Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-03
THE AUTUMN FASHIONS.
GATHERING OF THE FORCES
FOR THE COMING CAMPAIGN.


Features of Autumn Exhibition-Dis-
play of New Styles-Dinner Dressing
Evening Wear-Winter Cloaks-Tuck-
ing and Pleating-Novelties in Orna-
mentatiOn.
Correspondence Of the Morning Nelos.
NEW YORK, Nov. 2.-The late autumn is the
beginning of season which this year prom
lses to be full of interest to the gay denizens of
the bright but fuetuating world of fashion and
society. Two ''grand" opera houses, the
presence of so many bright, particular musi-
cal stars, the advent of Mr.. Irving, the lead
ing light in the dramatic world, and the IN
creasing aggregation of wealth IN the me-
tropolis, combine at the present time to test
the strength and resources of all who would
hold place in the moving spectacle-the
magnificent ntshOw which the weeks and months
to come will present.
The life of the workshop precedes that of
the drawing room and the street, and the ele-
ments of the brilliant display which will
dazzle beholders have been gathering for
months past from Paris and London, from
Vienna and Berlin, from cottages where the
child and the lamb share the same roof and
lie down together, and from atties and cellars
where the human life is not half so human as
this which meets and mingles with that of the
beasts.
But it will be a brave show wherever if
comes from, and we shall all be very proud of
IT. Already the advance notes have been
sounded, like the summons of the bell to the
early vintage, by the dry goods houses, who
have begun to see the unwisdom of the exclu-
slye system practiced for the last few years,
and have returned to a more Liberal
poficy-actually allowing the public to
see some of the things which they have
to sell: A. Il. Stewart always understood
this. He was never afraid taking the COM
in nd tf 1 tba
character of his wares, and his colossal busi-
ness was built up on that basis. The executive
system Is copied from "prlvate" French i'm
pOrters and dreSsmakers, whose clientele is
small and consists of those who only purchase
imported designs or from order.
A really great house-that is great accord
ing to modern ideas Of size and cOmprehen-
sIveness-cannOt be built up in this way; and
there Is future equal to the great fortunes
made In the past for dry goods and ladies'
clothing house that is at once broad and high;
arr thlrty years ago, always to give to the
Ignorant as well as the experienced the new
est and best thing for the money.
FEATURES OF AUTUMN EXHIBITIONS.
The employment of velvet for short cos
TUNES instead of plush; the use of fine gold
braid and gold cord in the finishing and trim
ming; the entire disappearance of the over
skirt; the substitution of fine killing and
triple boX-pleats, or an extension of the
drapery at the back, from the close paniers
produced by flowing draperies lifted at the
sides and held without any evidence of be-
ing fastened down-the selvedge edge being
allowed TO appear-but showing rich facing
of satin beneath or a double of some some
rich fabric in a contrasting color; the revi-
val of velvet vests buttoned at the throat,
with cloth suits; but showing rui1les of lace
between the throat and the fastening at the
waist. The capes of these suits also take,
on many new forms, some folding over the
chest and fastening upon the shoulder; others
forming sleeves set high and accentuatng
the brevity of the shoulders. The favorite
trimming for these suits consists of large
macaroons, made of silk cord, or close cord
like braid, in the solid celor of the cloth, or in
two cOlOrs, if it is a mixture, such as red with
blue dark brown with dark green, terra Gotta
with dark rock grey, and the like.
The size and character of the brocaded
figures and designs in imported fabrics is a
constant subject for eXclamatiOns and para
graphs, and must soon exhaust itself Tor want
of room to grow or additional nutriment to
feed upon, Tor group OF enlarged roses or
clustering hydrangeas with long stalks or
leafy combinations occupies ali the space
there is upon bodice to cover, and the abso-
lutte has therefore been reached in this direc-
ton. 1t is said that art can make even these
OvergrOWn patterns becoming in bodice or
basque, but it is not true except in the case
of an unusually tall and willoWy figure, and a
flowing pattern which is graceful and less
strictly defined than the majority. Granted.
however, that an artist like Worth or PinZat
could arrange these bold designs so that they
would not impart their own character to the
wearer, what is to be said and what is to be
done in regard to the hundreds of handsome
dresses which will not be designed by Worth
or Pinzat, but have to take their chances
with paper pattern and a wOPkwOman at
from VI 70 tWasherWoman's wages to 81 so per
day?
