Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-12-08

One Of New YOrk's Pretty Muliners
Tells How Some Fashions Are Adopted.

From the New York Mail and Express
don't try TO reason logically about fashion,
said dainty little miiliner. shaking her head
disconsolately as she reviewed the latest pat
tern plates, and frowned as they tailed to meet
with her APPROVAL: "for of all illogical and uue
reasonable laws those which govern fashion are
positively the worst. Perhaps you imagine
that the various styles which invade the ladies
of to-day are the result OF carefully considered
experiments, or that meetings are held and Ger
tain fashions unanimously declared desirable.
You make great mistake. Such is not the
case Nearly all the fashions which have be-
come popular in civilized countries have SIM
ply been the result OF accident i am not eAag-
gerating. Let me give you illustrations. In
France, the beautiful Ferroniere was once-l
grieve to say it-smoking cigarette She was
not accustomed to indulge in that habit, you
may be surprised TO hear and met with slight
accident She removed the cigarette from her
mouth. held 1t between her fingers, forgot pre-
sumabiy that IL was there, was about TO rest
her forehead ON her hand, when the iighted
end OF the cigarette came in contact with her
brow and burned it. 1t made an ugly scar. DO
you think that worried her? Not n bit Of It,
The next day she covered the scar with jewel,
and the following week every lady of the court,
who valued her reputation as a society star.
That's one instance. The Princess of Wales, as
everybody knows has an unfortunate limp,
which nothing under the sun could render
beautiful. But the foolish London ladies see
ing this said to themselves. Dear me! How
chic that limp is The Alexandra limp as it
was called, became extremely fashionable, and
IL was obtained by making the heel of one boot
shorter than that of the other. The Princess of
Wales has also very long and meager neck.
She was absolutely obliged to wear only high
dresses. close up to the throat. But the thou
sands OF English ladies who had not very long
necks followed her example. and made Them
selves ridiculous. Dear me! How stupid the
fashionable world is,''
The little miliiner sighed ut the frailty of her
sex, but tortured herself by relating still more
of them. do you know the origin of the puck
cred sleeves which are worn by every woman
to-day, and which look like pimples on the
shoulders? IT was simply this: The Countess
OF Dudley-one OF the most beautiful women in
England. by-theby-was invited to a dinner
elegant eos ume, which was being made especi-
ally tor the OCCASION. When the countess was
about TO dress her maid informed her that the
dreSs-nlaker had not yet sent home the cos
tune. The countess was in despair. What
could she 10: She wrote note to the delin-
quent demanding that the dress should be sent
immediately. finished or unfinished. 1t came
within an hour-uniinished. The countess feit
bound TO don ii, as several society papers had
already CXpatiated upon its wonderful design.
The sleeves were only tackled in. The countess
was NOT 6auntcd. she took needle and haSti-
y +ewed in the sec ESQ hastily, indeed. that
oFcr each shoulder the material was puckercd
and stoot, up in alarming folds. She Wore the
dress il was however. She knew she could
wear anything. y week from that time puck
cred sleeves were all the rage in London"
The miliiner blushed with shame at this new
instance OF female weakness. DO you know who
that woman has great deal to answer Tor, l
can tel you. 1t WAS the Marquise de Pompa-
dOur. She was so small, and it was the fashion
to be tall, that she invented high heels in fit
of desperation. That lady also originated the
black patches which were SO fashionable in the
French court, and which people supposed to-
day That the ladies Wore in order to heighten the
briiliancy of their complexion. They were thus
simply in imitation of La PompadOur. she
mad an aggravatng pmpie on her cheek. All
her efforts were unavailing. She covered the
offending growth with black plaster, and set
the fashion. Anne OF Austria introduced the
fashion of short sleeves. She was not a beauti-
full woman, but her arms were magnificent, and
in the same spirit with which katisha eXpati-
ates on the beauty OF her left shoulder-blade,
Anne oil Austria resolved to exhibit her arms.
Short sleeves Were almost unknown before her
time. Marie AntOinette had masses of exQuiS-
lite hair, and the huge cOitfureS and Outlandish
designs which are so much ridiculed to-day
were simply the result of that fact. She could
do nothing else with her hair, as there was SO
actually bought false hair in order to reach a
proper standard OF perfection. Fashions orig
mate in the most ridiculous ways. 1t is absurd
10 say that one person sets the fashion. She
may have great deal to do with it, but she is
not alone in her empire over her sex. The
Princess of Wales does a great DEAL but she is
aided by the Countess OF Dudley, Lady Ran
dOlph Churchill and the Warehouses OF Kildare.
In Paris, it is an acknowledged tact, that at
the present day the demi-monde exert cons6-
cradle influence over the fashion. could men-
the fact that fashions are the result of accident.
and OF accident merely-but won't do it--no,
l won't do it," and the little lady piled her
needle in silence.