Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-01
AUTUMN FASHIONS.
JENNY JUNE SHOPPING IN PARIS
After Ihe --latest NOveItIes-An Inter-
tervIew with Worth The Great
Dressmaker Tells What Will be
Worn This Fall and How It Will be
Worn.

is that which improves with age, or at least re-
tains some quality that renders it pleasing and
desirable. Judged by this test present fash
ions-by which mean popular fashions, those
which are seen in the shops and everywhere on
the highways and byways where a dozen
women are gathered together-are utterly
without merit, for more despicable lot Of
rubbish than the fashions" of the season look
like when the season" is over it would be
hard to find in any old clothes reservoir.
Of course there are always good things and
beautiful things to be had for money in the
best shops of Paris. but so there are also in
London and New York, and IN London one
stands a much better chance of finding some
thing nice which has been left over and
viii be sold at a reduction. In Paris a good
thing always brings its price, probably because
of the number of strangers who come to do their
shopping at all seasons; and in August, when
residents have gone TO the seaside and only
strangers are buyers, the Partisan shop keeper
pulls out his old Shop-worn goods, buys cheap
auction lots, and displays them in huge guam
titles upon what he calls ''oc-caze-ons - which
occur every day until the stuff is disposed of
at good figures. Things that no American lady
would look at in New York are purchased here
under the Elusive Paris glamour and are GER
tainly regretted afterwards.
THE BON MARCHE.
The great American shop in Paris is the Bon
Marche, an enormously large concern. which
probably originated the idea Of the great
bazar-like shops of which there are
now so many in Paris and all
large cities. What such a place would look
like out of the season in New York, l know
pretty well, but was rather curious to find
out what it would look like in Paris. So yester-
day morning in the rain my concierge got me
cab and made my way through the Champs
Elysees, past the ruins of the Tuilleries, across
the river, through narrow streets to the Rue
du Bac, where, at its junction with several
other StrpptS fp ic
"Out of the way" as it is, aud notwithstand-
ing the weather, it was full of buyers, princi-
pally Americans and English, every department
having one or more English speaking statesmen,
who are often called upon to interpret or ac-
company parties of ladies from one depart
ment to another, although there are also
" "cOmmlssionaireS whose special business
this is.
1t was an "oc ca-ze-0n," " and the tumult was
appalling. The quantity of gloves, stockings,
necktles, lace cravatS, flowers, bonnets, jack
cts. cotton costumes, alpaca suits, poplins,
pongees and fancy wooden goods, was suffi-
clent, one would have supposed, to supply
new world after a second deluge, and among
them all there was not one solitary thing to
remember or wish to have for a possession.
The eternal highcolOred neckties, trimmed
with lace or embroidered with silk, and gilt
upon the ends; the hosiery tied in bundles, in
stripes and colors; the punches of red roses
and yellow buttercups; the glaring ribbons
shaded in all the hues of the rainbow; the
buckles and pOcketbooks; the cotton lace upon
wlde bunting collars and cuffs; surely it was
not worth while to come from New York to
Paris to see them!
The bonnets were hideous beyond belief
coarse, cruel and depraving in their common
brutal ugliness. There was no redeeming
feature bout them, except their price, which
ranged from one dollar and half to three
dollars Naturally, they were not intended for
city or dressy wear, but for excursions, or
the seaside; nevertheless, there ~ as no neces-
slty for making them so vulgar that the mere
wearing of it would seem like degradation. The
material was very coarse black or white straw;
the shape that of a large projecting scoop
or flour shovel, the trimming a mOnstrous
AlSatain bow or wide SCARF, in stripes or high
colorS, so arranged as to nearly cover
tne broad front. The lining was nearly
flesh color, terra cottaret or bronze.
What has caused this eruption of ugly bon
nets, and how is it that they are worse In Paris
than in London? The cotton costumes match
the bonnetS. They are shop" in style; that is,
fussy and commonplace and seem made up as
the majority of made-up dresses do every
where, of goods that would not sell in the piece.
The cloak department was almost equally
forlorn. There were some pretty little sum-
mer wraps In silk and satin, but none equal to
what had seen at the house of A. T. Stewart
q Co. before leaving home, and the prices
showed little difference. There was nothing
novel, and only one wrap lin light cloth) that
had the look Of the present season. A lady
from the States asked for fur-lined cloaks
and was shown wide, badly cut shop
worn sacks, with loose, shapeless
sleeves, garments that have not been
seen in New York for two years at
least She demanded something more modern
and was told these were what they had at her
price (S5O-25O francs); and for long dolman
of good quality and good shape-silk, furlinPd,
with collar and band of fur trimming-the
price was $50 francs-$130.
