Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-29
Too Heavy Dresses.

FROM me London standard.
The chief particular i'm which the dress of our
Gay errs against common sense is the excessive
weight that characterizes it, owing to the guam
tity of material now used for dresses '.Sk is
sold by the acre now, is it not 2" asked a gentle
man IN the days OF rotund crnoine and dis
tended skirts referring TO the quantity needed for
"a gown. and the satire is applicable now. though
even the duOdcciIEO edition of crnone known
rs the crino!ette is 10 longer known. The stuff
Is absorbed in occasionally incOhprcnt trim
mlngS and too often irrelevant drapcrics II
needs skill-and skill is too costly to be at the
command of any but the wealthy-tO produce n
costume that shall have the air of being e,afo-
rately trimmed and yet be light enough to
wear without inconvenience during a brisk
walk. 1t has been within the experience of
thousands of Englishwomen during the last
few years to have chosen a fabric selected
the style of making, and decided upon
the trimming with the result of a
gown delightful to look unon but limos
sbe to wear. Thus arose the demand for wooden
materials, combining warmth and lightness. a
demand which was promptly responded to, with
the occasional result of disgusting old fashioned
shoppers who test Il fabric by its weight, rs well
as by peculiarly horrible way Of trying to scrape
hole in 1t with the thumb nail. Minds open to
more enlightened Impressions were soon how
ever, convinced OF the value OF these vcugnas
serges. twcefs and other cloths; but unfortu-
hatcly, Ihey nave mad the effect OF encouraging
rather than dlscOuraging, elaborate trim
inihSs mus the fact remains that for the mil
hon unduly heavy dresses are the rule
III seems absurd that fourteen or fifteen wards
are needed TO make gown for a woman while
about hVe yards are sufficient to make great
coat Tor man. 1t Is fortunate in view of this
fact. that trained dresses are worn only at din
ner. and in the form of tea-gOwns tn. added
Wel"iit and inconvenience of q train. which must
be held in the hand, would render walk Il pen
nance instead OF a pleasure. 1t NAV be hOncd
that fashion will never rentrOduce the long skirt
Tor outdoor work. 1t has nothing to recon-
mend 1t. even from the point of view Of the
dressmaher. who has now found it possible to
crowd all bearahle trimmings upon the limited
surface OF the short dress. When trains first
went out, leaving the feet plainly visible
coquetry brought them more prominent
ly into evidence 10y the introduction
OF the high heeled boot. This, in its
turn, has now almost entirely disappeared
from the walking gear of the fashonaby
dressed; and there is even CLEAN of hope that
high heels may vanish from the ballroom be-
lore long, and with them their peculiar in
huence on the dances of the day. The ierky
Vaise. row IN so much vogue. would soon be
consigned to oblivion. together with the sharp
little 'tap-tap' OF the narrow. elongated heel OF
the fashionable shoe. and those who realize that
even ballroom dancing might be softly poetic
and dreamily graceful would cease to be irri-
tated by the sudden swing and the violent on
slaught of couples engaged in the arduous
dGlS-ttnps. Let such as these hope for the
abolition Of the high-heeled dancing-shoe. even
though it be followed by the meurniul elegies
OF those deficient in stature though not i'm the
ambition OF prcferring q tall partner,