Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-05-03
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
Summer Designs and Summer Fabrics
for En- and Out of DeDrs-a h;fe
Washing Dresses, FarusoIs and
Yachting Suits.


NEW YORK. May 2.
The ingenuity exhibited in creating novelties
in fashion variations that pass for such is Ger
tainly wonderful and deserves better recogni-
ton than it receives 1t is true that good or
bad ideas are accepted and much money spent
on very perishable articles; but women always
buy. wear and speak of dress as if it were some
thing to be apoogiZed fora weakness which
society demands of them but which they would
willingly get rid of or relegate to 4 secondary
place if they could, Many women are in reality
very proud of their own taste i'm selecting their
attire, or they are proud of its cost or its ind-
viduality; but never knew but two women
who acknowledged it, One. beautiful woman,
had been all her life cramped for means. but
married rich. and her delight in all the lovely
things for her own adornment was so natural
and genuine. so free from vanity and ilI-will so
purely the outcome of her love of beauty and
pleasure in all that was fairest and best in this
world that it did not seem in her fault or even
aweakness but only part of her frank and
honest nature. The other believed dress to be
part of the mission and duty or woman one OF
the means-lke Bartholdi's statue-Of enlight-
pning dark and stupidity drearv world. Her
dress was less spontaneous. and therefore less
Joyous than that OF the first mentioned lady. and
had moral aspect. as if gotten up with pur-
pose, and with a determination to be equal to
the occasion.
TIE DIFFICULTY or CHOICE.
Dress was never more difficult than it is to-
day, simply because choice is so abundant; the
resources so large that 1t is almost impossible
to decide between what you want and what the
Fates seem to have provided for you. You look
in vain for something of which you have read
and which seemed to DE just the thing you
Wor1Il fol liz
it. Everything strikes an averages hope
lessly commonplace or so sensational as to sug-
gest the caricatures in French comic paper.
What you miss Is individuality and lack of
adaptation to special tastes. But this is incOm-
patible with the modern demand for cheapness
and the necessity for turning out everything by
machine and in quantity. This cheapens and
raises the general standard of attainment: but
1t produces an average of mediOcrity which
rises or falls only afew inches above or below
the level
GREY AND WHITE.
1t was remarked last season that soft shades
Of grey and grey and white were in high vogue.
and some examples of grey refinement i'm these
tints were given This season grey and white
Is more fashionable than ever. and indeed it has
become sort of furore among young ladies in
society, whose grey morning dresses, with
square tucker of white muslin or Transparent
lawn. del:cately tucked. straight skirts, and
"
stitute somewhat demure but most certainly
very charming toilets. Other grey dresses are
used for travelling. and are very effective. vet
simple and not necessarily expensive. The
models are imported. and they are made of a
line silky grey molaif. trimmed with white
mOhar braid more s:lvery than silk itself. Silver
braid is used for the same purpose, but the mo-
hair is preferred by the best dressmakers. as
more refined. The skirt consists of a plated
front (upright), surmOunted by short draped
trai,r
back. consisting of two full shirred breadths
Short haiti basque. The braid is wide is nut
on upright between the pleating in front i'm a
Nat single row upon the apron and also upon
the edge of the basque The buttons are small
and Silvered. or hematite set in silver
The effort TO reintroduce mohair is the enter
ing wedge to the anticipated revival of the
whole class OF stiff silk-fnshtd wooden fabrics
which have been striving for so long a period
20 regain their lost prestige. That they are du-
rable. dust-FrOOf, and economical there is no
denying; ana it is stroke of wisdom to rein
trOduce them in the soft greys in which they
are more attractive than in any deep or positive
color OF course grey is fashionable i'm many
other materials beside mOhair; but these mo-
hair travelling dresses are distinctly new and the
lew brought over by importers have been
snatched up as soon "a seen. POplin belongs to
the same family as the mohair, and they rise
ard fall together. Several of the handsomest of
the new dresses made this season have been
from pOp.in, and have won eXtTayagant euo-
gums. One of theSe-a dull golden bronze: a
russell shade-Was combined with dull gold satin
which formed vest and paniers. The round
skirt was full aud straight at the back and the
syerskiTt. carried to the sides only. formed
diagonal line descending very deep on one
side, and on the other reaching only to
the line of the panier The trimming was
wide, fat Persian braid. Solid gold mixed with
Persian coIors in u very rich Persian pattern
beautiful dress OF grey pOplin is worn by
Miss Georgia Cayyan in MAY blossoms" 1t is
very simple. as are all Miss Cayvans costumes
She is singularly independent of clothes, or,
rather. the conventional forms seem to be en-
tirelr lost upOn her. She wears several differ
ent and pretty "owns in May Blossoms one
a ciintz cotton. another soft grey indoor dress
third a white satin surah. and the fourth
very handsome grey pOplin. All of them are
made with straight skirts, without q suspicion
of Oyerskirt. and how pretty and graceful they
arei How well they suit her. The fullness is
of course, massed at the back the sides and
front being gorei and draped or pleated. The
cotton and surah bOdccs were both full! and
the latter had Turkish satin silk folded
about the hips on line with the bodice where
it was attached to the accordion" pleats of the
skirt.
THE FAIL OF TIE DRAPED OvERSKIRT
Is presaged. and, when the event really occurs,
there ought to be a general and hearty TIE De,tns
sung over its departure. and tie dcliverance of
woman from its petty tyranny. Ifpoplin effects
tllis DiGSl VI 20 10 lHc Wall we can V eI-
come back pOpin. the unadaptaLle, with re-
jOcing- The part that the draperic6 overskirt
has played in dress and fashion for the past
twenty-five years is certainly curious The
changes in it have been the only ores Of fny
momeat that have taken place. The tailor
cut" has heightened the shoulders and shaped
more closely the basque and Jacket; hut the
Overskirt has been the terror The pivot upon
which the fate of dress hang and the interior
cats cradle Of strings upon which it's effect
depended. has brought many a fair lady ard
many an apparently faultless toilet to grief
Now all the changes have been rung upOn it
over and over again. Ii has been cut 50 as to
suggest everything under heaven that is used
10 cover something else. Awnings. lambTe-
quins curtains. tiuted Innings pOrtiere and
maDtelpIece GFapcries. Doubtless 1t will die
hard. but il will be something to get rid of it.
30 as To admit Of the real skirt asserting its
claims to supremacy for OF late the oyerskirt
has not been content with covering up the real
skirt, with cOncealng it. II undertook to re-
duce il TO fragment, mere fiOunce, and
boldly usnrped its place. For some time past
the most elegant trained dresses have been
made with single skirts, or skirts trimmed In
'front.' and at the sides. but with only the slightly
Trapped or plated fallness to give distinction to
the train but the round skirt with straight.
:ull back is an undertaking that demands fab
rfc with backbone. and that is yet supple and
ali OF this can be said for Gle new poplins.
SUMNER LINEN AND UNDERWEAR
The diamond effects produced by putting
together two layers Of clear linen lawn or