Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-05-31

4
/ could wear them, because they can wear any
| thing; but the woman whose complexion has
lost its freshness, who needs to favor herself
who is repealed by the staring. pronounced quail
ity of these surface colors, which have 80 much
voice but no expression, so much breadth but
| TO depth or shading Color. as have fire.
| Guently remarked before. is the field for the
| finest operations of the artist in dress in the
| Immediate future. The white tlntS and color
shades. the exquisite blues. gray-blues green's
gray-ereens, browns, bronZe-browns, and de-
partures Gas in straw berry, raspberry and terra
Gotta tones) from the brick-reds. the scarlets
| and cherries OF former years, have opened q
new aTcana CT color to all women, for ladies can
wear these embodied and atmospheric shades
| who were formerly condemned after 35 or 40 to
the gray neutrality Of the ashes of their former
roses. or to the solemn darkness of perpetual
| mourning.
| SUMNER WEEDS.
There is a good deal of uncertainty in the
minds of ladies who are suddenly called upon
to assume mourning attire as to the resources
in this direction for comfortable summer wear
Indeed, what is called ':deep" mournng-that
is. mourning which involves the depths of dark
est wool and double English crape-cannot be
| made agreeable wear with the thermometer in
the eighties and nineties; but there is for those
VINO nave passed the Grape season q variety of
| lovely mourning fabrics; and SO fine and choice
are they in shade, texture finish, and in the
Character of their designs-for nothing pro-
nOunced is tolerated in mourning-that many
| ladies who prefer black for general wear at all
seasons buy at mourning store for the sake of
| obtaining the gentle and unobtrusive qualities
| which characterize mourning materials. Twenty
five or thirty years ago, certain houses which
made mourning asEecialty were among the best
| known in New York city. Their fashions were
regularly chrOncled, and the tinc-spun grada-
| tons and customs they made an effort to intro
duce were the cause of SO much ridicule that it
doubtless had something to do with discrediting
fIs.y, -l,~,1n
mental addition to the resources of the designer
and mOdiste, was confined to mourning. ana
purple, violet, mauve, and white In conjunction
with black, were all mourning, at its different
stages. as distinctly as black itself. But gradu-
| ally jet and the modest gray and neutral shades
| became absorbed in the swift current of ever
changing fashion, and mourning proper was
compelled to relnquish almost all accessories
and rely upon the depth and unity of its belong
ngs for the recognition of its character and
office. Mourning to-day, therefore, is more lin
TIED in its scope and more costly, because more
refined and distinctive in its characteristics. 1t
| addresses Itself to more restricted class, for
the majority cannot carry out the requirements
! OF modern mourning toilets or sacrifice the
wardrobe which they already possess.
In fine woods the fay0rite materials are
! lovely quality of nuns yelling in two grades.
10th pure wool and very fine, but one smoother
! than the other "Cameis hair grenadine' is
i fine open worked wool that makes up in con-
| junction with silk surah. gros-grain, or armure
| and is durable as well as pretty and lady like.
The width OF these materials averages forty-four
inches, and the cost is one dollar per yard. This
is sufficiently low price; but to be effective as
mourning they must be made up over plain
! foulard. which is also one dollar per yard and
! only q inches wide; and they must be trimmed
with the finest knife pieat!ng of the material
itself as this is the only trimming which is per-
mitted. with the exception Of the interior pleat-
Ings OF crepe lis2e which may show line of white
inside the black. A secondary quality of camels
hair grenadines has speckle OF white silk rum
| ming through 1t, which lightens it somewhat
but 1t also lowers the tone and renders it less
elegant, as well as less adapted to the structures
OF present requirements.
The silks show much diversity within their
quiet range and are so good in shade and pure
In texture that they are always desirable, in or
out OF mourning. Lighter than armure which
is o favOrite with elder women. are the surahs
the plain and figured 1Oulards the black pongecs
and the sewing silk or ''armure' grenadines
The surah makes, perhaps the most youthful of
summer mourning dresses, and is so light in
weight as to be very pleasant wear-for. unlike
the grenadines, either in silk or wool it needs
no lining and can be made up of itself if q very
cool dress is needed. without any intermediary.
1t must of course. be trimmed with Itself in
knife pleatings, folds or plaitings and there is.
indeed. nothing else that looks so well The
silk grenadines of best qualities are much more
expensive. They range from $3.50 to IS per
yard, and must needs be made over silk so that
narrow.
and as platings of the same must be used for
trimming. the whole cost is brought up to a
somewhat alarming height, but then the dress
always looks so distinguished. though so quiet,
and is good through and through down to the
last thread. Some very good brOcaded silks are
shown in gray upon black the gray being in
outline and used as shading in the
formation of the DESIGNS which ex-
hbit generally oval Or 1pne-shaped pat
terms or pear shaped with leaves. For Morn
n trin rl,.u,S in, II
white and black and white checks are in great
demand this season. the finish, when dressy
finish is required. being plain black ribbon
bows. the style of making being simple and
depending upon tucking or folds crOss-cut for
its effects. The mnslins are revived in gray and
black upon white, and show some lovely shaded
patterns which many ladies admire and pur-
chase who are not in mourning. There are dull
beaded trimmings, and ornaments which are
used sparnGly principally upon bOnnets. when
Grape is left off, but there is an entire absence
of lace and all bright or glossy fabrics or TRIM
mings for year or longer if the wearer chooses
1t very often happens that elderly ladies' suffer
one loss after another until the habit of wear
Ing black or gray fabrics become established
and they never again can take up colOrs In
such cases the gentleness and refinement of
high class mourning materials have a great
charm for them.
SUMMER BONNET.
The bonnet is the most unsatisfactory mart of
e'O Oo'htr e-NSoPI, iidtille.
| mean to the quiet woman of refined tastes.
who is TO longer yOung-and there are O great
many OF this class. To begin with there is moth
Ing seasonable or summary in the appearance of
the bCnnets OF the season. They are mixed
They are like the bonnets worn last winter.
They ere neither light nor shady. nor expressive
of any JOY or outdoor life. 90" said q lady
who had traversed Broadway. YEARLY climbed
stairs, and risked her neck on many elevators
in search of the unattainable, Glow | wish |
could find such q bonnet as used to wear-iust
an English straw with flower and ribbon.
Such a bonnet may be found but if is imported.
and it costs twenty. thirty. forty dollars The
bonnets which occupy the stands In the shoDs
thing made up of every bOnnetS worst for the
past five years-badly conceived. badly made.
and not fulfilling their function There Is some
thing very pretty and distinctive about small
dress" bonnet AID it ought never to be out of
fashion. 1t is always needed. and i'm satin vel
vet or lace in suitable tint or color with
feathers or flowers for garniture it is elegant
and adapted to the purpose of the handsome
costume withWhich it is worn. But straw bon
nets should be adapted to more general uses
and to purposes of greater utility. They should |
be light in weight, of more serYiceable
size, and suggestive of the season. If the crown
must be trellsed make it of straw not gilt |
or of twigs, real twigs and trail vines over it, |
The beading and tinsel, the gildin" and enamel |
ing. the metallic ornaments and the last winter
aigrettes are all emphasized by the dark color
and the extent to which velvet is used and
makes the millinery look like the cleft over of