There are little articles to be picked up here
and there, the average of which is lower than
we find it in America; but certainly the era of
low prices in Paris has departed for any object
that has real or permanent Valun
AUTUMN FABRICS
Not only the preparation, but the actual dis
play Of autumn fabrics begins earlier in Paris
and London than in New York Already the
straw bonnets, white and dark, begin to show
autumn touches-broad scarf life folds of vel
vet and shaded ostrich feathers or feathers
mixed in many dark and bright colors instead
of the profuse wreaths and mountains of
flowers
Autumn materials are very much the same
as last year; heather and cashmere mixtures,
barred occasionally with broken lines or small
check. The colorings are fine and dark, such
as are seen in gentlemenS cloths. of which
ladies' materials are now a close copy. They
are made up with deeply killed skirt and long
coat with bronze. brown, or olive velvet collar
and cuffs. The buttons of the best of these
costumes are bronze, with raised figures and
are in fact bronze placques in miniature. They
suit the bronze and olive shades in the cloth ad
mirablY, and give distinction to the ensemble.
Very dark bright tartans are much used in
conjunction Win PLAIN neaIler mixtures. and
also with plain black velvet. The tartan is
simply used for the killing; the upper part of
the dress is plain and, if it is plain wool, plain
velvet to match is used for collar and cuffs of
the coat, which is cut deep, and has a seam
across the line of the waist, and lapel folds
at the back.
Some of the new dress fabrics exhibited are
magnificent. The latest have satin ground en-
tirely covered with mixed japanese floral de-
signs in uncut velvet shaded from light to
dark in colors. One was very striking in green
and coral red; another in shades of cream,
deepening into pale gold and pale turquoise to
old blue. These goods are twenty to twenty
five francs the metre, and the hand embroi-
dered satins are still higher. These rich stuffs
are thick, plain Satins, covered in hand en-
broidery, executed in fine dark iri-
descent beads, in plain jet or bronze mixtures,
or in gold thread with silk. OF course they
will be rarely used for an entire Dress though
one could imagine their radiant effect under
brilliant light, but they will probably be In
great demand for trimming and drapery, for
wadded wraps and dressy clOaks
A still more decided novelty in trimming
fabrics is in uncut velvet in lace patterns upon
dark satin. This is very rich, and is used to
trim fine wooden walking dresses as well as re-
ception toilettes, but it embodies a false idea,
is unsuited to the purpose to which it is put
and is every way Objectionable. In the first
place it makes pretence of lace without being
lace, which Is bad; in the second place. as it is
intended to simulate rich lace upon satin, it is
not adapted TO walking dressesi in the third
little more expensive and much more suitable
and permanent for handsome toilettes.
The rage for plush is expected to continue
for it is being manufactured in large quanti-
ties and will doubtless take the place Of fur as
trimming, and, in the fine, dark, seal-brown
shades of seal skin for cloaks, the genuine seal
having gone up to such high figures. In fact,
all real and high style furs have enhanced in
price in consequence of the scarcity produced
by the increasing demands Of fashion.
STYLES AND sPECIATTIE
The outgoing styles have but little interest
now, still it may be worth while to chronicle
few of them. Among the best designs are
shirred and killed skirts of mouse or fawn
colored satin, under draped princess polo
naise of handsome dark jet bright Japanese
foulard satin. To these is frequently added a
deep Charles |. collar of small, darkly rides
cent beads, each one cut, so that the effect is
Another good style of summer costume con-
ssts of acOmbination Of plain, with small check
Louisines, in good mixtures of gold with wire
and serge. The fine check is used for broad
scarf-like drapery and for the handkerchief. or
shirred trimming of the basque, which may be
trimmed with lace Chat is. the handkerchief or
trimming, not the basque), only the basques
OF cotton dresses are trimmed upon the lower
edge
The cotton costume in London was esthetic.
with belted waist and puffed sleeves. Here it
is conventional, with basque, killed front and
draped back. There are three killings in
front, headed with Madeira embroidery, and
this is used also as a trimming for the basque
and to form cuffs
Indoor gowns are short and cut sacque-
shaped, reaching to the feet but hardly touch
ing the ground They have collar which is
trimmed with a pleated ruffie. edged with
lace, and this extends down the front and
sometimes round the bottom. They are made
in pink and blue and red ground prints in very
small patterns in pongee silk, in foulard, and
in shades of silk surah, which is delightful
summer wear.