Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-02-02
ESTABLISHED 1850.


had for each one of her guests a satin bag,
hand-painted and fllled with fresh violets and
lilies Of the valley.
FASHION AND ECONOMY.
am often asked. by letter and otherwise, to
give some directions for the tasteful dressing
OF ladies' of moderate means 1t seems TO me
tnat 1 do that to the verge of iteration, and
the exclusion of much that is noteworthy in
the realm of what is called high fashion. Be-
cause, after ALL it is not wealth or poverty that
Is the lot OF the majority-it Is the struggle Of
natural taste and Intelligence to express Itself
under conditions that are rarely favorable to
ueVelopment, AID that need to be sided by
every means in the power of those a no SYM
pathlze wi n such environment. With money
enough, one can buy taste, elegance beauty
oralns every thing but that intangible person.
atty which surrounds the individual as with
an atmosphere, so tina: the dress OF the vely
rlcn IS no more an expression of themsely,s s
than that OF the very poor-it il an evidence
or the length and depth of their pocketbooks.-
of the direction which their tastes and fancies
run-Some times of their antecedents and de-
gree OF culture, but not always, because they
are literally dressed" by others and are oniy
called upon to pay the cost.
The tasteful economist requires whole life
time in which to learn the art of dressing well
on small means, Tor much of this art consists
in learning what TO do without ard another
large proportion In learning how to take care
of what she has. But it Is, after all only the
art of doing a certain thing within certain
limits, and, as u Is not possible to go beyond
than pronouncet character. All persons who
live on small fixed incomes know that in their
choice OF a house, OF food, or furnishing, of
ornament, they are restricted by an infexibl9
hne-a barrier es real as though composed of
iron bars-which keeps them within a certain
narrow and well defined range, which affords
little opportunity for the play Of Imagination
or fancy
Women are charged with perpetual craze
for novelty, yet with this large majority the
principal p'easure in dress is in looking back
upon some happy accident which gave them
quiet. becoming, useful gown or garment at a
price which did not prove embarrassing, and
nlne-tenths of the letters which women write
in regard to their dress are mere appeals to
know how to make old clothes look as we'll as
new, and i've dollars do the work of ten.
Their great mistake is in trying to make small
means work in harness with fashion rather
than taste an effort that must, as rule, end
In veXatlous disappointment. An English
lecturer on dress remarked recently that
Fashion was for the rich, taste for the intel-
hgent. and this is a distinction which
ecoac mists will do well to bear in mind.
great deal of the fashion of the present
day is an outrage upon taste and destructive
OF comfort. Delicate little women may be
seen at any time swathed around with huge
folds of heavy material, dragging long over
loaded trains behind them with a determine
ton OF endurance, which would be heroic If it
had worthy motive, but which, having no
motive but the qualification of vanity, the doing
1t because others do, becomes a weight and
burden that exhausts the nervous energy and
takes all the sweetness and brightness
out Of their lives. 1t is the women
who can least afford it who are thus sacrificed
The rich have toilettes suited to every occa-
sion. They have short and long and half trail
ed dresses. They have simple gowns and elab-
crate tollettes, and they cen change from one
to another. But the economist must make her
one best dress serve for all sorts of occasions
She must wear it with or without the protec-
tton OF a carriage, and it ought therefore not to
impede her iocomolion or require too much of
n
Odd or high colors. fanciful patterns, striking
combinations, and f1imsy materials she cannot
indulge IN. for they are not permanent. They
are employed with special reference to rapid
changes, and the throwing aside of one fashion
able folly or fantasy as fast as it is superseded
by another. This is an impossibility to one
who would dress economically, and thei efore
their study or thought OF dress should be dis
connected from fashion, which has become
synonymous with h@change, and be directed by
or referred to taste, which is often as far re-
moved as possible from what is known as
fashion. Think of woman less than five feet
high, and weighing perhaps hundred and one
pounds, carrying about with her thirty yards
more or less of satin. velvet and plush, and
several pounds Of beads in the shape Of fringe
and tags and passementerie! That Is fashion.
See woman in plain high gown of brown
satin. with ruff1es of fine lace and string of
amber beads around her neck-a dress that is
taken up. That is TASTE
These are examples of women Of means;
there are plenty Of women who possess taste
who never did and never will own gown of
satin or beads of amber The point is that the
first dress is WEAKNESS while it is in fashion,
and will be an atrocity when it is out of fash
ion. The other can be worn with pleasure and
satisfaction now and any time within gene
ration, for the elemental principles in dress re-
main very much the same 1t is only the ''over-
laying" which comes and goes like the figures
IN kaleidoscope.
