Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-01
HE EVENING STAR
DOUBLE SHEET
FASHIONS FOR THE NEW YEAR.


A White Season for Balls and Rail
Dresses-Absence of Color in n Han
day Gifts and FAncies for Personal
and Household Use.
IRON Our O,1n Correspondent
NEW YORK, Dec. 81, 1880.
The very strong feeling which exists among
all intelligent women to simplify the dress
question finds its principal obstacles In the
hotel and the stage. "Who buys and who
wears the gorgeous dresses with their bewllder.
Ing trimmings and overlayings?" asked lady
OF shopkeeper recently. "They are not worn
In society nor In high society. The middle
class, that is professional people and those who
Who then wears them?"
WELL" returned the proprietor OF the very
fashionable ladies furnishing establishment.
ave do not expect to sell such dresses as those
you have just seen to real ladies': they are
usually sold for the stage at reduced price or
to the wives OF rich men who spend Tue wln5or
Ia New York, stop AT hotels, and gas them
selves In stunning costumes for dinner and the
opera
and even exaggerated. and stand as the repre-.
sentatlTeS OF the actual fashions Wori by ali
Women"
"Ceri ainly. That cannot b. helpel They
are the only styles that afford any opp lrtunity
for filling UP the regular column OF fa,ai On
natter and the wife OF speculator nytag a. a
distance wants just such a splendid $40 " for
her money, and when she, comes to New York
she gets IT.
1t SEEMS, therefore, that the dna dressn-.
while it occupies very much tue eyes OF tae
public, from being seen in the most conspicuous
places does not represent the intellI ,eace on
the one hand or the taste on the other OF ma
jority OF women, while not little Of the 'craze,
for dress and for certain costly OCCASIONS is
stimulated. If not wholly created, by newspaper
iteration for which there IS only the slightest
foundation in fact.
AWhat the general permanent tendency may
De 1t Is impossible to say. for one constantly
sees the most singular transformations In form
and style; but for some time past the effort has
certainly been toward simpler, truer, more
artistic designs, and we have the basis to-day
Of an almost perfect form OF dress and one
capable OF Infinite variation Ii 1t could only be
represented and carried out The effort on the
COGtinent-that is, In Germany-to revive the
"tOurnure" or hustle. has not as yet been sec
onded here: nor does it find much favor In
LOn0On or Paris. The German ladies are apt to
have rather broad backs, ana are heavily built:
for this reason the straight costume falls nat
upon them, and ar "tmprover" of some kind is
considered requisite to eQuallZe the proportions
But 1t Is very different with the slim aud gracs.
full young American. A Prncesse robe is TO her
at once the simplest and most stylish Of dresses
Tor it displays her natural graces, and presents
no obstacle TO the lightnesS OF her movements
modified jersey Is to her the most bacou.
Ing and convenient OF short dresses, and there.
fore 1t is growing into favor. While TO broad and
BALL DRESSES.
Dressing for balls Is easter aud simpler this
winter than ever remember to have seen It,
open skirts and back drapery have disappeared.
Trains are plain With tne exception OF the edge,
which has thick ruching or pleatng. and the
Iront above Is trimmed Moreover many Of the
bali dresses are made Short and this together
with their simple cut, gives tnem an air OF ex-
IRENE quiet and refinement. 1t might be sup
posed that al women would welcome styles
which relieved them from weight aud care bit
this Is far from the case. Dre3smakers ara tbs
foes OF plain and quiet dress. partly because of
IT'S want OF variety, partly because their want
OF real elegance and genuine refinement OF
style and finish Is best hidden under protu.
sion OF bows. and folds. and puffs and drapery
This OVERLAPPING, too affords the only chance
Tor the making over" process, so far as evening
dresses are concerned, for how else can tbs
spots and stains and wear Of light silks and
frayed satins be hidden by al overdre,s of
gauze or muslin, or crossed and twisted scaris
OF something or other?
The rule Is almost infallible In evening
dresses, and particularly bail dresses this win
Ter, that the new ones are plain and OF rich ms-
terial. While the old ones present the fussy and
ceediHg years.
The fashionable bali Aress Is white saith or
btocade; the front and corsage trimmed With
beaded lace. and fringe, in pearls Or white lee,
the train plain except thick rucntng and un.
derp. aitiDg OF white satin, which is only par6
Visible and Is supplemented by ano5her OF stiff
sometimes OF the fabric of the dress and In.
decd rnost evening dresses nave two pair or
sleeves as the lace over quickly wears out and
are not suitable for any buI the most dressy
occasions THIS style in essentials Is almost
UNIFORM. Inc variations arc matters OF ind
vioual taste and means All sattn ann figured
slik are spoken OF as the rIcnest when Jhey
figure Ia the list or a newspaper. bu. In reality
some Of them are silk or satin only on she SUI
face. AID are cheaper than fine wool. Even Ia
pure tissues there is an enormous difference 10
Al nrtp nf C0ff AyA
Ing IRON LWo to twenty live and thirty dollars
per YARD,
But the most extrayagant woman only BUYS
q limited quantity OF such royal stuff as this
last, AID VIII not have it cut up into rraQmsnt,
II she can nelp 1t, but the barberous instinct is
strong In the modern maker of clothes and I
nave seen the scissors ruthleSsly cut into three
pieces an exquisite lace baroe that cost fifteen
dollars, and would have been a joy forever be-
cause loop OF 1t was wanted In one place ana
an end In another.
SO strict that designs we're called sheath Ike,
and though drapery was used It was latd In
folds ard woven In and out or curtainel back
50 exactly that It rather assisted to outline the
form than added bulk to It's snapelines3. The
present distribution or fulness is different The
train Is plated or full, even of Prlncesse
dress. But the waist Is perfectly moulded By
the basque or c0rsagc, and the trimming is
usually massed upon the 'front.' or front and
sides OF the skirt.
An exception to this rule, however. was ex-
neiiCu at INC StNcutu ItpIIUcuG Dail In New
York by lady who accom- panied major gen.
eral Her trained dress OF white satin was a
mass OF steel embroidery In front and pearl and
chenille embroidery at the back, and the effect
at the back was enhanced by superb ilounce
OF genuine point, arranged as jabog down the
center lengths Of tho dress. rhis suggests q
novel and striking way OF utilizing tiUuncas
which are no longer put on In the Old way and
are, therefore, laid away as useless by many
ladies' who possess very rare Old specimens.
The Irregular waves OF the lacs are much more
graceful than the old Vatican pleat. and give
exceeding grace. dignity, aud statelineSs TO a
naturally d.gnited carriage OF the body.
Another elegant dress worn on the same oc-
CASTOR was OF thick ivory white satin, cut
square. and trimmed entirely With cordonS and
spikes. with an edging OF swans down. The
TAIN was plain but full, and was spread out
into luiness on each side, 80 as to give sort Of
Queen Anne effect
Another effective dress, worn in a balcony
box. was OF water green satin, finished silk,
tin!aed with silk muslin and pleated lace
under tr.nses and band OF opal beads With
ILLS Dress was Worp large satin hat,
Iainled in wild roses, and decorated with q
band Of white feathers and two ostrich piumes
one touching the shoulder.
A striking short dress, was 0: brown en-
eossed velvet, made UP with yellow satin; and
here Was an example also In short dress OF
the very latest ldea-a Chinese ten gown Of
lace over ola gold satin, With striped RIB N
front IN blended colorS-o.d gold, garnet aud
old blue..e These Chinese tea gowns are the
and almost shapeless They fold over, and
when made CT silk are finished With revers and
tied ABOUT the waist with sash of doubled silk
gathered at the endS