Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-29

| INAPPROPRIATE IN DRE90-SPkClA Toi.Efs'
From Our Own Correspondent
| NEW YoRx, December %, 1888.
This season may be called the season OF revi-
walls; revivals not only Of forms but Of access
series, Of details belonging to periods remote
from each other, and which, when combined,
as they frequently are, with little relevance or
regard for chronological order, produce singu-
lar and decidedly polyglot effects. The "Em-
pire" style is announced universally as the
only recognized 'mode;" but il a woman is
| courageous enough to wear true Empire
gown-and there are one or two that dare
she is the cynosure Of all eyes, and in exclusive
circles is considered too pronounced" to be
quite safe. To be pronounced is to be con-
demned, for it is the evidence of . disposition
| to step outside the conventional pale; and when
once a woman does that society is afraid Of
her, for it does not know what direction she
| may take nor how far she may go.
| A general revival of the empire styles is not
desirable, for in those days women must have
been almost frozen to death. The straight
lines Of the skirt, from the arm-pit to the foot,
| and its restricted width compelled the wearer
to abandon all but the simplest and most neces-
| sary articles Of underwear. and to have these
made of thin as well as soft materials. " How
do you manage to keep warmY' was asked OF
the one lady who wore an absolutely straight,
short-waisted, 1ow-necked, simOn-pure jose
| phine gown at q recent gathering. ''Oh! am
very warm-Dlooded," she replied, "and do not
require much clothing to keep me comfort
able. wear q close-knit silk combination,
made low, Swiss corslet, very low combina-
ton drawers of silk to match my toilet, one
fine, soft. flannel skirt attached to deep, single
yoke, which covers the hips, and one EN-
broidered cambria skirt which buttons on to
| this yoke. My combinations are made to order,
are sleeveless and fit like a silken skin. They
| are not, of course, subjected to the operations
of an ordinary laundress; not even to the
They are sent to French cleaner, which is
naturally more expensive, but otherwise they
could only be worn once" It would be a
great satisfaction to interview, in the modern
ago, and find out how they did not faeeze to
| death. We know the texture Of the fine, sars-
net silks of those days, the delicate, open
worked stockings (the test of fneness. was
passing them through the wearer's ring), the
| light weight of the thin smOoth-faced cloths,
the single soles of the dainty slippers, all Of
which were for winter wear. Half a century
| later, little girls were clothed in low-necked
cotton frocks. short cotton hose and low shoes
in the very coolest weather, and must have
! survived it, or they would not have had de-
scendants; but how? For one thing, they were
consistent, virtue we lack. Their dress was
| thin both for day and evening. Ours is
weighted with wool, velvet and fur for the day
| time. while for evening wear it is reduced to
q minimum.
sUPERFLUITIEs OF DRESS.
For some time past it has been matter for
| congratulation that fashion had rid itself Of 80
much in the way Of accessories to Dress
These details Of trimming and decoration are
constantly changing their form and method Of
arrangement, and are the source of more waste
OF time and money, more expenditure of ner-
vous force than clothing itself. No intelligent
person but recognizes the vulgarizing in
| fiuence of these bedizening effects and re-
joices over their lessening influence. But
dealers and manufacturers have taken the
alarm and started the ball rolling again. Whole
glass fronts of the large avenue shops are de-
voted to the display in some Of evening silks and
gauzes, and in others to laces, fans, fringes rib
bon ornaments and every description Of snowy
| artificial flowers mounted as wreaths, garlands
| sprays, borders, the latter fringed with pen
| dant grasses. Interpreted between the lace
and the flowers or mounted upon them are
aigrettes and jeweled combs, enameled flower
| pins and gold or silver bangles, imitation dia-
monds and small groups of ostrich feathers
fastened with small clasps, which may be used
| for the shoulders, the hair or for arnamenting
the dress. It is vanity fair, which proves very
attractive; but the fimsiness and uselessness Of
these aids to costume are best estimated-by the
debris of the stock when the few of season
! are over.
| ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.
! Some influential ladies have set their faces
| against the waste of time and money involved
| in successive see-saw changes and fiimsy adorn-
| ments. 1t is in these last that novelties usu-
ally consist. and to get rid of them is to be free
OF much that is simply wearisome and not at
all necessary to elegance; in fact, distinction is
out of the question when the field is given over
| to prettiness and pettiness. 1t must be ad-
mitted. however, that there is a great revival
| of artificial-fower decoration, of the soft silk
ruchings and dropping effects that were a feat
ure of the evening dress of thirty years ago. The
| difference between then and now is largely in
the height given to the shoulders and the
sleeves and the arrangement Of the hair which
| Is still worn high; the ornamental combs, pins
and aigrettes accentuating, but not exaggerat-
ing this effect, by being usually placed little
| to one side OF the crown OF the head.
But exaggerations Of.any kind are usually
frowned upon by the best society in America,
and particularly ID this the case with regard to
dress. or where it also shows ignorance Of what
| is suitable for the occasion. There are times
when 1t is perfectly proper to put the largest
| amount OF material in the train and the small
| est in the bodice, when the splendor of dia-
| monds and the magnifcence of solid gold en-
broidery are not considered out of place upon
| an American queen; but these are not for
mixed or semi-public assemblages. They are
| for great events OF a private character; and to
exhibit them in the wrong place is an admis-
sion that the wearer has not the right oppor-
tuIity OF displaying them.
INAPPROPRIATE DRESSING
| Is, however, much more general q fault than
| over-dressing. There are now many social &C.
| casions-afternOon receptions, club dinners,
| and reunions-where nice distinctions in dress
| are required, which few seem to understand.
At reception which begins by daylight bon
nets arc not only admissible they are required;
| such bonnets as would be worn in the evening
! to the theater, q concert, or in the auditorium
| OF the opera. In the evening, on the contrary
when "evening Dress appears on the card.
the occasion being, perhaps, semi-public-
| words mean simply that the ladies are not to
wear bOnnets. A low-necked dress at such a
place or very snowy costume would be as
much out Of place as a bonnet and walking
| suit. But there are women who will wear
| these, not from necessity, but to save them
selves, and because they do not realize the 1T
| ness OF things. The best dressing women in
New York do not employ many changes in cos
| tune, and handsome dinner or visiting dress
| lasts them ut least two seasons and is nut to
some practical use afterward The visiting
costume that was new last year will do second
airy duty this year, and so of dinner dresses;
evening dresses par excellence sometimes do
| duty for several occasions The majority of
the dinner dresses and half-evening toilets con-
tinue to show a bodice half high, pointed
back and front and trimmed with embroidered
lace, folds Of striped silk gauze or crepe-de-
chine and skirt paneled, gored at the sides,
draped in front and full at the back, but not
long, only touching the floor at its deepest
part The front may show q crossed vest or