Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-30
NEW YeKK FASHIONS.
1he SOcia1 Life-Lannching a Debu.
tonfe-DtnDer GIving-Dinner Toilets
New Departure for ISridesmaids.
FROM our own Correspondent.

IL Is not a brilliant season 1t Is OF course a
tusy one for the five hundred or five thousand
more or less very fashionable people who have to
crowd an Infinite number OF gayeties, receptions.
dinners, teas, 1uncheons and what-not into the
Few weeks preceding Lent, which begins this year
30 early I'm February that there Is hardly time to
get over the Christmas holidays before 1t will
strike the note o. departure for the brightest part
or the pageant-the dances, their music, flowers
and pretty toilets. Why the lights should go out
30 suddenly no one quite knows. Fashionable
people are not supposed 10 be SO very pious so
devoted to Leaten sacrifices and Leaten fasts-in
TACT, Lenten fasts might very Well now read
Lenten feasts, for when the season II dances ends
the season dinners begins
The reason why tt has not been q brilliant sea-
sen lies princp lily in the vulgar fact that busi-
PES has not been good; that the speculative
height having been reached for the present, val
ues have been on the decline Instead upon the
u.s., AMI merchants nave been Obliged TO sell In
STEAD OF buy on q falling market Moreover there
ls less display ana much less desire for display
than formerly; the vUlgarity Of o,tentatiOn IS be
ginning TO be felt, and the folly o. 'crazes" when
have 10 foundation IN any really beautiful per-
manent idea is beginning 10 b. understood The
Influence of the wealthy and ycTy best class in
America Is Just benefcient II slstaiEs our
great CHARITIES; It builds IN art Institutions: 1t
develops the finer Industries by its patronage.
The women are intelligent and unOStentatiouS
their quiet dress does not ordinarily distinguish
Them from the ranks OF The refined working
women, and their bravery OF jewels and lace OF
velvet ana satin. is oulJ nut on as Insignia upon
means slight In connection with charities and do
mestlc interests, the education Ci their children
and the perform ince of sCciai duties
The snowy women. the eXtrdyacant BUYERS of
BtrlSlng and hlyh Coiored ready made costumes.
are scondclass actresses, the wives rich saloon
Keepers and hotel pTopEeturS and the rapreso nts-
Ive5 in short OF that Heating population In cities
Who 1--we upon the surface and tnd the only conso-
1atiOn OF their npuaGic existence in It's moor
glitter and color. There Is another gay crowd com
posed OF those Who figure cOnsplcu0u-iy in tie
s'society' columns: bnt these are draw from ,,ir
\ hrgy-n
OF healthy existence in the Necessities Of a many
sided social lie. Solid and staid pile ngure in
IL only as the framework TO ell fee; It's life and
the renewal OF It's tie comes from he young ana
tne Young married people, who do not yet realize
any uuty superior 10 That Of enjoyment TO that OF
gettinS all the peSu'e that is possible oct OF Life.
LAUNCHING pEsrTASrx.
The Introduction OF daughters into society has
become a part OF the regular order OF social lfe
and this year larger number of these events
nave taken place than ever before In single sea-
Son. Where the circle Is very large, two enter
talnmentS are given: one to the young people who
are TO compose her special world the other to the
parents and friends who compose the social world
OF her parents or guardians. or course neither
are composed exclusively OF Young or old ele-
ments; the young must have their chaperones:
The Old are often accompanied by some daughter
NholS already 'oJt butthe Characteristics differ.
Many ar" left out or one who are invited To- the
other, and whereas the frs. Is usually in the even
Ing ami accompanied by dancing anG VIII If are
already called Eight Observation-Disclosures
CAKE and Ice cream, which elder people have
Wisely learned to avoid-the second Citen occ'.rs
In the GfternO0l, AMI tniS bacOnIas an Informal
'tea or reception, where people arrive and depart
all the time between the three hours devoted to IT,
merely stepping In ff0m the Carriage which Is left
In waiting, paying thli: respects 10 Che hostess
congrat ultt ting the daughter p2ssin., through ii
they Choose, To the extension plrlor or dining
room where table is set, and bullion. tea, ana
biscuits are served, greeting such trends as they
me-, anu leaving at.ef perhaps fifteen or twenty
be paid III The course of one afternoon, and even
Detween The fashionable hours OF ''three to six"
and ''IOur TO SeVen.'
