Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-12


Fashions I'm the Streets. I'm the
shops. at the Flower show, in
the Theatre.
LONDON, June 25.-The smiling fields, gemmed
with buttercups and daisies through which
we passed on our way to London, and which
present the same bright aspect that they must
have done for more years than the oldest man
or woman can remember-for they are the
eternal theme of English poets-were no bad
the sort of parody of "early English which
characterizes the present fashions.
In New York there are feeble attempts in
this direction, but here the idea originated.
and hnds an hundred modes of expression,
besides being so queerlY mixed Hp with French
fantasies that there is apparently nothing
real or stable about them, but q curious sense
of seeing them as part Of a performance, at
the close of which they win all disappear.
The features of ''Ye Early English" are: the
| hats and bonnetS; the gathered and belied
waists. the sleeves forming close cuff to the
| elbow, the long puff at the top; the large col
| lars; the pelerine capes; the short. Straight
| skirts; the revival Of old colors-old blue. old
| gold, and the like The odd Frenchy mixture
is seen in the tie-back the strict outline of the
| costume which allows no free play to the
| limbs; in the quantities of white lace used tor
| trimmings; in the snowy contrasts; in the odd
use of Japanese designs; and In the odd COM
binations and free use Of bows and knots Of
ribbon.
A SEVERE ENGLISH cosTUME
The strict old English costume is a short
| dress Of checked or striped gingham, pattern
I oil Lrfrfo ol,f nlO
| founces and shirred in a series twice again
before reaching the line of the waiSt-once
below the line, once across the knee. The fuH
bodice is straight, round and broadly belted in;
round the neck is large King Charles collar,
| and the sleeves are straight to the elbow, bat
puffed on the top down to the elbow. The
| bonnet is poke with broad straight ribbon
across and quilting or ruche OF flowers set
far back in the Interior so as to frame the face.
For children the costume is accompanied by
| a poke sun-bonnet OF exaggerated dimensions
mace of the bingham or material OF the dress.
There are quantities of these dresses in
washing materials and the novel ideas in
! them-the quaint collar, the straight waist,
| the small leg-of- mutton sleeve, the broad belt,
and the close, short, many-ruffied skirt-enter
into all summer costumes, more or less, with
| exceptions
TAILoR-MADE DRESSES.
For example, tailor-made dresses arc much
more common than with U.S. and much more
regularly patronized by the best" people,
! fantasies indulged in by the fast" set
1he tailormade costume is Of serviceable
| CLOTH serge. beige, or some other light, strong
material In fine mixtures Of olive, brown, tan,
cinnamon, almond and ruby shades. The
usual make CONSISTS of a walking skirt
trimmed with killing, and a long, close fitting
| jacket or polonaise very neatly and simply
| draped. A small straight cape may be added
| There is soft light hat for this dress. with a
| brim that can be turned down In any dire ction
and which is more like furry cloth than felt
g
ruby, flannel white. peacock blue, cinnamon
and almond brown and gray.
The general appearance of goods In the shops
and people in the streets do not differ materl
ally from the general appearance at home; il
is only little more so in some respects, little
less SO in others. On the whole there has beer
gradual assimilation of ideas, for we In Ameri
| ca have taken on more color, while in England
the street dress of the majority has become al
most universally black, cut after American
| patterns.
This is leading us in Paris, where the busi
ness women have made black uuiform-tC
the adoption by the richer and more exclusive
class of old colorS aud particularly of the white
| tints of which they can keep almost the mo
nOpoly, as the latter are too quickly soiled fol
| general use.
OF course this is largely the case in America
also, but whatever separates class Is more de
fined here (though much less so than formerly
and strikes the newcomer with more force.
BLACK SATIN SHOP WOMEN.
