Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-01
FASHIONS AT HOME AND aHRoa,
~~opo1staa Aspects of America,
WOmen,s Attire.

SAAss DISTINCTIONS IN EUROPEAN DREss-INpryrpu
ALLY OF ESCLIsH wONENs pREss-rBE IyrrU-
kNcs on TRAVEL UPON QUESTIONS Oh FASHION
hSsSho TIE GAUNTLET OF THE cUsrox-HousE
From Our Own Correspondent
Nkw YORK, August 81. 1883.
American women are accustome,, 10 being called
the best dressed women in the world: and I'm a
certain way and 70 certain extent, thisis correct
They have more money and more leisure than the
women OF any other country In the world. more
freedom In the use OF both, and not being so much
hanpered oy circumstances and traditions they
can draw from all sources and collect In the sum
total OF their dress something Of all other womens
best In other countries-thOugh there Is no longer
IN society" the distinc ton and division created
py purely national costuine-there are differences
quite perceptioie TO trained eyes which show both
The influence Of temperament and the controlling
nature OF circumstance. The German women
i9r example, have an exquisite perception
o OF color They excel in color combina-
uon- They produce the loyelIest embroi-
eery In colOrs upon linens and other fabrics
their dress, that Is there Is nothing OF IL seen in
tne 0rdinary dress OF the masses. There are two
reasons for thls one Is their poverty, the other
puonc opinion which condemns the working
woman III she shows any evidence OF willingness
70 attract attention by the gayety OF her attire
u she Is above the rank OF the peasant and must
be seen upon the street or In public In her EFFORTS
70 earn her daily bread, her dress must be black or
aos9,iuteiy neutral TO preserve herself from re-
frivolous. The working women OF France are
bound very much In the some way, but they have
acquired more peeuniary independence; they con.
troll almost al the retail business OF the country
and II they had the taste for which they receive
the credit would have worked out beautiful ideas
But at tnis moment France is very much ike
America, it receives its ideas second hand and
only Imposes certain sumptuary laws through the
made attractive TO their eyes and imaginations
In England IL is different. Engishwomen are
type by themselves; and with the energy OF the
saxon AMI the tenactity OF the BritOn, originate
Ideas and create conditions which Influence the
res, OF the world. The American woman is French
anu English when She IS not wholly Irish or Ger
man; while the American woman Is French and
German, and In her Independence and activity Is
CONSTANT reminder OF the American.
But THE AMERICAN WOMAN
has little Of them all In her dress, She uses lace
Ike the Austrian, practical walsiny-dress like
the English woman, all the draperies and caprices
OF the French demi-mOnde, blends colors like an
oriental, and loves fur like Russian. sooner or
later. moreover, she graIifes her tastes. The girl
who dreamed dreams in 4 cotton sun bonnet wears
six thousand dollars worth OF lace In a London
drawfng-rOoIn, where, as an American. she is the
equivalent OF duchess. The woman who spent
half her life cooking upon a r1ckety stove and
washing flannel shirts IN a log cabin, is a serene
old lady In her later years, who takes her nieces
10 Europe and wears seaiSktn Coats and India
shaWis worth small fortune. The amount OF
european travel has an enormous influence upon
the whole question OF the dress and clothing OF
American women, but not precisely in the way
udNG bttU pScttt Inc lew merely
society" wOmen-a very small proportion OF the
whole num6er-whO run OVER and return every
other season, doubtless watch the advent
OF some new little twist or trick OF fash
Ion; they would do the same at home.
But the majority ind with surprise much
less fashion" abroad than at home; that is
less stress put upon it, less of change the detail
or form ana finish, and more value put upon per-
manent qualities, beautiful work. real lace. solid
fabrics and unadulterated materials. They are
astonished 10 IND themselves returning from Lon
don and Paris with few new ideas in regard TO bon
nets or ways OF wearing their hair, but with one
coveted shawl or long cloak, set OF real lace an
embroidered costume, or one OF black silk reposlng
safely In their biggest trunk. InSensiOly they
quire new idea OF what constitutes value in their
Clothes, and they will never again. as long they
i've, give quite SO much Importance TO the little
sleeve or the length OF the drapery, and they will
see the manifest Improperly OF using the same
which they told Is the --latest thing" for Mrs.
