The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-06
FASHION AS 1T FLIES.


dren's and Miss es, nlillinery-Noveltses.
The aesthetic importance of dress, says q
writer in the Brooklyn Eagle, is hardly less
apparent than the moral. As the type OF
countensnce, nay. of form, varies under the
modifying influences Of costume and cli-
MAZE, so we can be at no loss to understand
the supreme beauty OF Greek art and the SEN
suous perfection it typi6ss. The Greeks not
only enjoyed an exquisite atmosphere and
lovely scenery, but perceived another kind
of beauty which seemed 10 them more glorl-
Gus than all-the beauty of the human form,
And having set themselves to reach this,a
having gained it, they gave it their princi-
pal thought and set 1t off with beautiful
dress. Could one ofthe old Greek sculptor
be transported into modern drawing.room,
he would surely wonder less that we have no
better art than we should have any at all.
For the truth stares every thoughtful per-
son in the face. We are daily doing more
and more to travesty the human form and
set at naueht those very principles % har-
mony inculcated by various aesthetic teacn-
ers with so much yehemence. The modern
dress of both sexes by means &C
cords with the simplest laws of
beauty, hygiene, and economic sciencs.
And. take it for all and all, perhaps the dress
of q LADY was seldom more inartIeiic, no.
healthy, srd exraYsgsnt than at present,
and surely never more vulgarizing.
Consider the fashion of earrings. Now it
is obvious that the reason of women multi
latiDg their ears is not to be found in the
circumstances among which we are living.
The modern earring OF cultivated nations is
a relic of ruder mental and moral condi-
tons, aud though we have outliyed the bar
barism we persist in retaining the fashion OF
barbarlaDs-a case among many in which
the result of progress has been negative aud
not positive. Again, regard Iady's toilet
as mere dlapery. The eye is tortured by the
multiplicity of angles, lines, and points, add
what with the irsgmentary appearance OF
the dress one is reminded OF the piecemeal
structure of the animals called artic1lats.
Harmony OF color 10 regarded as little as har-
mony of proportion, snd the passion for nov.
city has induced extreme wastefulness-
twenty dresses Of inferior stuff are PREPARED
to ore OF rich and artistic material, and the
thought and care that might devise a really
beautiful costume are expended upon the
manufacture Of hundred as uniform as
they are unbecomiDg These common
place dresses being quickly worn ont,
fashion, the modern Sisyphus, begins its
uphill work by inyenting hun
dred more Women whose chief business il
is 10 dress according to fashion are not likely
to interfere with the grsver concerns of life;
and in q work OF deep and paiDfQl interest
lately published by Dr.. Politics, of the Uni
versity of Pi'a. Tine Physiology of the
Mind" great stress is laid upon the connec.
ton of frivolous pursuits and mental dis0r-
ders. There is q slightly greater disposition
to insanity among women than among men,
which is partly accounted for by the baneful
system of female education. engendering as
ii does puerility of occupation, paucity OF
resource, and habit of Total dependence.
The writer locks to the higher education of
women not only as an element of their social
ana intellectual regeneration, but of phys
ical well-beiDg since purposeless or ill-di-
rected life induces, among other ills that
hesh is heir to, the most terrible of all-in-
family. But let women begin the process of
telfeducation by cultivating the ethics OF
dress. This is their empire. Dress, said
HaZlitt, is the great secret of address, aud
young women who initiate the so-called
fast" etyle of Partisan fashion invariably
acquire the fast style of speech and manners
also. This is initiated by the lower classes,
till even our domestic servants are ashamed
to wear sober colers and last years bonnets.
Extravaganza is the rule, moderation the ex-
ception, among all ranks.
Among the light silk materials there is the
toll du Louvre, new kind of foulard of soft
hues, sewn as il were in bouquets ever all
the fashionable grounds of hsvannah, mess
cress, strawberry of an intense shade, etc.
We remarked in general patterns of natural
tints so softeDed and arranged ss 10 be in
perfect harmony with the ground.
French Faille in black and every color,
which is now made with q strong and rather
rough surface, will play great part IN the
costumes for summer, as it Grapes well and
makes charming erDamentations, killings
ruchings, etc, and taffeta is employed as a
transparent for the numberless thin tissues
which fashion has prepared for our use,
among others plain or figured gauzes, with
curly silk designs forming stripes, garlands
running flower shapes peas, etc., we have
seen multicolored arrangements as also sew
eral shades ofdhe same color, and they were
in perfect taste.
Chenille trimmings will remain fashion
able, and we shall have chenille em5roid-
cries, psssementeries of chenille
and silk, chenille and velvet
or beads, among Others beads cut
with facets which glitter brilliantly, and are
of all tints aud colors.
Demonstrations in stripes of bouquets are
scattered over the foundations of wolfe, gren-
adine mousselIne de laine, etc and are seen
with plain stuffs of the same tissue perfectly
assorted in color, and some beautiful designs
in chenille were shown us arranged in stripes
of different sizss across the bottom OF the
skirt and tunic, again forming regular stripes
or those graduated in size, and becoming
wider apart as they decress..
guipure lace employed for trimmings and
draperies, over skirts of French faille. bOr-
dered with the same material, with waist
coats, ruchiDgs for the neck, and lace pare
ments 10 match.
cHILDREN's AND MISSES HATS.
Infants caps are now made OF Oriental or
OF Vslenciennes lace laid smoothly over silk
in preference to the drawn and tucked mus.
lin caps formerly used. For girl babies n
year old there are larger lace caps with a
deep lace curtain and q ruche of lace all
asound. There have fer trimming a large
top bow of old-fsshioned gauzs ribbon, or
else cluster of tiny unblown rosebuds, with
perhsps small pink tips of ostrich feathers.
For boys of enc or two years are turbans. or
else Tim 0'Shanter caps made of white en-
broidered muelin, with bow of narrow
satin ribbon loops aud strings. White wool
lace boDDets for girls of two or three years
are in close cap shapes, trimmed with large
Alsacisn bow of satin ribbon. Pretty little
peaked brim bonnets of white Runs yelling
or ecru cashmere. lace, or embroidered mus.
lin, have the brim shirred and the crown
large and soft-looking like puff. Some of
these are lined with pink or blue silk, aud
many have o cape rounded to droop TO the
shoulders. "A large bow of gauze or satin
rihhor1 is eral ir,o for child ror,S