Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-03
AUTUMN FASHIONS.
The Gathering Of the Forces for the
Coming Campaign-Display OF New
Styles - Dins,er, Dressing, Evening
Wear and Novelties In Ornamental.

From Our Own Correspondent.
NEW YORK, Nov 2-The late autumn Is the
| beginning Of season which this year promises
to be full Of interest to the gay denizens Of the
bright but fiuctuating world Of fashion and So
ciety. Two grand" opera houses, the presence
Of so many bright, particular musical stars, the
| advent Of Mr.. Irving the leading light in the
dramatic world, and the increasing aggregation
| OF wealth in the metropolis combine at the pres
ent time to test the strength and resources of
| all who would hold place in the moving spec
tacle-the magnificent show 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 elements
of the brilliant display which will dazzle be-
holders have been gathering for months past
from Paris and London, from Vienna and Ber
| lin from cottages where the child and the lamb
share the same roof and lie down together. and
from attcs and cellars where the human life ia
not half so human as this which meets and min
| giles with that of the beasts.
But it will be brave show, whereverit comes
from. and we shall all be very proud Of it. AL
ready tue advance notes have been sounded,
like the summons of the bell to the early
vintage. by the dry goods houses. who have
begun Ito see the uuwisdom of the exclusive
system practised for the last few years, and
have returned to more liberal policy
actually allowing the public to see some
Of Of, the things which they have to
sell. A. 7. Stewart always understood this.
He was never afraid Of taking the community
into his confidence in regard to the character Of
| his wares. and his colossal business was built up
on that basis The exclusive system is copied
from private" French importers and dressma-
kers, whose clientele is small and consists Of
those who only purchase imported designs or
from order.
A really great house-that is great according
TO modern ideas OF size and comprehensiveness-
cannot be built up in this way: and there Is a
future equal to the great fortunes made in the
past for dry goods and ladies' clothing house
that is at once broad and high-that can be re-
| lied upon. as could A. T. Stewart thirty years
ago, always to give to the ignorant. as well as
| the experienced, the newest and best thing for
| the money.
FEATUREs OF AUTUMN EXHIBITIONS.
The employment of velvet for short costumes.
| Instead of plush; the use of fine gold braid and
gold cord in the finishing and trimming: the en-
tire disappearance of the Overskirt; the substi-
tuition of fine killing and triple box pleats, or
an extension OF the drapery at the back. from
the close paniers of the basque; the peculiar
'cornce" effects produced by flowing draperies
lifted ut the sides and held without any evidence
OF being fastened down-the selvedge edge
being allowed to appear. but showing a rich
facing Of satin beneath or double of some rich
fabric in a contrasting color: the revival Of vel
vet vests buttoned at the throat, with cloth
suits. but showing ruffles of lace between the
| throat and the fastening at the waist. The
capes Of these suits also take on many new
forms, some folding oyer the chest and fasten-
Ing upon the shoulder: others forming sleeves
set high and accentuating the brevity of the
shoulders. The favOrite trimming for these suits
Consists of large maccarOOns. made OF silk cord,
close cord like braid. in the solid color of the
cloth, or in two cOlOrs if it is MIXTURE such as
red with blue. dark brown with dark green,
terra Gotta with dark rock gray, and the like
The size and character of the brOcaded figures
and designs in imported fabrics is constant
subject for Explanations and paragraphs, and
must soon exhaust itself for want of room to
j.grOw or additional nlItriment to feed upon for
group of enlarged roses or clustering hydran-
geas with long stalks or leafy combinations oc
cupieS all the space there is upon bodice to
cover. and the absolute has. therefore. been
reached in this direction. 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 tail and wil!owy figure.
and flowing pattern which la graceful and
less strictly defined than the majority. Granted.
however. that an artist like Worth or Pingat
could arrange these bold designs that they
would not impart their own character to the
wearer, what is to be said and what IS to b" done
in regard to the hundreds of handsome dresses
which will not be designed by Worth or Pinnat,
but have to take their chances with paper
pattern and wOrk-woman at from Sl.25 (wash-
erwOman's wa@es) to S2. 50 per day?
Still it is very likely that tapestred and bro
caded designs are destined to further develop
ment rather than an untimely end. We are
! only on the threshold yet Of art, as suggested
by nature. in design, and there are mines of
wealth in this direction yet to be explored. The
growth and adaptation, the harmonization Of
these will necessarily occupy the time and test
the skill of artists in dress, and their success
will only draw the line more definitely between
the skilled and unskled between the real and
the imitation. Let the majority however, those
who cannot afford to employ great artists OF to
indulge in great variety of toilets. avoid 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 enlbrOideres as accessories is frequently
seen upon ball dresses and is certainly effective;
| in some instances. beautiful. Or the large red
plush or satin roses outlined with gold and
pearl heads. and relieved by foliage in shaded
| chenille. not much is to be said, except that
they are SNOWY and the effect too much like
pottery to be distinguished, even when the work
is beautifully done. Their place is upon the
stage, and as quite 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 lovely
inspirations only TO he appreciated by refined
| taste, and which bear the most careful study
| These exhibit showers of blossoms worked in
stems and tendrils traced in darkiy shaded cord
or chenille, and forming tablier of Towering
May or almond blossoms. with corsage sleeves,
and shoulder bouquets upon thick tinted satin
| cream. rose pink, or delicate ecru.
There is nothing more significant In the midst
of all the finery than the novel tendency to
white and gray in costume-the Dorothea COL
ors. Large white felt bonnets, trimmed with
white ostrich feathers. are fashonably worn for
drive in Central Park, with 'Sister Agnes"
cloaks. long gray cloaks of pale gray chuddah
cloth. lined with white silk plush or quilted
white satin and finished with large plush col
lar tied with gray satin ribbon These cloaks
are draped up with satin ribbon, to form loose
sleeves. and though the design was originally
intended for a travelling cloak. they are as driv-
ing wraps extremely elegant. It should be re-
| marked that they are draped at the back and
| made in red and other cOlors. but the gray. 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 ef-
fects and the designs artistically subdued and
| suggesting nature rather than .conventionali-
ling" it, in natural shades and colors One of
| these gives us the flowing nasturtum in shrimp