieye she is to his dying day, and SO will his
father, because she wears clothes which look
pretty. and always presents herself in her own
house lii her most attractive aspect.
THE ARTISTIC IDEA IN DRESS
The artistic idea in dress Is not quite so well
understood here as in England, because we have
| not had the advantage OF direct communication
with such masters as Norris, ROSetu and others.
but Walter Crane is beginning to do something
! in this direction, and we have many individual tn-
stances In which the unconventional has asserted
| itself and triumphed over the ShackleS imposed
by custom and society. The difficulty is that the
| examples are not only rare, but confined to the
brief moments spent in publlc-in the reunions
| OF fashionable or artistic life. They are not
improvements upon everyday forms, but eXper-
mental ideas, posed for effect. Every-day dress
continues to be complicated with as much that
is disturbing and Objectionable as ever or else it
is reduced to such absolute poverty of ideas that
all expression and even Intelligence are taken
out OF it. But the artistic theory has not only
its Illustrations it has already eXerted an infl-
ence. and our dress OF ceremony to-day Is simple
noble, and true. compared with the conVen-
tiOnal short costume, bounced, draped, puffed
tied back, basqued, buttoned, jacketed, supplied
with sham vests and make believe coats and
pockets that are worse than uSeleSS-mere traps
to catch the foolish and unWary.
Now that we have got short costume, why
can we not have convenient and comfortable
one? 1t clears the ground; good! 1t Is dark;
good. 1t is made OF serviceable material; good
again, for these are essential requirements of a
useful permanent dress. But why must the
skirt he made and trimmed in so complicated a
fashion that IL is mystery as well as a burden
to the wearer? Why must it be draped, and
held, and tied with strings to such an extent
that d woman incaSed In one feels like truSsed
fowl as nearly as one can imagine how truSSed
fowl might feel? And why must the sleeves be
cut so narrow that the arms can only be used in
writing or sewing at the imminent risk of pa
ralysis? And why should jackets be cut all OF
one silly fanciful pattern, well enough for girls
who are nothing II not fanciful, but lowering to
women of character and Intelligence.
1t is true, that at the cost OF time, trouble,
and means, one may have ones individuals tastes
gratifed; but only few have means or time to
spare and with the greater number it is ne
ceSSity to take what they find nearest at hand
and easiest Of attainment 1t ought to be borne
constantly in mind that costumes for street
wear are required principally by practical wo-
men for useful purposes; that they are worn
steadily and must, therefore, preserve a Ger
tain uniform gravity and decorum. The frisky
l