Punetuality in these cases g a necessity: the
want Of IL crime. The event, like Others OF It's
Class, Is by no means one OF pure pleasure to the
majority Of hOstesseS or guests. 1t is something
10 Gt done. Ii the house is large AMI fine, If the
position OF the fally-that Is of the father of the
young girl Is assurtG-ir he has abundant means
ana only one or two daughters who are perhaps
pretty, wei educated, and posses OF more or
Friends can be selected-appointments even to
this Office, numerously though 1t is filled are to
certain extent fiatteIing-and every occasion
Is seized FOR sending costly gifts of flowers and
perhaps ether things OF moe permanent value.
ds,r, ana c2giiments from people the most
IN, ana life 20 the young gill who has just
stepped out from its rose wreathed portals LOOKS
But al4s these conditions are rare even In $50
c1ety-" Often the house is small, the daughters
many; the position uncertain; the means p-eca
nous: the desirable friends few In humber. and
their appearance in the modest Quarters or their
humble satellites as rare as ANGELS visits and not
value OF the favor they are comforting, and not
unfrequently make the recipient feel 1t. The
many cares on her mind She has had to breach
this subject OF their daughters presentation
months before To her husband. She has had to
endure his grOaning and fault-fndlng although
IN reality he is more anxious for society success
than Una, sac Is because It gives him kind OF sclat,
and assists 10 establish hts position. She has had
to econornise and work over this, that or the
other in hundred ways to cover MP deficiencies
and produce the proper sort OF ensemble, and now
She IL In agony over the bills that must lie met
over tie absence OF some whose presence was
most wished for and the presence Of others whose
absence would have been considered blessing
And she is simply Notwithstanding with the coz
ventondl smile upon her lip and tie conventional
phrase upon her tongue-unu the moment arrives
when,Eay;ng bowed the last guest out ut the draw
Ing room door, she can order the lights to be put
down or out and IND moment To sum up the
events o. this seemingly joyful beginning To new
HE which Is part OF her
THE TOTIkTs OF DEBUrANTE.
debutante always wears white, and there Il a
fashion now OF making the dresses fer the first
season with the utmost simplicity, SO that they
look much like the robes for confirmation as
for entrance into the world Of gayety. India
muslin this year has been the favorte fabric and
Its OrnamentatiOn Is confined to the ske- belt or
sash, lace, and the mass of roses at the waist
Very little Jewelry Is w0rn-sometimes none at
all-and the high lights, II any, come rom the
eyes, the hair, tie cheeks and the red red lips or
the bright young face In such sweet simplicity
OF dress the ''chrOIo" girls, as they are called
golden nair, and the natural rad which might be-
come H9rid under harsher circumstances, have It
all thsir own wav. Ii is only when COSTUME is
suitably adapted g Individuality that the TYNE
appears TO the best advaD age.
Where there are older sisters who are already
Experienced from having had the adyaIta re OK
several seasons training. they asss. In doing the
honor, bit it IS not etiquette FOR them to wear
White lhey Llay wear pink or blue, or pale
green. or a colOrei satin coat with q white skirt
but tsey must not wear all white. Indeed, all
White, unless 10 Is very rich. has d SIgnificance
which limits Its fUn.S Ions 1t may be worn as a
morning dress at home, but abroad IL denota3 n
bride, debutante or iidate for confirmation
Very rich and very original white dresses are OF
course an exception to this rule. The most costly
white dresses or this season have been cOmbina-
lions OF white velvet and satln or white plush ana
satin, with pearls and (white) Jet tr lrninga A
beautiful costume, worn at famous ball In this
city, had a front OF pressed white pluSh-perhapS
IL would De more correct 10 say depressed for the
pressed portions formed sunken ryu-es-leayes
disks or flowers, connected by lines, threads
Stems, or nbreS so as TO produce excellent
effects. The outlines were followed
by a beautiful tracery Of beaded and silken EN-
broidery, which reappeared upon the lace OF the
Sleeves, but was entirely absent from the plain
rich train OF white satin bordereu by heavy satin
fuche The plush extended upon the front OF the
Bodice, forming u nd no act.