The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-04-27
LODGE MONTANA, APRIL 1885,
THE ART OF DREs SING.
Why French Women Excel--where En-.
gIish Women Fail. ...s

gIish Women Fail. ...s
Lady Dagat In the Nineteenth Century.
Those will be we'll dressed who wear the
the right thing at the right time. The ex.
ample ought to come from the educated and
refined. We constantly hear French dress.
Ing eatolled; the reason is that the Frei.ch'
woman, being Of a mole positive turn oi
mind, is less prone to the effective and pic.
turesque, aud her appearance, heiefore, will
generally be In harmony with her surround
ings. The bonne, In spolless cap and apron,
going to market; the grisette, In sober-col.
ored but well made merino, the plain straw
bonnet relieved by touch Of crimson; the
grande dame walking to mass In her rich
but simple black silk, trimmed with few
yards Of .hantiliy round neck and wrists
are all dressed In reference to the hour Of
the day and the errand they pursue. In En-.
land 1t Is different; the neat muslin cap Is
replaced by the char woman's greasy black
bonnet-a soiled lilac flower aud crumpled
blue strings being the invariable accompani
ments; tawdry black satin aud hat or bon.
net profusely ornamented with light-coloIed
feathers-not the freshest-m ct the eye in
stead of the grisette's neat costume, and
should you chance to take a walk In the
park one morning you encounter figures OF
every hue and shape, clad In every texture,
from limpest cotton TO canary satin, covered
lace, founces, beads and embroidery, regard.
less Of expense, harmony, or fitness. 1t is
not that many of these dresses are not very
pretty and picturesque in themselves-for In
stance, that maroon velvet, trailing along In
the dust and suggestive only of heat and dis
eonfot this hot summer morning, would
look beautiful and rich at 5o'clock tea on q
January afternoon. In yonder red plush
parasol there can be no redeeming point; II
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 sp-
propriate covering. II Is, Of course, not easy
to have clothes adapted to every occasion,
especially II they are TO be picturesque.
A Frenchwoman contents herself with q
few very we'll 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
adv ut,t nf
other nations, the very charm aud originali-
ty of her appearance proves her snare. ..
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
see wild civility,
are better In verse than In prose. Dress may
aud ought to express the character and idio
syncrasy of the wearer, but never at the sx-
pe'rse Of fitness and neatness. The impress
Of the mind upon dress Is often seen in the
case of ladies who hunt and race. The me-
cessity Of taking quick decisions clears their
ideas. and they always know exactly what
they want Their appearance is the acme Of
neatness, but shows neither variety nor i'm
agination. With artists 1t Is tie contrary; q
certain negligence Of attire and eccentriclty
in shape and color indicate turn of thought
speculative and ideal. Anything too much
like costume, be 1t ever so pretty, will
look out of place In the street or other pub
lie resorts; but 1t Is quite legitimate to 60
for inspection to the apse of Michael Ange-
los "Bride" for a dressing gown to be worn
only in your own sanctum. Dressing for
effect in bad or inferior stuffs ever denotes
an unreal and unrefned mind; simplicity of
outline Is the basis Of grace; richness ought
to depend upon the fabric itself, not upon
the mass of trimming. Cotton and muslins
must be simple and cainty, easily washed
and cleaned; their charm depends entirely
upon the sensation Of crispness and freshness
they give TO the beholder. Bows aud but
tons ought to be put where they are wanted
or where they might appear to be Of use, and
not unmeaningly scattered about In promis-
cuous places. The wonderful dignity and
finish we admire in medieval dress depends
mainly upon all the ornamenta.ion being
based upon necessity.