Langtry on the stage, OF Mrs anybody else In q
Dali room,
AT THE CUsToN-HoUsE-
Before closing this slight preamble, II may not
be out OF place TO dissipate, for some American
women, the lurtd light which hangs about the
New York eustom-h0ase. In entering port we are
hot called upon, either as men or women, TO dis
cuSs the question OF abstract right, but simply
OBEY the laws or the country, anu ours forbid the
endeavor 10 bring free OF duty, Whatever is not
plainly Intended for personal use and is SO cut
and fashioned as TO theoretically prohibit It's EN-
Payment as an object OF sale or barter. But the
customs does not Interfere with personal effects
and puts fairy liberal construction upon them
There was time when much confusion prevailed
upon this point, ana wnen the construction of the
law was put into The hands OF rude, inexperienced
and irresponsible persons, whose ideas VI personal
belongings and requirements were far below their
standard OF emOlument. But this Is no longer the
case. The organization OF this funcliOnary force
Is now greatly systematiZed and improved; IL Is at
once more efficient and less disagreeabe. Intelli-
gent women are employed who understand what
and know how TO handle womens clothing with
out injury or greatly disturbing Its proper folding
arrangement The GiscTediL thrown upon them,
by calling them ''spieS" and the Ike, is very
unfair and quite unmerited. They are paid ON
Gals, and. though sometimes forced TO disagree
able duty, generally perform II with all Tue con-
sidsratiOn possible. Those who do not like 1t
should not place themselves in a position TO be
subject 10 IT. The worst part OF the ordeal Of the
New York custOm-hOuSe Is the unnecessary fear
OF so many good, but Inexperienced women in
gard 10 IT. "Wih they let he have my bonnet?"
ASKS one, and will they make Inc pay duty On six
pairs OF glOyes?" inquiries another. Three pairs Of
them are probably Intended as a present to daUgh-
who do not buy gloves by the dozen and have a
dozen TO natcn every dress, but who have con-
sldered themselves well on In the possession of
Two pairs az the same time, one for common aud
one for best; and the possession OF six pairs OF
gloves, all new, seems 10 them 10 show an inten-
tion 10 set IN motion" snOp at least. But Uncle
sam Is not so bad as he Is painted. He allows
woman her bonnet, In fact more than one bonnet:
sio'ss Almost az hotnnl, gowns several, ir they
are cut AMI made. ana IN fact does not OBJECT TO
anything necessary 10 the appearance OF a WELL
dressed woman IL Is only Wien there Is conceal
evade the law that he Is Indignant ana forsets his
politeResS
TIE RRDING0rE AND RUSSIAN IMPRESSIONS
one realizes more than ever the COSMOPOLITAN
aspects OF the American, and especially the
York woman's dress, upon returning after a visit
70 the great European ard Continental cities
Here we md already the shocking OF England and
the pretty lace OF Austria, the German embroidery
and the French passmenteries, the relingote OF
Russia, and the expatrlated tea-gown OF the JAP
anese One thing Is curious, and that Is a at the
Lace boa 81 the English has gone 10 Paris after
having been superseded by the long lace 81 art In
England but has not yet found It's way 10 this coun-
Try. VIII 10 come 10 Us as a French production or
VIII our buyers ignore it and not allow Us TO pass
judgment on IL at all? The lace boa Is composed
OF cascades OF black on cream lace, arranged in a
round fOrln- The lace should be Of sllk % be soft
anu becoming "A common Imitation II still coarse
and does not look well enough 10 pay for tine
trouble OF making. In our Northern and
Eastern cities there Is really little use for
them, except In the autumn, the winter
being too cold, the summer too hot
But they ought 10 be welcomed at the South
where fur oOas are not wanted, or IN California
where the temperature requires 50 little tut adj,
rnits OF 50 much that = dainty and delightful in
The way OF clO'h.ng and its accessories The red
ingote dress, with 4 lace boa, or long rich. lace
START. Is TIE very thing Tor temperate season or
climate because IL Is sufficient In Itself; and Is at
once gown and cloak In one. A little confusion
SENS 10 eXis. IN the minds OF some as TO what
IedlnsGte Is. and In what IL differs IRON a polop-
alse- Meanings become perverted In being trans
Isfsfd N fashion, or the name itself would convey
Tue idea ReC.Insate means riding coat and per-
maps the most Important difference between II and