Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-01
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
DULLNESS OF THE SEASON AND
ITS CAUSE.
The Social Life-Launching a Debutante
Dinner Gtving-Dinner ToIlets-New
Departure for Observation-Disclosures
In Printed COttOns-IrrecOneflab
of Poverty and Taste.

W" 4UAAs Lee. %o.-lt ls not brilliant
season. 1t is, Of course, a busy one for the
hve hundred or five thousand more or less very
fashionable people who have 70 crowd an inf
mite number Of gayeties, receptions, dinners,
teas, luncheOns and what not into the few
weeks preceding Lent, which begins this year
50 early in February that there Is hardly time
to get over the Christmas holidays before it
will strike the note OF departure for the
lrightest part OF the pageant-the dances,
their music, flowers and pretty toilets. Why
the lights should 20 out so suddenly no one
quite knows. Fashionable people are not
supposed to be so very pious or so devoted to
Lenten sacrifices and Lenten fasts. In fact.
Lenten fasts might very well now read Lenten
feasts, for when the season Of dances ends the
season Of dinners begins
The reason why il has not been a brilliant
season lies principally in the vulgar fact that
business has not been good; that the specula-
tive height having been reached for the pres
ent, values have been on the decline instead Of
on the rise. and merchants have been obliged
to sell instead Of buy on q falling market
Moreover, there Is less display and mnch less
desire for display than formerly; the vulgarity
OF 0stentatlOn - beginning TO be felt, and the
folly Of ''craZes" which have no foundation in
any really beautiful permanent idea is begin
ming TO be understood. The influence Of the
wealthy and very best class in America is just
now Denencent. 1t sustalns our great chari-
ties; il builds up art institutions; il develops
the finer Industries by its patronage. The wO-
men are intelligent and unOstentatiOus; their
quiet dress does not ordinarily distinguish
them from the ranks Of the refined working
women, and their bravery Of jewels and lace,
Of velvet and satin. Is only put on as insignia
upon certain important occasions. Their la
Dor is by no means slight in connection with
charities and domestic interests, the education
Of their children and the performance Of social
duties.
The snowy women, the extravagant buvers
II fsfr irh colo ad Hr--r Fo
tunes, are secOnd-class actresses. the wives Of
rich saloon keepers and hotel prOprietOrs, and
the representatives, in short, OF that floating
population in cities who live upOn the surface
and find the only consolation Of their nOmantic
existence in its poor glitter and color. There
Is another gay crowd composed Of those who
figure conspicuOusly in the society" columns
but these are drawn from different and va
ried sources, and have substratum Of
healthy existence in the necessities of a many
sided social life. Solid and staid people figure
in II only a. the frame work to az edlfice: its
life, and the renewal Of its life, comes from the
young and the young married people, who do
not yet realize any duty superior to that of
enjoyment, to that of getting all the pleasure
that is possible out of life.
LAUNCHING A DEBUTASTE.
The introduction of daughters into society
has become part Of the regular order of So
cial life, and this year a larger number of
these events have taken place than ever before
in a single season. Where the circle is very
large Two are ElNtns one 10
the young people who are to compose her spe-
cial \ orld, the other to the parents and
friends who compose the social world of her
parents or guardians. OF course neither are
composed exclusively of young or old ele-
ments. The young must have their chape-
rOnes; the old are often accompanied by some
daughter who is already "out," but the char
acteristcs differ, Many are left out of one
who are invited II the other, and whereas the
first is usually in the evening and accompanied
by dancing and what are already called
eight ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cake and
ice cream, which elder people have wisely
learned to ayoid-the second often occurs
in the afternoon, and this becomes an informal
tea" or reception, where people arrive and
depart all the time between the three hours
devoted to 1t, merely stepping in from the car
riage which Is left in waiting, paying their re-
spectS to tine hostess, congratulating the
daughter, passing through, if they choose, to
the extension parlOr or dining room. where a
table is set and bullion, tea and biscuits are
served, greeting such friends as they meet,
and leaving after perhaps fifteen or twenty
minutes stay, so that eight to ten such visits
can be paid liz the course Of one afternoon,
and even between the fashionable hours of
''three to six" and 'fOur to seyen.r
Punctuality in these cases is a necessity; the
want of ii crime. The event, like others of
its class, is by no means one of pure pleasure
to the majority of h0etesses or guests. 1t is a
something to be done. If the house is large
and fine, if the position Of the family-that Is.
