Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-27
RENAISSANCE IN DRESS.
OLD-FASHIONED IDEAS AGAIN
COMING TO THE FRONT.

expensive Spring Outhts-The Thrifty
WOmsn's Way. 80 t. So
NEW YORK, Feb. 26.-The most notice.
able thing in the early spring, as in the
more elegant winter dresses, is the alb
senceof drapery. The prettiest ball and
evening toilettes have been made with
skirts straight at the baek-even when
they were Shorthand the trains are al.
ways plain, though full. A long dancing
dress is now seldom seen; never upon a
young girl. Married ladies wear them
sometimes; because dancing-with them
lis more Incidental, less OF business;
and q train emphasizes their married
dignity. But the short evening dresses
have been unusually short this season,
and very delicate in color and material.
Fine white, water-bfue, yelipwish green,
shelI-pink, and fawn-brown have all been
much used in happy conjunction with
other shades on not too striking contrast.
The use Of analine dies and the fresh eX-
periments made with them point to Him
liable possibilities IN the way of color aud
combination. 1t is impossible even now
TO make those understand who live away
from the centres and are not interested III
the study and development OF color, the
difference between the resources in this
was time when the strong. crude, pri-
mary cOlors were universally employed
and the woman who wore blue would not
Touch orange or red, and rice UerSO. But
the foundations of these old, haTd-shell
notions have been broken up. the soft
and infinite diversity OF modern tint and
shade adapt themselves to every variety
Of compile xion and lend themselves to all
sorts of combinations. To describe them
would be simply to give
A CATALOGUE OF EPITHETs
(which are only used to describe color;
because the modern vocabulary falls
short, has not kept pace with modern de-
velopment Of resources; and does not
provide a nomenclature. Thus we have
',cape au lait,' ''clair de lune," "mush-
room" shades, terra GOTTA" ''gendarme,"
''strawberry," "useda, ''olive" and ahun-
bred more; each one divided up again
into groups Of tints and standings. Be-
qigbted women still occasionally ask,
"What colOrs can | wear to suit my COM
plexIonW quite unaware of the revela-
tions Of exquisite color which have come
TO us of late years; and the ultimate
adaptation of color, like light, to all
bodies and all souls. The best dressed
women today, are those who are quick at
Selling and adapting modern ideas; who
can use the materials of which there is a
great and comparatively inexpensive pro-
tusiOn-an original way-and put their
own labor into shaping and making and
decorating. II girls would take the time
they spend in making useless and, gener-
ally, ugly fancy" articles and put IL into
pretty embroidery for their own wearing,
and into acquiring the art Of cutting and
designing their own clOJhing-or even
copying the patterns already made to
their hands-they could dress beautifully
on very little money.
SPRING MATERIALS
have been on exhibition for a month past
4-cloths and fannels in lovely lime aud
yellowish.white tints-to be embroidered
ia silver or with gold cord and fastened
with chased buttons shaped like small
cnerriesa Other wool fabrics show open
Embroidered stripes lined with color
OF other tone of the same cOlor-wOven
INTO the groundwork; and many new va
rieties OF tapestry cloths are seen, in
which the figure is absolutely fiat and is
woven sin and in" with a mixed effect
Ike, marbed or agatized wood, rather
than any Distinct pattern. Canvas reap
pears in many pretty and suggestive pat
terms: some open-wOrked, in stripes; an
imitation of drawn work used for tides
AMI the like, others with alternate clus-
tered and embroidered stripes or stripes
s woven in tapestry stitch. The diagonal
e1eC are new and particularly pretty in
+the thin albatross cloth and nun swelling,
which show diamond and other patterns
8 Without contrast Of colors; while the lace
natterns suggest many charming pOssi-
bilities to young women who possess skill
and taste in the way of lines of color in
ribbOn or velvet run in to form vests, Ia
Diiers. panels and the like. Basket effects
Id braid and cross-bars of the material
lined with a contrast are not new; but
hey were not general last season, though
very much admired this season. They
Rcome in woven patterns providing a result
Alfhost equal to hand work.
Rough dots, knots and irregular lines
fand bars appear on tweeds and cheviots,
(which are always in vogue for jackets,
listers and the like; and the bOuche et-
fects have even been transferred to cot
tons. which seems good deal like ''run-
ming thing into the ground" But fash
|ionable cOttOns are not like Old-fs shiOned
c0ttons; they are not made for semi
weegly washing. When they need reno
Fatl0n they are given away or thrown
aside.
UDright Mating, stTipes, tllcks and en-
bfoiderg are the main features Of spring
I6feetnaking, Some lovely lawn coloTed
piaterialscsre simple masses Of fine tuck
ttnK; with soft.pink lining and vests. The
f0ilHets are fawn color 10, match, with
tffays of pink trailing arbutus. These
tOstumes are not imported and are not
txReasrYe; they were designed and made
4t home, which will account tor the eX-
0uiBfte work set upon them.
MafFTHE EMBROIDERED DRESSES
10 patterns are quite feature of the sea-
ton's importations. The finest, display
oelicate coloring and marvellous elects
~ bead work embroidery, simpler wool
tostnmes have fronts dppltqued and out
Nned with beads--of glass or wood--the
h|Atter no longer restricted to natural col
t1rs@ biit dyed TO match any color or shade.
tIIoalner color is however a very favorite
tbede; and upon this, the carved rosary
sk1ads constitute most effective means Of
aeo0ratiop. This year they seem likely
10 BE- run tor all they are worth as they
occupy an important place in millinery or
namentation, as well as in the ateier OF
ne 'dressmaker. Silk canvas, with open
work effects, has quite taken the place
iof the old STYLES OF grenadine; but
'b0fh are expensive II made over silk
and for the majority OF ladies, surah an
tuers a much better purpose; as II costs
1aee, is cool and does not require silk lin
1nG; or any lining at all except where a
f0nndation is needed. Very pretty, new
atuIshs are covered with minute embrOid-
Nfed or woven dots In lighter color than
t0e ground. Pearl or cream upon black,
Win plain black for combination, match
ihe the ground shade. These are cool and
Iefned styles for elderly ladies or ladies