Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-13
NEW YORK FASHIONS.

NEW YORK FASHIONS.
AMAZING PossIBILITIEs-C CONSIDERATIONS
OF HEIGHT-MAY NOTES.
| Correspondence of the SPECTATOR
She who desires to amaze, can do So and
yet in no wise depart from the letter of the
law. High dressed hair, high shoulders,
high necks, high hats and heels, render
STARTLING possibilities possible, to say moth
ing of the tournure which, if stood on end
would be equally high, but which laid
lengthwise, is in an opposite direction,
most amazing. Let us consider these
various heights and draw from them infor-
nation if not comfort. Nature surely
never meant that the hair should go up in
stead of down. Her verdict enforced by
the law of gravitation, perpetually pulls it
down while fashionable people as perpetu-
ally pullit up, as far up as it can possibly go,
and there they dispose it in twistings called
stylish while gravitation is at work on all
stragglers in the rear and keeps them fall
| ing to the great discomfort of the wearer
who must spend half her time plasteripg,
or as compromise have the loose hairs
bestowed in short curls at the nape of the
| neck. But as we all know, curl that
| Nature did not curl, is veXatious affair.
Painfully p.ecarious is its life and the dis
comftted fir one often extinguishes the
last spark and betakes to bandoline. The
high ruff is brought in to conceal the ugli-
ness of an expanse of plastered back hair,
but little reflection shows US that this ally
| becomes easily an enemy, helping by fric-
ton to pull down loose hairs while blotted
out thereby is the delicate existence of ar
tiiclally- ly-made curls. Life might become
undesirable but for some determined peo-
pie who wear their hair dressed low and
have their followers. Neck dressing is
very, very high, but even here there are
degrees and the ears are not always incon
| venient appendages undergoing a saving
off process.
| HIGH SHOULDERS,
though no novelties, have the highest
place in fashionable esteem. From them,
escape is not possible and one must be high
shouldered or have no existence worth the
name, as bighted indeed as if one were
now to appear wearing hat lacking the
cidedly queer would such an one be.
Trimmings are massed above the forehead,
finding wall of support in the tall crowns,
but even modest capotes are robbed Of
modesty by blnchings, bows, or flowers
arranged with bristling effect over the
brow. The flowers are made rich by the
use of velvet; among new things being
jonquils, dafodils, various gold-dusted
flowers, wheat, oats, ETC., with velvet
leaves, while delicate Grape blossoms afford
lovely contrast. Dew-bespanged nuts,
velvet buried chestnuts, mushrooms, ferns
and grasses are likewise in favor. Notable,
too, are the pins of to-day, not only the
little swarming, round headed ones, but
those which in direct contrast, are extreme
ly long and large and thrust through hat
or bonnet, give that look of aggressiveness
thought stylish. Harmless and harmful
insects form tribe. They hurry with out
stretched wings or nestle and crawl; many
very small and used will proportionate
freedom; others so large as almost to equal
the little humming bird placed in a rose.
Each day, however, reveals 20 US what a
varied world we live in and numerous are
the hats and bonnets where novelties are
quit dispensed with, and, except increased
height brought about by trimming and
that not always very markedly, we find
nothing new. Even the
| INDUSTRIOUS ToURNUREs
are not altogether new, but a renewal of
y
uals will have at watering places the same
mental pabulum as formerly and the arith-
mFtc-l agencies can again find profitable
exercise in calculating how many inches of
horizontal extension should connterbalance
so much of increased height. Authority
tells US that "modistes and manufacturers
are in state bordering ON despair" And
again, ''the new styles from Paris show
even greater extremes in this direction than
our own ladies are as yet willing to adopt,
but from present Indications it cannot be
long before we shall wear as fully devel-
oped as our French neighbors." "Devel-
oped" is good; mild form of putting it
and developed probably we shall be. Re-
suits become more striking because the
tournure extends in direct projection
from the back; little, if any, fullness is at
the sides, and to produce this fullness by
draperies and to cause the abnormally
pushed-Out costume to descend with ap-
proved contour, is a work that may well
bring about desperation on the part of the
modiste, while manufacturers make frantic
endeavors to accomp ish the imposs bic
task of giving us developed and, at the
same time, bearably light bustle It is
to the undeveloped class that we turn
with hope With them the skirt is kept out
by springs or some other mild device; a
small bustie may be worn, but sufficient
putting is often brought about by adroit
dressmaking. Contrasting with these COM
plicatiOns, the Tricora relief corset inau-
gurates an era of comfort. Elegance of
shape has been carefully looked after, but
the peculiar feature which affords so much
ease in wearing, are the classic sections at
the upper and lower parts of the sides,
causing adaptation to the varied positions
in STOPPING, sitting or reclining The Tri-
cora stays used for boning seem so very
tough and pliable as to be absolutely un-
breakable. This Tricora corset. though
comparatively new, has made wonderful
strides in public favor, which may be large
ly due to the fact that it's relieving features
were conceived and it's construction direct
ed by one of New York's most eminent
specialists, DR.. Alexander Strong, and this
bids fair to secure for it long continued
popularity. In
HIGH HEELS
there is less dOgmatism than elsewhere,
and although the EXTREMIST can be extreme
to her hearts content, one can be moderate
and not find oneself cast out of the syna-
gogue. As to general outlines of the cos
tune, much depends on the fabric. A thin
costume would look absurd if falling plain
ly as might the stylish cloth or Nonpai ell
velveteen, or where the latter is united
with silk or light wool, as is often the case,
it should drape as a support to the goods,
which could be twisted fancifully. Much
use indeed is made of thin goods over heavy
for producing an obligatory bouffancy, and
there is in the juxtaposition of thin aud
heavy contrast which artists consider SO
important an element. Thus we find eta
mine and kindred materials constantly off
set by velveteen; velvet bows play an i'm
portant part in thin toilettes and the velvet,
or more frequently velveteen vest, collar
and cuffs, give character to semi-transpa-
rent stuffs. In like manner, gauzy ribbons
are used to give lightness, while an allusion
even to what has been accomplished by
lace or thick fabric this season opens up a
world, since it is emphatically summer of
lace. Light colored laces on dark founda-
ton; dark lace forming the shadow on the
picture that brings into relief pale hues on
harmonizing laces which imparJ softness to
uniformity. RosALIND MAY.