IL IL raJnor curious LnaC the r6Sp6 cIaOle dress
of the middle class gentlewomen has beer
adopted for the saleswomen of the best West
| End Shops particularly the dealers in fine lace
goods and mantles / say '.fOr the sales
| women" it being very Well known that the
| dress is provided for hem, or, at least made G
| condition of their positions and either counted
| in as deduction or perquisite. And, indeed, II
| is of great importance in the perpetual trying
on" Of rich lace and silk and satin mantles thai
the dress Of the SaleSwoman should be free
from Foughness; that it should be smooth AND
well fitted over good figure, and all these are
| advantages that In good shops count in the
| matter of desirabllIty, and even salary. The
| black satin dress has become really cheaper
| than black silk. An adulterated black silk is
the poorest of all silk fabrics, but a satin may
| be fine, thick and smooth on the surface, and
| serviceable, yet have a linen back which is
| visible to no one These satins make really
| elegant looking dresses and are unmarried by
| snowy jet trimmings, such as too often iujurt
| the black satin dress OF the lady" for they
! would raise rough points of contact and must
| therefore be avoided
| ATA FLOWER SHOW.
| Yesterday was the last day of flower show
| that is very swell, " and brings out all the
| titled, and has many distinguished lady
| patronesses. 1 looked in vain. however for
/ any CT that splendor of costume as is des
cribed in the columns of fashion journals, and
| was reminded constantly OF the thick white
| cotton gown" worn by the daughter of a
| duke at Newport, who casually remarked. on
| seeing the splendor Of the white satins and
! faces, Ine UfOC&OeS ana the QlAt0O0QS, LndJ S0e
had not brought her best gown with her. She
| did not think she should want It, At the
| flower show were many great ladies in cotton
| gowns, who evidently had not considered II
| on such an occasion, and the thrift il
| betokened was certainly eommendable in them,
| although 1t disgusted certain Americans who
| had paid their half-guineas in order to see a
really aristooratic display Of toilettes.
| Excepting on private occasions flowers are
not arranged here with half the taste or vari-
ETY. displayed in the florists windows OF New
! York city. Each separate kind of flower is
| massed together 10 punches without foliage,
and though they are cheap enough, yet one
must buy several punches and arrange them
basket.
NOTABLE cosTUhEs.
Some of the dresses were elegant-a happy
| mixture of artistic intelligence, with sense and
taste Among these was one of very pale flesh
| tinted silk, embroidered with wild roses and
brown foliage over a ruff1ed brown satin skirt.
| A deep collar of old Mechlin, with an embroi-
dered band, and narrow pleated upright edge
| of satin was worn at the throat
charming dress was of old blue satin, made
up with cream Spanish lace and worn with a
| mantalet fchu, one end of which was thrown
over the shoulder and fastened with great
cluster of pale crushed roses, a similar bunch
| fastening the scarf drapery upon the skirt.
An effective dress was composed of black
satin skirt, short and killed at the bottom An
| Overskirt OF cream surah draped straight
across the front and very much shirred; and
| b ack silk bodice, with pulled sleeves with
| deep surah cuffs. and small straight surah
| hchu trimmed with lace. The bonnet was a
/ coarse straw lined with black velvet and
| trimmed with an almost straight band of black
velvet and bunch of daisies
The conventional dress consisted of light
| silk, satin and transparent WOODEN skirts very
! much draped; very much shirred: very close
| and cIinging; often trimmed with quantities of
! lace, and completed by satin boddices with
| long basqdes and squares or jabots OF lace.
| vi an throat ra fan
| dotted with beads or very fine flow wers.
A handsome and striking costume was of
| dark olive satin with little red interior plait-
| ings and red shirred lining to the ombre
| trimmed bonnets, whose foundation matched
i the costume. This outre effect was repeated
| in the scarf drapery of the Dress
An almond costume was OF satin, with Moth
| er Hubbard cloak of Norwich silk trimmed
with almond colored lace and satin ribbons;
| bonnet of satin, with full comical crown and
| shirred 1aring brim.
black costume was of satin covered main
| ly with Mother Hubbard cloak of satin very
much trimmed with fine gold-beaded pesse-
menterie and fringe The bonnet was OF black
lace, with broad, full wreath of gold-veined
leaves.
! In washing materials the terra Gotta colors
are particularly remarkable, and a dul China
pink relieves the consumptive greens and blues.
TIE NEW LACE MANTLE.
The novelty in lace mantles is a wide scarf
| which folds over double and Is bordered by q
| deep founce. This is worn single over the
| head. and with one eLd thrown up over the
| shouider. or double upon the neck and round
| the waist the hounce falling full upon the