Smyrna times., 1881-02-09
Clara Belle in Church.
NEW YORK WOMEN AS ELABoRATELY DRESSED
FOR RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

A visit to one of our swell chL4 ches on
cl AR Sunday affords an excellent oppor-
tunity for the study of mid.wintsr fash.
ions. On no occasion is the fashionable
woman so careful of her toilet as at public
devotions. Never can she discover grease
spot on her bonnet strings so readily as
when her eyes are cast down in prayer.
Nothing enliSts her whole mind more than
the problem how to kneel on the em bossed
velvet front of her dress without creasing
it. She never feels greater need unsup-
piled than that of a mirror on the back of
the next pew ahead. The uptown streets
are a vast show of dress every bright Sun.
day morning, for even the wealthiest women
do not ride to church. The church toilets
Of New York women are generally very
handsome. American women, unlike the
French and English, wear their best prom.
enade costumes and hats to church. It is
no use to write the practice down and pro.
nounce it "bad form" and "false taste"
Over.dresses composed of plush, satin de
Lyon and rich accessories in the form of
elaborate braids of embroidery, in colored.
gold and steel beads, with fringes and balls
and tassels to match, are worn with fur.
lined dolmans, sealskin wraps and circular
clOaks. All wraps, however, are long rather
than short, and only show the under gor
geoussness by being spread open in front.
The cloaking materials are richly brocaded
vclVets and satins, heavy satin de Lyon or
Sicilisnne. The fur Innings are, for the
most part, of squirrel skins-backs, locks
and whole skins being equally popular.
Rich bands of dark, durable furs trim
those fur'lined wraps, and frequently they
are further enriched with fringes or tassels
at the corners and points. The hats and
honnets worn with these church toilets are
usually made Of materials that match, or
at least, harmonic with the dress Thev
are oftentst trimmed with cords and rib.
hons, or pushes, in which tinsel threads
appear. Both large and small hats and
bonnets are worn at church, but the Fan.
chon or baby bonnet, fitting like cap on
the back of the head, is the favorite.
Among the multiplicity of bonnsts, bow.
ever, are the charming coal scuttles, with
brims projecting over the face in a manner
that gives delicacy and repose to even the
hardest features. Then there are the ir.
regular-shaped Rembrandt. and Duchess of
G"insboro adaptations in hats, with nod.
ding planes and tinse!.cord for trim.
mings; also, shirred Mother Hubbard bon.
nets, and other shapes unnamed, but in q
majority of instances pretty and becoming.
the costlinsss and fneness of the millinery
material make the wearers nervously apx
mus about the weather, and a sudden
clouding of the sky at church.tims causes
much trepidation. Last Sunday, at the
fashionable Dutch Reform church, in Fifth
avenue, | saw sweet devotee frightened
by sprinkle that did not come from the
heavens, though it was in one sense, Of a
heavenly character. She was kneeling al
the chancel rail to be baptized The Rev
Dr. BeVen dipped the fingers Of his right
hand into the font, and, instead of wettine
her forehead with mere touch, as is Gus
tom"ry, literally sprinkled her face. Drop.
Tell on the delicate mauve satin ribbon o.
her bonnet strings. Did her rapt soul dis
regard mishap which was trifing. com
pared with the matter of her eternal saliva
tion2 No, no, no! She took out daint,
lace handkerchief and coolly brushed of
tho water.
n ,
The freaks Of fashion are endless tbi,
season. Looking about me on my way t.
, church, saw that even in furs there ar,
Odd caprices. The paws of lions, tigers
ieopards, panthers and bears, with claws o
silver and gold, were on many Of the ful
garments. The newest fashion in furs, b,
the way, is peculiarly felicitous. A com
P plete set includes the jacket or wrap OF fur
:. or fur'lined, the muff and the cap, togue O.
beretta, for they are different, though
: equally fashionable. The most costly anC
: beautiful sets are OF real skin, trimmeC
with sable or Siberian fox. Pretty ones
> however, are made in some of the Russia,
|. and Swedish furs now so much the fashion
| with borders of skunks' or bears PAW
with ornamented metal claws; or tn,
. jacket is made Of fur plush aud trimmed
D only with fur, in which case the hat, or cap
and the nIuT are Of the same fur as th,
: trimming. The feather on the hat ais,
matches the fur ia color. Young womeI
wear the furtrimmed jacket for dress,
church toilets, and for every day the ahor
= Paletet of English or Scotch fancy cloth
with cape and heod. The latest model
for this style Of mantle have the back par
= OF the skirt laid in fat plaits, and the from
plain. A cape comes half way down tn
pslstot, and is turned back at the sides O
the front int plain revers, fastened dow,
with similar buttons. IL is finished ar5unt
4 the neck with a narrow turned.down collar
and at the back there Is small, fiat, poin
ted hood, lined with plush or satin, thi
. hood being the only ornament. The fash
ionable clothes are in tiny check pattern
OF different colors, or in broken lines o
J. blended tints, Sealskin sacques ontinu
Q to De worn more than any other fur wraps
but this is mainly on account Of so man,
women having them from previous winters
}. While sacques are still sold the preference
:, OF those who have money enough ID 10
If sealskin dolman, ulster or circular. On
!. popular sort of fur, ostensibly from Liberia