Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-06
OUR GRANDaornEss. GOWNS.
The styles of Eighty Years Ago Con-
frasted with To-day's-rhe Season Of
fors-Carriage tioslss for Iss6-Even.
ing Dresses and Feather Trimming.

FROM Our Own Correspondent.
NKw YORK, February ..
This il n furry season. Winter clothing OF late
has been made to suit the Arctic severity of the
fsw days during which the thermometer runs
down to zero,rather than the much larger mum.
Der when il keeps within the bounds of mild
and temperate. Our seasons, at least in the re-
gfon of the northern seaboard. are the very OPP
Posite of those abroad, especially in Germany,
nom whence, OF late, we derive part of the di-
rectiOns given TO popular fashion. There the
Autumn is the most dreary, chilly and cheer
less part of the year and the Winter begins
early and ends early. the forerunner of "a gen.
Aine Spring. Here Winter does not begin ordi-
narily till January, and IL is hardly ended till
June. The Autumn is ideally beautiful the
Spring combination of the worst qualities OF
the other seasons, with no virtues of its own To
save 1t. Were the warm, SOFT furs and Winter
garments brought out in Winter, they would
meet with a much larger amount of popular
appreciation. but trade competitions and the
desire to anticipate rival houses bring them out
when the thermometer is at ninety degrees in
August and September, and by the time cold
weather arrives and there are hve or SIX
mouths of snow and Ice and slush to look for
ward to-. the dry goods dealers are making one
shiver by their exhibitions of Summer satines
and cambFics-
Looking at the warmly clothed figures of to-
day, wrapped in layer upon layer of wooden
and velvet and fur one cannot possibly imagine
part of the present century existed at all. In
. quaint Old book i find the following descrip-
lion OF walking dress for a lady for Deccm-
Der. 1907
MORNING WALKING DRESS, DECEMBER, 1907.
~ frock OF plain white cambria, or India
muslin with short bishops sleeves, round
neck and drawn (satheredl back. y gathered
tucker of Paris net the frock trimmed down the
sides with the same or with drawn muslin. A
French peleTine of GGDrercd velvet. or plated
Lawn with ruf aud ends. little t.ppet OF the
c3tobric, crossing the bosom and showing on
the figure where il is tied in "a fiat bow at the
back y poke bonnet of basket willow with
unihS iuii BOWS anu Iong ehds Oh orahge-col-
ored silk ribbon and Turkey red morocco Slip
pers, and York tan gloves, which reach above
the elbow but have a portion of the arm bare"
That ladies went INTO the streets so scantily
clad seems incredible, until one is confronted
by the record of the times.
A gentleman who was present on Christmas
eve at the marriage OF Prince Jerome Bona
parte with Miss Elizabeth Pattison is reported
as saying That '.all the clothes worn by the
pride might have boon put IN my pocket. Her
Dress was Of muslin, richly embroidered and of
extremely nne texture. Beneath this she
wore but single garment.
The poetic idea In regard to women was then
upperinost- They were regarded as too ethe-
rial to need either food or clothes. and the REM
nantS OF those absurd ideas have come down to
time within the memory of Our mothers, If
not ourselves, when a girl with a healthy appe
lite would go secretly to- the pantry to satisfy IL
aud eat pickles and slate pencils TO destroy her
color and make her look Interesting" A
fashion writer of the period. describing ladies
upon the promenade says "They were !attired'
In dresses OF clouj-colored crepe. or transparent
muslin, whose himsy texture, changing in hue
anu shade from the ever varying folds of their
SOssainer draperv- seemed To wrap the elegant
wearers IN robes OF light imPalpabie ether. and
impress the gazer with the idea that they were
celestial rather than earthly beings"
The only outer garments permitted at this
NM Merc prIS:I' anu long. PLAIN pelisses OF
slippers Uf coiOrcG kit or jean satin, with
paper sUes, and The fashionable stockings.
"tAe only Kind worn, remarks the authority
OF that uay, 'iFc OF white and rOSe-colOTed silk,
with "a narrow clock, knit il, not cnlbroidered.'
Nuts ard Ia tiIpels began To- make their ap-
pe;srance IL J SU's- bet were put down in terms
o. decided di>;tpVrubation. - only finding favor
with the "i'w"r ORDERS In 1910 the pelisse
began 10 ;'>>.iiIe lnOre definite proportions, for
writer r"Ii~.ts "iiA clilent satisfaction and
approval, during the late cold winds we OBJ
served 07t = E!- OF undisputable fashion, a
sL1rt leie>sr 81 white toInbazecn, lined with
pale gIrit -,tr>,i:vt and trimmed ut short dis
tancc Ir''ih the edge with narrow silk floss
Itilct tfl:ihiti.2- She Wore on her head Il small
white sa!-n Highland cap with two white HAT
ostric!. feathers; and pale green shoes.
