Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-01

theatre in striped gauze-the lovely con-
tour OF head and neck displayed by the
simple arrangement of the fried or
braided hsiT-will go OFF to lawn tennis in
cotton frocks and coarse straw bonnets,
stout shoes and wash-leather gloves.
Taste or no taste, the dress seems TO be
always better adapted to its purpose than
with us, and is less strained and affected
by the desire for uniform prettlness.
There Is one crying sin, however, of
which the Englishwomen of this genera
ton are more guilty than their American
sisters, and that is the sin of tight lacing.
The waists of the majority ere absurdly
drawn in, the more absurdly because it
DESTROYS the round and perfection of the
English figure. The elderly English
woman runs to flesh; so does the elderly
American, and in time each of them learns
to accept the fact, and sink down into
comfortable age with its attendant inches
and aVoirdupOis, But the natural size of
a waist to accompany a 36 or 3S-inch bust
measure would be % to "a inches, and
when it is reduced by compression to
from IS to 20 inches, it is an actual loss to
beauty of form, as well as detrimental to
the health. Doubtless there are some
foolish girls and women in America who
crowd their breathing apparatus into
smaller space than nature intended; but
the average size of the American waist
being less, there Is perhaps less tempta-
ton 10 reduce it, and the general appear
ance Of women in any large American
city shows that the natural standard is
more nearly preserved than in London at
the present time.
On the other hand we sin more in the
matter of bustles aud tOurnures. Such a
shelf or projecting bracket at the back of
the skirt, as may be seen any day, and
any minute OF any day, upon Broadway,
is not visible In any part OF London. The
extension of the dress is confined to ruff
fees, and two or three steels at the back,
or to pair of steels and pad or small
"mattress" fastened in the tallOr-made
(clOth gowns to the skirt itself. Women
of fashion have quite discontinued the use
Of the removable eXcresCence called a
hustle, nor could one be worn with the
close side draperies which are 30 much
used. and wlich 80 perfectly outline the
form. 1t is, | truly believe, impossible to
reinstate the ugly hoops, and bulky re-
movable, street-railed tOuTnures. The
developed taste and intelligence of wo-
man would revolt at it. All the tenden-
cies of dress are in contrary direction,
and the finest underwear is now shaped
80 as to present no obstacle TO pure out
line and perfect tit.
CONTRASTS OF COLOR,
too, are avoided, and studies are made of
the blended shades of one color. The
shop windows are beginning to show this
departure, and present some striking
effects. One great window, belonging to
an artistic dry goods house in Regent
street, is filed with soft shades Of pink,
another with yellow, and third, in an
other establishment, with cream, pink,
and yellow. All the shops are now haY-
ing their annual sales and there are
abundant opportunities for bargains in
lace parasOls and fancy summer fabrics,
the fashion of which may not out last the
season. Lovely tlne wooden materials can
be bought for % cents per yard and prints
and satines for song. The fashionable
beaded garments such as ZOuaYe jackets.
handmade bOdices, and nantes enriched
with handmade beaded trimmings, main
tain their price, costing from 2 to 3, and
8 guineas $50 to $26), and higher for the
finer and more elaborate specimens.
Gloves and hosiery, laces and dress
material are the directions in which pur-
chases can be made to the best adyan-
tage, the quality affording the satisfac-
ton and superiority, while the price is
much less than would be paid at home.
Beaded work is principally done by
hand, and, therefore, completes at disad-
vantage with ours, so much of which is
executed by machines; but beaded work
upon lace and embroidery upon the
material are still, and are likely to re-
main at present, the choicest forms of
decoration. JENNY JUNE.