Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-10

AC GStAGNAC
of German and Belgian women
Tourists TOiIets-The Tailor VIA de
UntfOFm-The Regulation sect
up'' of the English SweII-Charac-
teristic German COstumes-MOre
of the 'NUtter'' and the "COO-tOOs,
Things One Longs to Pick Up
ChIldren's Dress I'm Germany.
Bonn, July 15.-There are only three great
centres Of Fashion, London, Paris and New
York-or you may reverse the order and not
be far out of the way Remove from these
and Fashion seems toshave been left far behind
and to belosg to a world with which the ma
joritY of human beings have nothing to do.
In London the esthetlc craze makes a new
point of departure and lifts dress out Of the
region of the conventional and the common
place Absurd as it seems when carried to the
extreme, wide field as it affords for grotesque
caricature and ridiculous exaggeration, it still
has its merit of originality and differentiation
from the usual ruts-and, more than this, it
gives us, with something of the picturesque,
more that is simple and sensible than we find
elsewhere. The straight skirt, the belted waist,
the puffed sleeve, are uniform in London, but
nowhere else. Elsewhere-on the Continent,
that is to say-the fashions (when there are any
fashions) are those of Paris and New York.
Everywhere are the coarse straws scoop-shap-
ed bonnets trimmed with twisted scarf and the
bunch of roses; everywhere are the trimmed
skirts and draped polonaises; the little capes
and the large collars; the beaded trimmings
and the cotton embroidery; the Japanese fig
ures upon red ground and the Spanish-lace
lchus with punches Of flowers upon the left of
the corsage. Even the old town Of Bonn re-
produces in its every shop window the lace
pleated ties and knots. the costumes and man.
ties, the ribbons and bonnets that are to be
seen on the business thoroughfares of the city
of New York.
But fashion seems here Of much less import
ance than in the city of London or New York.
There are things that take the lead of it even
among he women of the higher classes while
for the lower it does not exist at all. Children
are OF enormous Importance in Belgium and
Germany, and their care occupies not only the
mother but the entire family. especially the
female part OF 1t. Moreover the Belgian and
German hduSfrGu is prominently the house
wife, and though she is not averSe to fine
clothes gives no time to them which ought by
right to be devoted to husband and children
As rule she is not a tasteful dresser. She
has not the subtle instinct of the Partisan. or
the quick initiative faculty of the American,
and her thrift prevents her from cultivating
pretty house ways and daintiness on her own
proper persen. She is fond of wooden and
wears it to the verge of dinginess But there
are some notable exceptions; ladies whose fine
bearing and exquisite taste render them truly
royal in appearance, though they are more
apt to belong to the realm of art and literary
culture than to the German caste Of We're de
We're.
TOURISTS TOILETS.
Perhaps the most singular extravagances
and eccentricitieS of costume are to be seen in
crossing the British channel, and in the con-
slant contact with the female tourist as she
plunges in and out of churches and cathedrals
or occupies the cheap end of the boat-which
is the best point for seeing-after having paid
for the dearest, as it ploughs its way leisurely
up the Rhine. l say female" deliberately,
though do not like the word. because women
under these circumstances seem to have
changed their natures and lost some
of the first elements. They put on hy-
brid garments, assume sort of registering air
(Which is the poorest sort of imitation of mas
culine effrontery), and with the inevitable
wooden shawl which Is always carried over one
shoulder or in a strap, and never put on, is as
recognizable as bundle of Cooks tickets.
The elegant tourist is severely plain Her
complete costume Of navy blue cloth or flannel
is surmounted by a straw hat faced with black
velvet and trimmed with a broad twisted scarf
of null, in which group of blush roses is
fastened, and is further finished by the addi-
ton Of long undressed kid gloves. Her ulster
is tailor made, and a long grey gauze veil ap-
pears If demanded by an emergency.
The tsilor made costumes of cloth of light
texture. but firm and durable, made by several
noted firms in London, are famous the world
over and are worn by ladies of the highest
reputation for taste and cultivation. The
skirts, except for habits are always of walking
length, and more or less killed or very simply
draped, the upper part forming a princesse
hnc wryfHh
cape. The hat is a felt, soft or o. la Derby
Wherever these dresses are seen they are
badge of that distinction which marks the lady
of experience and cultivated perceptions.