OF the father OF the young girl, Is assured-if
he has abundant means and only one or two
daughters who are perhaps pretty, well edu-
Gated and possessed of more or less talent, the
situation Is very pleasant one. Friends can
be selected-appointments even to this office,
numerously though it is filled, are to a GER
tain extent hattering-and every occasion is
seized for sending costly gifts of flowers, and
value. Invitations and compliments from
people the most desirable from all outward
points of view flow in, and life to the young
girl who has just stepped out from its rose
wreathed portals looks very fair.
But, alas! these conditions are rare even in
society" Often the house. is small, the
daughters many, the position uncertain. the
means precariOuS. the desirable friends few in
quarters Of their humble satellites as rare as
angels visits, and not by any means agree
able, for they know the value Of the favor
they are comforting, and not unfrequently
make the recipient feel it. The hostess there
fore, of the less fortunate sort has many cares
on her mind. She has had to broach this sub
iect OF their daughters presentation m0nths
before to her husband, She has had 10 endure
his grOaning and fault finding, although in
reality he is more anxious for society success
than she is, because it gives to him kind of
ecLdt, and assists to establish his position.
She has had to ecOnomize and work over this,
that or the other in a hundred Ways to
cover up deficiencies and produce the proper
sort OF ensemble, and now she is in agony over
the bills that must be met, over the absence of
some whose presence was most wished for and
the presence OF some others whose absence
would have been considered a blessing. And
she is simply Notwithstanding with the con-
yentiOnal emile upon her lip and the conyen-
tiOnal phrase upon her tOngue-untiI the mo-
ment arrives when, having bowed the last
guest out of the drawing room door, she can
order the lights to be put down or out and find
a moment to sum up the events of this SEEM
ingly joyful beginning TO new life which is
part of her own.
THE TOILETS OF DEBUTASTE.
debutante always wears white, and therA
is fashion now of making the dresses for the
first season with the utmost simplicity, so
that they look as much like the robes for a
confirmation as for entrance into the world of
gayety. India muslin this year has been the
favorite fabric, and its ornamentation is con-
fined TO silken belt or sash, lace, and the
mass of roses al the waist. Very little jeWelrV
Is Worn-sometlmes none at all-aId the high
lights, If any, come from the eyes, the hair,
the cheeks, and the red, red lips Of the bright
young face. In such sweet simplicity of dress
the chrome girls, as they are called, have de-
cidedly the best of it, The blue ewes. the
golden hair, and the natural red which might
become nOrld under ha-sher circumstances
have 1t all their own way. 1t Is only when
costume is suitably adapted to individuality
that the type appears to the best advantage.
Where there are older sisters who are
already experienced from having had The
advantage of several seasons training. they
assist in doing the nonOTS, hut it is not eff
quette for them to wear white. They NAV
wear pink, or pale blue, or pale green, or a
they must not wear all white. Indeed. ali
white, unless il is very rich has a Significance
which limits its functions. 1t may be worn
as morning dress az homs; hut abroad il de-
notes hlide, debutante, or a candidate for
confirmation. Very rich and very original
white dresses are, of course, an execution to
this rule. The most costly white dresses of
this season have been combinations Of white
velvet and satin, or white plush and satin.
with pearls and (white) let trimmjn0s
beautiful costume worn at a famous ball in
tins city had front of pressed white plush
perhaps it would be more correct to say de-
pressed. for the pressed portions formed
sunken hgures-leayeei disks, ,pf flowers con-
nected W lines, threads, stema. or
PPet eaets fhe as outlines f pFaa9Ss excellent
by beautiful tracery of beaded and eiIken
which reappeared upon tha I-s,
of the sleeves but was entirely aba fr,,, ~
Plaln, Tlen tTaln OF Wnlts Satin, bordered by a
heavy satin rnnSShsie. The plush extended raoT
Tie front Of the bodice forming a saIiare
plastron, and the neck was finished bv an ont
collar Of embroidered lace like that
able white satin dress had velvet train and
embroidered satin front, and the wearer Was
further distinguished by vivid scarlet noin
setta which she wore at the left Of her'b0d-
dice. Embroidered Grape or tulle used AZ
over satin or silk are very fashion
ably worn for Dail dresses, the ornamentafion
being executed in white or cOlOrs and in hold
designs, TO which an application of velvet as
leaves or parts of leaves, and in shaded tones
often lends striking and artistic effect
DEAREST MAMMA"
Mammals role in this country Is that of a first
class duenna, and she dresses darkly and so-
berly in accordance with it. OF course mean
the mamma" Of grown up daughters, Her oh
Ject Is TO dress them, to see them as well start
ed as other girls, to give them oDnoptunitfes
and the chance TO make the most OF them. ac
cording to sher light. She often Sacrifices to
these ends her most cherished possessions her
daintiest faces, her Jewels, her laid ayav gar.
ments or dresses, and the best part Of fhe In
come she hal hpan N ho bai-