, 1888-11-29
Something About Evolution in
Dress.
Why American Women are the
Best Dressed in the World.
rricks Of the Hair. Monkeys In Muns--'
women are Made 20 Hus--'"ossip
About Fashion.

of nature and the laws OF society, writes
Florence Huntley in the Minneapolis
Tribune. Climate, OF course. primarily
dictates the dress, whether IT sinai, UP 6e in
er IL shall be loosely draped about the hg-
ure. snugly fitted or piled on with Arctic
cumbersoUe eness. There Is fitness in
dress as In speech. 1t follows after. oil
matte notifications, the civilization OF the
people. It represents the 9littering crudi-
ty OF barbarism. the luxuriousness OF the
court, the austerity OF the puritan: the
gravity Of the student and glowing fancy
Of the painter and poet. Dress is more OF
anational exponent than unobservant crit.
les deem. 1t is reflex of all civilization,
fanaticism, heroism and OF piety and cul-
ture. A nation and their music, their pic.
lures, their literature and dress all follow
q common mode of expression and exhibit
common strength and weakness. Ihey
are the published beliefs OF a people,
bound by the ties of one race language,
one government and one purpose. Dress
is an expression of thought.
CHARACTERISTIC OF DRESS.
Dress being an expression Of character.
naturally American dress and style rank
first. England leads with purely sensible
dress: as v nation, her women in dress are
dowdies. France leads in glowing. ex-
travagant dress, in fanciful colors and ex-
uberant novelties. France dresses as she
loves and writes and wars-feverishly.
daintily, artfully. She lacks depth; her
dress is capricious.
Every body knows that Germans have no
idea of dress. They are too ponderous,
thrifty and warlike to express an artistic
sense of color and cut. American dress
like American character ia the expression
of many ideas the refining OF many fash
ions of many people. 1t is this acceptance
here, rejection there and modi hcation
somewhere else that gives American wo.
man precedence in dress the world over.
IL is this homogeneous character also
which enables an American woman to
take great latitude in dress, without being
ridiculous. Having the blood and in
stincts OF many races. she may adopt the
more artistic fashions of all and wear
them like one to the manor born.
An American girl can adapt herself to
the demure sobriety Of the Quaker gown
or the more austere draperies. She can
skip about as French peasant or high
land lassie. She can mince about in Chr
nese robes with perfect grace or she can
drape her gown in classic simplicity and
look the Greek goddess.
GROWING SENSIBLE.
The Americans, unlike the English, will
not sacrifice beauty to health, unlike the
French we will not yield health to beauty.
We demand both. We are growing sem
sible, we want good health; we are grow
ing artistic, We will have beauty. This
means middle ground. This explains the
failure of dress reform movements. We
hate ugliness. We will not be forced into
it, either in under or outside garments. SO
dainty are we that we want to look pretty
10 ourselves in our own mirror. Extraya-
giant fashions are dying out, monstrosities
and absurd;ties are gone, Tight lacing,
hideous waterfalls. horrible filters have
departed, but corsets which give shapeli-
ness and bustles which add grace to
draperies are not going out till the artist
soul of woman finds better substitute.
The best taste of the most refined woman
discards all extravagances. Her
sense of pIopriety modifes fashion.
It. sends her to church and on the
street in elegantly fitting. modest gowns,
hewever fine in texture. IL keeps her from
the very highest theater bonnet and the
yellowest OF shoes. 1t keeps tea gowns
and oriental fancies for the house and
magnificent jewels and robes for evening
balls 1t is the fashion to rail at low cut
gowns. They are as proper as gentlemen g
full dress. They are proper because the
purest women of the world have worI
them. They have their proper place. The
mistakes of this world come from doing
things cut of place and at the wrong time
American women may well pride them
selves on the beauty and utility of thei
fashions and the decrease of glitterinG
jewelry and gay colors on all occasions
The absence OF gorgeous street dressing
the growing regard for the texture ant
tone, for elegance, simplicity and pur
artistic beauty, are the infallible signs o
refined, and elegant people.
A rwO.poUND BALL DRESS.
New York Journal: Ball dresses are q
pretty this season that even the oldes
dowager and the most crusty bachelor mus
admire them. They are sweetness an
light, gems in tulle and gauze. mousselin
de sole and crepe lisse, empire brocade an
hand wrought lace. As for the mode {
make the directoire and first empire style
have the preference, but the laced bodiC
and full skirt, the princess with wide sash
the regulation trained skirt and low CT
bodice are all in fashion.
A ball dress Of the very newest mod
has Just come fresh from the studio Of
Paris designer. 1t is intended for youn
girl, and it weighs but two pounds alt,
gether so 1t will not tire her to dance q
the evening in it.
The material is the finest rose-pin
mousseline de sole. which IL almost as liRl
as tulle, but not SO transparent. 1t is c,
low round neck and puffed sleeves, ar
\ the skirt is covered with rose pink crel
de chine plated as finely as possible ar
'nNgiving the effect Of crinkled rose lea
Albeit and broad sash OF pink musl
passes about the waist and ties in b
bow at Que side The top Of the bodi
and sleeves is edged with frill OF pa