They are the least snowy of toilets, as little so
as those of men, but they are of excellent ma
terial, good fit and cut, and neat strong finish.
their beauty bell & In their perfect fitness and
adaptability to their function.
But though of English design and a special
English product, vet they are less seen upon
the persons of English lady tourists than those
who come from America. American women
have wonderful intuition for good thing
and four out of five of the welloff class 20
straight to Cobb's, or some other ladies'
tailor, on arrival in London, and get fitted out
with a cloth, tailor-made travelling suit, a hat
and ulster, and find the blessing of dress that
is not dropping apart at every step, or left in
pieces at every opping place.
The "lawn tennis" costumes are utilized
very much by young English girls for travel
ing, and they are very good if the journeys
are not too long; but. though they are often
seen on the channel passage, they seem hardly
appropriate on the score of warmth, as the
lawn tennis dress IS more fanciful than pro-
JectiYe. Such as it is, and as 1t is seen in all
the shops of London, 1t consists of an old fash
ioned "pinafore" over-dress, low-necked and
sleeveless, except for ruffies around the arm
holes 1t may be OF print, checked gingham,
or foulard, and has one large pocket upon the
front Qor holding the ballsl, which, in a travel
ing dress, is placed upon the inside, and used
for guide books and the like-whatever will
lie ar of
shape, is made to match the over-dress and
the whole thing is worn over plain under
dress of cotton or wool, to which Is sometimes
added cape or mantle to match the under
dress. It is In reality a protective apron for
out of doors play, with a shade hat or bonnet
Of the same material; but it is put to many
uses, and is certainly an economical as well as
pretty idea. The most effective are red with
small Japanese blue and olive figures over
plain dresses of olive with puffed or small leg
of mutton sleeves, and drawn bonnet tied with
olive ribbon.
The eccentricities of tourists are mainly seen
in the style of the hat and English from hav-
ing introduced an early" English hat of soft
felt, which though intended specially for sports,
has been adopted for travelling. The "hatte''
can be thrown up in front or turned and twist
ed in every way; and quantities or them in
white fcreaml peacock blue, red ecru. and old
gold, may be seen all over the continent some
times making bit of striking color, some
times tied down with gauze veil in such way
as to make a gypsy hat of it--but always
an oddity when or wherever seen.
or course the opportunity for the picturesque
is not lost upon the American lady traveller,
and she seizes it. il young and pretty, with
natural and charming eagerness If not young
or pretty, the desire for originality becomes
excessively reprehensible and subjects the un-
conscious object to severe criticism. Even
gentlemen are affected by the mania for high
coloIed hats, and it is not uncommon to see
cream and red and even green felt hats in COM
paDy with the neat Bond street morning coat,
.s@Gw all I~s..
simere, which is the uniform of the English
swell"
Nothing can be more commonplace than the
ordinary travelling dress OF the German hdus-
frGB. 1t is the much puffed and draped dress
OF wooden, with jacket or paletot or shape
less dolman. trimmed with hanging fringe or
jet, and q bonnet Of straw with twisted scarf
or thick wreath Of ugly and high colored
flowers. Arrived at their destination, they
sometimes make astonishing toilets in which
high colored scarf drapery plays conspicuous
part, but they do not as yet seem to have taken
Ia to any great extent the pretty possibilities
in cotton and lace which in England and
America take such prominent place in sum-
mer dress. The opportunities, however, exist
for them. Across the Mdrkpldtz market
place. of this old town, in front of my window
brio, with worked bordered trimming very
neatly made, with parasol to match-border
and button hole stitched-5or twenty
three marks, each mark representing twentv
i've cents-the whole costume, including nara
sol, S. IS In New York the dress would cost
more than this to make: IL mr.
chased ready made 1t would cost Si2 to S14
without the parasol.
But the cotton dresses with borders attached
are not those which are most approved by
adies who wear cotton at the Spas and else
" here. The high tone is achieved by COSTUMES
1f red cotton, fiowered or with Japanese
1gures, trimmed with white Languedoc or
Belgian lace, and having parasol to match
Dordered with lace. With these are worn
coarse hats of stl aw trimmed with lace or
null, and wild flowers with small poDnies and