BLACK ToILETTEs.
The elimination of black silk from fashion
able fabrics has cut the ground from under
the feet of thousands of women who considered
themselves always well dressed in this respecta-
bic, yet unobtrusive tissue. 1t is true many of
them, wives of plain, well to do men, do not
trouble themselves about fasbioa, and will still
buy and keep their one black silk in happy |
ignorance or Indifference of the decree which |
has outlaWed them. But there are others who |
wish to preserve a certain social status and |
to fashion, vet who cannot often |
repleniSh the most important and expensive |
item Of their wardrobe, and to these the loss |
OF the black silk or its loss of caste is serious
difficulty
There are still black toiiettes in plenty. but |
they have not the ease or the permanent char |
acter of black silk. There is satin mixed with |
brocade and brocade with satin. There is |
velvet trimmed with satin, and wool combined |
with velvet, and plush which is used indis- |
in conjunction with anything and |
everything. These complications trouble the |
conscientious but rather narrow-minded |
the situation, but her anchorage, her harbor |
Of refuge. has been taken away. She cannot |
seG best dress every occasion or even every |
year, and how can she tell whether these |
" i'll remain in vogue Besides, |
If they do. everybody knows that mixture |
soon takes on a worn look the edges and over |
laying being more liable to fricd N a1d contact.
The problem may be solved by the Sc ection |
OF plain satin with, perhaps a border of push |
by old ladies, and a soft figured damask or |
salon brocade by younger women. 1hese may
be worn Tor several years, and even when |
out of fashion" will still have an appearances |
OF distinction.
Black having disappeared largely from So
ciety. but beirg sill employed for church and |
street wear, some modest ladies of moderate |
income have short suits of black cashmere |
camels hair, or fine feather suiting made with |
q Jersey bodice and sash laid In folds Of sateen
or broc&ded silk, and for dinner or evening /
wear abroad a plain trained dress of wine /
coiored silk, satin or velvet, which obtains Its |
from its color and the richness of |
tbs material II the dress is handsome, it can
be worn for several years, and then be used to |
make over for q daughter, or in combination !
With material for home or street dress.
Black six Is not necessarily economical. OF |
late years it has often been very much other
wise through its propensity to ''cut'' or wear
shiny on account Of being charged with
sugar to make It appear thick and weighty
This is so well understood now that few are in /
danger OF being caught by adulterated silks,
and dealers 1L d it best to sell an honest article
But the mischief is done. It has given black
silks a bad name and made it more easy to
supplant them.
1t was a shrewd stroke of policy to put the
immense stock OF black silk remaining on hand |
nto fur-lined .c'oaks and create fashiona-
Die furore in regard to them which made every
woman, rich and poor, feel that she must have
4 fur lined silk cloak. Vast numbers have
been sold, but in many instances they have
15en disappointment and not at all what the
Tearsrs could afford or what they wanted.
The range of prices for dolmans and circulars
1f black silk, fur-lined, is from $50 to SIPS
1ery nice one cen be obtained for $75. But
his is good deal OF money for the woman In
moderate circumstances and the garment has
20 stand for something that is in the place
1f several others.
great many ladies who have bought black
silk cloaks have regretted it deeply. The sum
expended has made them feel poor in regard |
20 many other things that they needed. and
,he constant or frequent wear made the gar
nent look worn and shabby, so that in a very |
short time it was no longer suitable for occa-
sions when a hsndsome wrap was
needed. One little lady had ffty dollars saved
away for black silk lined fur cloak at the be.
ginning of the present season. Last year this
sum would have purchased a respectable one.
Out prices were higher this year, and she found
the could only procure a very ordinary one,
and then at about five dollars additional which |
meant. of course, five dollars taken from
gloves or some other personal necessity. She
thought the thing out. She wanted an invisi- |
ole green suit-a pilgrim suit consisting of
1 Jersey dress and ulster, with capes and hood,
and she found she could get this and q
round cloak of velvet reversible beaver |
,loth, with satin-lined hood and metal hook
inishing, within the fifty dollars. And she did,
20 her own extreme satisfaction. In fact she
1as not ceased 10 congratulate herself yet for
her cloak win be good for ten years. She has
completes her pilgrim" costume or can be
lSed independently when needed while gepa-