The shawl Was Introduced into France by
Bouap;,rtc. who brought Josephine IL number OF
be;suJIiII webs Gf cashmere On his return
nom L.yFt- Tire Empress took II great fancy
u i1ein, increased her stock by purchase and
wore t;Icm. indoors ana ont. But the fashion
Journals NCr,- highly Disguised when the limo
Walton rv.tcEe'. l.nnt:On. Oue remarked, In its
10 III '.''i'.is "a Oc more opposed - every
princiPc 81 i-4lIsl taste carry less the APP
pestrdnS ci ti..i c.taEt simplicity III which il
Hills. Hr:' y ;.st!!I more glowing passage.
Wh;-t as-s' gives AN .de.t OF the whitening
casl ~ wii-,.i we iiShiOn-wriers of that day.
In the magazines OF t.c 3on.te permitted them
selves ~ Indulge, but perhaps have had
enOU-.. u antique" fashion Tor the present
a contr. II aud also Tor the ..pInino-sanse
OF las h!i@. i.sl!tns could afford more striking
eVld - ihc advance in wOInen's c!C;nin.
than &c >ty ~ of to-day, compared with
fhoSe -! eighty Years ago.
CaEEIA1sE CLOAK FOR WINTER OF 1855 AND g.
over q dress oi brown or Ilw!, gray velvet is
placed the coax Of dark red plush, lined with
Ole gold ana trimmed with yellow fox fur and
tall The TssSsvi.Ienterie ornaments at the
Dack are ri -ed chenille and gold. The ribbons
al Tie t.I.u..; are O!G gold satin. Beneath these
warm outside garments my lady OF 1886 wears
next tIeskIn suit OF ribbed silk. soft and thick
and clingi:g Azr another skin, over this satin
corset ana SilAea cover, and drawers Above
these u soft Same! skirt, deeply embroidered
and trimmed with lace. and over this again
skirts whose Warmth and texture are graded by
the temperature. If the wearer VI a furred
trimmed plush cloak is not my lady but
merely wOin;sn. and there are plenty of them,
her underglTiclchts are OF wool. her corset and
over garments Oi cotton. her fannel less fine
and perhaps minus lace, but more often
ana ine skirt. ~. outdoor wear. uniformly in
cold wCst thS!. wooden or wajded.
oolC1 i-a3ries have become "a fashionable
are mace IA such novel designs and with 80
much care, tEat the richest cost much as SILK
or velvet IheE" are striped materials. coarse
10 HOOK ~. but warm ana soft is thistle down
Whose N..TieG cViors are oriental study and
whose i1idS. Falling straight, with Il border of
TaccOOn or Labrador fur make n costume fir
Iof Al iiiptIia! woman, a queen by right divine
oi mature. There - IKE new crocodile cloth
which FepToduces the tone and markings OF the
sAlD- i.SiGtoiOTc seen only ia leather but is
Pilaaiis - thCdtd.I, and combined with brow II
velvet ana trimmed with otter. j Il gown to
sisn I1I whether O3e i an imperial woman or
not he luxury Oi soft wool and rich fur is not
10 tie eNpfe>s"d IL language, il il something to
iSNti H. IL tue garments not overloaded
with material and trimming, and thus made
too he;tNy IpT comfort. The overlapping the
making Up % cloth suits SO tina. the weight OF
theiil = AL lntOierable burden. i tine greatest
Cfst"bacl- 20 :hCt: Use. and the only way tn
avoid this = 10 select soft and light weight ma
tsr-<iI aud have them nIade up after a simple
ocSlsn by Il GfSsSinaker OF intelligence
FOR the benefit of those ladies who only like
an SmineHiiy respectable institution now LOST
In the popular demand FOR ilr trimmings"
which are cheaper and produce the same effect
OTHER SKATING SKI.
More youthful, less expensive and in every
WAY more desirable, therefore, tor the average
buyer = the military fur collar, nearly straight
ana enclosing the throat in the peculiar wise
like fashion OF the day. This kind OF collar be-
longs however, more particularly 10 the APP
proved skating rig.
Vt q recent afternoon reception three toilets
were worn ali distinctive yet ali com binations
oil some rich fabric with fur. One, OF dark red
csotli, wa. worn by Very beautiful lady. "A
eouIherner by birth, but married to "a we'll
known New Yorker. This lifted to perfection
and was trimmed with bands and border o,
chinchilia; the red velvet bonnet having gray
shaded feathers 10 match. The muff was OF
chinchilla.