Still it is very likely that tapestried and
brOcaded designs are destined to further de-
velOpment rather than an untimely end. We
are only ON the threshold vet of art as sug-
ppqt06 nd
mines of wealth in this direction yet to be ex-
plored. The growth and adaptation. the
harmoniZation of these will necessarily oc-
cupy the time and test the skill Of artists i'm
dress, and their success will only draw the
line more definitely between the skilled and
unskilled, between the real and the imitation
Let the majority, hoWeVer-those who cannot
afford to employ great artists or to indulge in
a great variety of tni!ets-=apoid very large
patterned fabrics and thus escape serious
risks and dangers.
The application of silk and plush flowers to
evening fabrics and the use of gold chenille
and beaded embrOideries as accessories is
frequently seen upon ball dresses, and Is GER
tainly efective-in some instances beautiful.
OF the large red plush or satin roses. outlined
with gold and pearl beads and relieved bv
foliage in shaded chenille, not much is to be
said, except that they are snowy and the
effect too much like pottery to be distin-
guished even when the work is beautifully
done. Their place is upon the stage, and as
quite a number have appeared among the
costumes worn by leading actresses their
status may be said TO be fixed.
But there are other patterns which are love-
ly-lnsplratlons only to be appreciated by a
refined taste and which bear the most eareful
study. These exhibit showers OF blossoms
worked in chenille, and silver or beads upon
branching stems and tendrils traced in darkly
shaded cord or chenille and forming a tablier
of towering may or almond blossoms, with
cOrsage sleeves and shOnlder bouquets upOn
thick tinted satin cream, rose pink, or delicate
ecru.
There is nothing more significant in the
midst Of all the hnery than the novel ten
dencY to white and grey in costumes-the
Dorothea eoiors Large, white felt bonnets,
trimmed with white ostrich feathers are
fashiOnably worn for a drive in Central Park
with ''Sister Agnes" cloaks, long grey cloaks
OF pale grey chuddah cloth lined with white
silk plush or quilted white satin; and fiuished
with large plush collars tied with grey satin
ribbon. These cloaks are draped up with
satin ribbon to form loose sleeves, and though
the design was origina ly intended for a tray
cling cloak, they are, as driving Wrans eX-
tremely elegant. 1t tshQuld be remarked that
they are draped at the back and made in red
and other colors, but the grey, with the large,
white, felt bonnets, present decidedly the
newest and most distinguished appearance
THE NEW TAPESTRIES.
Undoubtedly the greatest novelty IN fabrics
this season consists of the silk TAPESTRIES. the
matted ground reproducing the old goblin
effects, and the designs artisticaIIy subdued
and Suggesting nature rather than "e0nven-
tionalizing" it, in natural shades and colors
One of these gives us the flowing nasturtium
in shrimp, pink and yellow, and another the
outlines of exquisite pond lilies in shaded let.
luminous rose pink and silver white These
fabrics are truly art, and those have named
are all the more to be rGiOlaet in as being
purely American manufactures, and trnIY
what they Seem through and through There
is a cloth of gold also, finer. more
regal than any worn by Queen or
Empress, which has been woven upon Arleri
can looms, and is ready to make more beauti-
full Americas fair daughters. 1t is of pure
gold thread and red and gold six, the former
OF japanese manufaeture and sterling quail
ty, but woven into cloth here. The solid silk
reverse side is hardly less beautiful than the
more glittering golden side-it would not be
correct to say surface-fOr all these sDlendId
fabrics are woven of threads dyed when tbev
are not of pure metal, before they arc woven
and twisted in and in. - 40 wv
The designs OF the tapestries are so admir-
ably nlendeq tRat they may be used for COM
plete gowns by those who can afford them.
though lt IL TO be hoped that they will have
the sense and Intelligence not to torture or
deface them; but they are more likely to be
employed for parts Of toilets-for front and
bodice, or for skirt draped over a satin net
ticoat. The gold cloth may Ee used for prin-
cess trains, with satin fronts covered with
hounces OF gold embroidered gauZe or lace
but II e also very effective for basaues. for
theatre, Ter dinner wear.
DINNER DRESS.
The majority of the elegant toilets orderod
so far have been intended for dinners and
presumably for wear afterwards at oners or or
theatre. Among them was one yvnfc6' no
produced and blended all the 49,, 49,, oei-N