The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-01
Taste in Dress.


"SHE has great deal of TASTE" often
means only "She has great deal of
money" Now that the fashionable
milliner and dress-maker recognize GER
tain laws of color, the fashionable wom-
an, with a long purse, has simply to put
herself into their hands, and she will
never shock the eye by garments that,
as the Parisans say, "swear at each
other" But for the poor woman-and
mean only the comparatively poor
woman, now-one who has bonnets and
dresses sometimes--it is another thing.
Cheap goods are seldom as finely
tinted, and they seldom fall into such
graceful folds, as rich ones; and when
bonnet is bought one month, and
walking suit another, the results are not
as perfect as when the whole costume
is in the hands of one modiste. But
there are ladies who produce finer eff
feet on small sum than others can by
large one, for shape and color are, af-
ter all, the first requisites. How these
people manage is a mystery to others,
for they are artists in their line. But
there are certain things that any one
The first is-take thought about ii.
Whatever is worth doing is worth doing
well. Before you 60 out to shop make
up your mind as to what you want.
Without this you will be talked into
buying something that you will detest
until it is worn out, C''which has often
occurred to me.'O After you have de-
cided upon fabric and color, take pen
ell and get at the exact sum you can af-
ford per yard for the piece goods-at
the number of yards of ribbon you want.
A half quarter too much wastes money,
or half yard too little spoils dress
that can not be matched.
Then 90 out; ask for the thing you
want, and do not be beguiled into look
ing at anything else. As to the color,
try it in bright light-day or gas-as
you wish to wear it. All good New York
stores have a room in which to exhibit
colors by gas-light, and as navy blue
and hunters green are a dull black by
this light, and some shades of sage
green turn-to your horror-to lead
color, and most puppies are quite lost,
while beautiful faint lilac becomes
dirty white, this is necessary if you want
to be sure what you are buying.
I think that, except to very handsome
people, who are quite conscious of their
own charms, buying ready-made bon
net is the most trying of ordeals. To
stand before the glass with ones hair
out of crimp-and whose is not at such
a timer there is fate in it-and don
successfully bonnets too large and bon
nets too small, bonnets, each of which
makes you look worse than the other,
under fire of mechanical admira-
ton from the saleswoman: "Oh,
charming!' "That certainly becomes
you;" "that is lovely" " that is the
most stylish you have put on" "just
the shape for you! l admire that,
ma'am;" with madame, fat, comforta-
BILE, and with her hair in perfect crimp,
advising and even commanding from
short distance, and some ten or fifteen
lady customers highly interested in the
affair, gazing at one unreservedly, with
that air with which New York women
regard each other when unacquainted-
all this is enough to break down the
self-composure of nun, or prtn1d
donna. More mistakes are made in the
bonnet through nervousness than in any
other way. Therefore, persons who can
not command the chief milliners of the
city to send imported bonnets to their
houses for inspection, and to be tried on
before their own glasses, l advise
choosing shape and the stuff to cover
and trim it. Then don't trim it yourself,
unless you know how.
If you are in doubt about the color
for dress, buy black. You can always
enliven and enrich it with trimmings
and ribbons. 1t lasts better than any
thing else. 1t is more becoming to more
people than any one color, and if you
are very stout it is actually the only
thing you should wear for dress.
Moreover, there are gay colors which
look we'll in the hair and at the bosom
which can not be worn with anything
but black, and no color looks i'll with it.
Mary Kyle Dallas, in N. Y. Ledger.