Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-07
PREHcH DRESSING.

Those will be we'll dressed who wear the
right thing at the right time. The exam
pie ought to come from the educated and
refined. We constantly hear French Dress
ing extolled; the reason is that the French
woman, being of more positive turn of
mind, is less prone to the effective and
picturesque, and her appearance, therefore,
will generally be in harmony with her sur
roundings. The bonnie, in spotless cap and
apron, going to market the grisette, in
sober. colored but well-made merino, the
plain straw bonnet relieved by a touch of
crimson the grand dame walking to mass
in her rich but simple black silk, trimmed
with few yards of Chantilly round neck
and wrists-are all dressed in reference to
the hour of the day and the errand they
pursue. Here it is different; the neat
muslin cap is replaced by the char woman's
greasy black bonnet-a soiled lilac flower
and crumpled blue strings being the invari
able accomplishments tawdry black satin
and a hat or bonnet profusely ornamented
with light colored feathers-not the fresh.
est-meet the eye instead of the grisettes
neat costume, and, should you chance to
take walk in the park one morning, you
encounter figures of every hue and shape,
clad in every texture, from limpest cot.
ton to canary satin, covered with lace,
founces, beads and embroidery, regardless
of expense, harmony or fitness. 1t is not
that many of these dresses are not very
pretty and picturesque in themselves-for
instance, that maroon velvet, trailing along
in the dust and suggestive only of heat
and discomfort this hot summer morning.
would look beautiful and rich at 5 o'clock
tea on a January afternoon. In yonder
red plush parasol there can be no redeem
ing point it always must be an anomaly
but that slim girl in pink muslin with huge
fur tippet on her shoulders would have
done much better had she worn warmer
dress or more appropriate covering. 1t
is, of course, not easy to have clothes
adapted to every occasion, especially if
they are to be picturesque. A French
woman contents herself with few very
well made and not too snowy dresses, with
everything thereto pertaining complete.
Should some opportunity arise when none
of them will do, she remains at home.
Now, though an Englishwoman often pos.
sesses many advantages over women of
other nations, the very charm and origin
She is apt to be misled by ideas taken
from pictures and poetry, but
A sweet disorder in the dress,
And
careless shoestring in whose tie
l see wild civility,
Are better in verse than in prose. Dress
may and ought to express the character
and idiosyncrasy of the wearer, but never
at the expense of fitness and neatness.
The impress of the mind upon dress is
often seen in the case of ladies who hunt
and race. The necessity of taking quick
decisions clears their ideas, and they al
ways know exactly what they want. Their
appearance is the acme of neatness, but
shows neither variety nor imagination.
With artists it is the contrary certain
negligence of attire and eccentricity in
shape and color indicate turn of thought
speculative and IDEAL Anything too much
like a costume, be it ever so pretty,
will look out of place in the street or
other public resorts but it is quite legiti.
mate to go for inspiration to the apse of
+" Michael Angeles Bride " for q dressing
gown to be worn only in your sanctum.
Dressing for effect in bad or inferior stuffs
ever denotes an unreal and unrefined mind
simplicity of outline is the basis of grace
richness ought to depend upon the fabric
itself, not upon the mass of trimming
Cottons and muslins must be simple and
dainty, easily washed and cleaned their
charm depends entirely upon the sensation
of crispness and freshness they give to the
beholder. Bows and buttons ought to be
put where they are wanted or where they
might appear to be of use, and not I'M
meaningly scattered about in promiscuous
places. The wonderful dignity and finish
we admire in medieval dress depends
mainly upon all the ornamentation being
based upon necessity.-[Lady Paget, in the
Nineteenth Century.