Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-29
NEW YoRK FASHIONS.

WILL AOs IOO6 OOODA<A1 49,
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
tumes-Tho Girls % the 8escue-NeW.
port Toiless-Taste In Coi0rs.
From Our Own Correspondent
NEW YORK, April %
Spring has always been poetic fiction In the
northern and eastern parts of these United States
It is something we like to read about. 1t sug-
gests thoughts and fancles we like to see ex-
pressed In Easter cards and poems. But so far
as getting rid of wraps and woolens, or finding
an opportunity for the display of spring cos
tunes, that usually does not occur until blossom
ing May has gotten over Its chill and taken some
steps In it's progress toward leafy juno. This
spring has not differed greatly from its prede-
cessors. single mild sunshny day Is followed
by clustering chilly week, and sanguine per.
sons who hasten to welcome the approach OF
warmer weather by changing their outer gar
ments or laying aside their wooden underwear
are usually glad to return to them, and may be
considered fortunates If they have not provoked
visit from Miss Neuralgia or Mr.. Rheumatism.
THE SPRING SENSATION.
OF course the Openings" brought novelties
else why have them7-and the most genuine
sensation Of the season was caused BY the alb
sence from all Of them Of trained dresses Those
that are most rigidly fashionable did not exhibit
one, and here and there, when . solitary ex-
ample was to be seen, Il looked really old
fashioned and out Of place-as II left over from
last year, and put in BY mistake. In the exhibi-
ton rooms of one well-known house. which are
always lighted with gas for the display Of ele-
giant evening dresses, about fifty of these rich
toilets were on view, varying In price from $50
to perhaps $5O0-and there was not an inch Of
train among them.
This is certainly q new departure The short
dress has undoubtedly been gaining ground. 1t
has been the evening dress for Young women,
and particularly the dress for dancing parties,
for a year past; but has never before, at least
during the last quarter Of century, been con-
sdered admissible for the matron and the draw
ing-rOOm; and it is q question whether the in
nOvation will be accepted even BY the most con-
ventional followers of Ia mode. Probably it will
in the present state Of public opinion only give
fresh impulse to the freedom OF the individual
in regard to dress. and while some ladies will
decline to cut of the length of skirt, which they
deem graceful and fitting their age and position,
others will find in this action the authority they
require for adopting on all occasions convenient
and comfortable form of dress.
THE NEW SHORT DRESS.
In reality there Is not much comfort in the
new short dress for those who look for any
growth Of ideas in regard to dress, or for any
progress towards the development of perma-
nent principles, as an underlying foundation for
sensible and healthful clothing. This short
dress, as exhibited Is q revival of the short,
very much founced, and pulled designs Of
thrty-One years ago, minus the ten starched
skirts employed to distend them previous to the
revival Of the hOOped-skrt. which acquired its
acme Of expansion several years afterwards. It
is not graceful, for it is Overlaid with very full
pleatings and pufS in front as well as behind,
and Is shapeless. except that it Is lifted over q
small wire shelf or lump behind, which bitches it
up. it being straight around the bottom in the
most ungainly fashion. The extreme ugliness
deal of pains is taken to make it attractive by
lovely combinations of color and fabric. To
those who respect good work, even when put
into the cotton for morning gown. 1t seems q
sin thus to ruin tine and beautiful materials, and
1t Is sickening to ind that even yet we cannot
have convenient dress 80 far as length is con-
cerned, without having It overloaded with use
less frippeFy, which only mars all sense Of beau
ty and renders it as burdensome and wasteful,
as If It dragged yards upon the pavement.
rises to ones lips when year after year the same
fOllies are re-enacted, when year after year wO-
men submit to them without any protest. I
wish from my heart there were enough woman
hood to rise in rebellion everywhere and de-
mand and wear sackclOth and ashes until this
reproach of perpetual folly and perpetual change
be taken away from them.
WHAT WILL COME NEXT.
Afterwards the deluge All short dresses will
be pretty sure to be followed by all long dresses.
The full hustled skirts will lead to the hoop and
the hoop to the long dress for the street as well
as the drawing-room, provided we follow pre-
vious examples AZ closely as we have hitherto
done. The later introduction Of the short dress,
which we have retained ever since, took place
from fifteen to eighteen years ago !; and SO far
convinced were the majority that it would die
speedy death that very few ladies would do
more than utilize the fashion by having an old
dress cut over according to It, for they feared
they should be wasting their new material.
wealthy gentleman who earnestly desired that
his wife should assist BY her example to perpet-
uate q sensible Idea, gave her check one morn
Ing FOR $50, on condition that it should all be
expended in buying really elegant short walk
Ing dress (Which, Of course, was done) and the
In making round Of calls. The dress excited a
great deal Of attention and comment, and.
doubtless, had also its social influence
The first short dresses were not pretty or
graceful They were straight and shapeless, as
were the first walking" jackets, and they had
straight full overskirts. and wide short basques.
Altogether, they were the very antipodes Of the
esthetic ideas Of to-day, which appears to be
length and piiability. The short dress, however.
had the element OF common sense to recommend
various periods of Dolly vardenism and the like.
it took one form and more or less OF beauty.
There have been models Of short dresses seen
and worn within the past few years that were
very near perfection; and it seems pity that. in
order to appreciate them-in order. above all to
satisfy tho demon Of change-we must go back
to ugliness and defOrmity.
This, however, is not necessary. There are
models which retain the grace OF previous
designs and add the charm of quaintness and
simplicity all their own. And there are others.
which, If more conventional, are at least free
from vulgarity SO distinct as to be almost an
afectati0n. We have nearly arrived at point
where the dress individualizes the woman.
for If we cannot always express in
it just what we wish, we can at
least prevent it from utterly belying us and our
dispositions. All the hope for the dress aues-
ton and for every other that affects the interest.
happiness and future well-being of the sex lies
In the young women; the good, earnest, consci-
entious and thoughtful girls who wish to do
their whole duty, who will do it when they know
what 1t is. whose feet tread the EARTH but whose
eyes are lifted to the stars, hoping for token
of the work they are to perform. Would that
some angel might appear and show them that
honesty, healthtulness, modesty and suitability
In their dress is tho first step in progressive
WOm0nhOOd and that the roaf can hardly Ia