The morning news., 1889-05-29
FASHIONS IN MOURNING.
,vcAL1A OF GRIEF PRESCRIBED
BY ETIQUETTE.

+a as to be in Black May and May
Not Wear - Changes in Mourning
rosbions-New Fabrics for Stylish
Mourning.
Copyright secured.
Nrw YORK, May 25.-Who would have
.,,nnosed that fashion would extend her
~ over grief? And yet not only fashion
h,t her Younger sisters, whim and caprice,
ar,rnaking themselves obeyed. New fabrics
Cor mourning are put forth as regularly by
.ha manufacturers and examined with as
r.instaking interest by shoppers as goods
sor street or ballroom wear. New STYLES
tor mourning are decreed by modistes and
u,iIIiners every season. There are revolu-
lions of fashions in widows gloves, there are
Usoecialties" and --latest shapes" in widows
mantles and wraps, and novelties
N mourning slippers. Mourning
iavelery varies from one spring to
srother and it is matter of some interest
n hear the comments passed on the May
,mportations OF mourning parasols. A
breach of etiquette may be involved in the
variation by fraction of an inch of the
centh of the hem upon a Grape veil, or the
cbnice of the lace which borders handker-
chief.
mourning are harder to please thar any
4 other customers. Mourning bonnets and
1 hats have had more time and thought be-
r+owed on them in proportion by designers
within the last three years than any other
sqecies of headgear, and the result has been
4 ranid evolution. Not an effect produced
in any material but is now copied in black.
Not a flower blooms in muslin or velvet
4 that does not blossom also in dull or bright
4 iet Not feather waves over a round hat
4 which does not suggest It's decorously wee1-
ing counterpart, the oleurltse dropping,
/ VII h an approved curve, over the last shape
/ IN second mourning.
One of the problems Of the hour is how
to find sufficient variety for the bereaved.
Ia many large establishments fully one
| third of all the space devoted to millinery
] is given to the display of mourning, and
no two pattern bonlets are allowed to ap-
proach one another in design. Some days
* ago a milliner said to me tnat to keep with
q ia the bounds Of recogn Zei good tas q was
4 becoming q difficult matter. People are
f calling every hour fer materials, colors and
effects which, according to the usual canonS
they should not permit them selves to USE
h Despite its serious character mourning garb
is so far subject to fashion and fancy that it
Is not amiss to point out toe respects in
which it ought to be distinguished from a
4 simple black costume
Mourning is worn for longer periods, as
aru.e, in the United States thau in most
other countries. Ia Frauco the period pre-
scrbed for q widow is one year and six
1 week, the year being equally divided b.
tween deep and ordinary mourning, and
the SIX weeks devoted to the transition
/ through lilac and white to ordinary attire
4 In England a widow We ars mOurni tCc two
YEAR; heavy crane with long veil ,jreQTired
for half the period, the sec nd year includ-
1 ing SIX months of simple mourning and
six of half mourning. In this country it is
usual Tor widow to wear deep mourning
for two full years. Not infreque1tly it is
never laid aside or greatly lig 4tened.
Fer father or mother mourning is worn
fo.taelve months and the same is true in
csc Of the loss of u grown-up child Dur
ing half the year Grape is required for the
second period plain black materials without
Grape trimming. The veil is worn at the back
Cf.he bonnet during deep mourning, but it is
tobe distinguished from the widows veil by
its reaching only little below the waist
At the end of the year black silk, black and
white gray, violet aud lilac are often nut
on and worn for intedni periods. For
grandparents the m turning period is ten
weeks in France, six months in England
American customs vary. Grape for three
months, plain b ack for two months and
the Ealf mourning or light mourning tints
for mouth or two longer is very usual.
For brother or sister mourning is wori
from four to SIX months; for an uncle or an
auat three months is customary in some
localities q few weeks Of ord nary black IN
others. For young children French mourn
ing is three months, the English
mother wears black for six months.
In America the Englishperol is
what one might call official, bat IN practice
tie emblems of grief are frequently not re-
moved Short OF the widows psriOd.
Il Fer relatives of the husband etiquette re-
ii cures the wife to wear mourning until the
husband takes it off, or she should be gov
erned by the rules which would apply had
the bereavement been her own. Until re-
Gently 1t had not been the custom to put
little children into black, and the old rule
mad much more to recon- mend it tina the
new II Is not an uncommon sight this
spring to behold wee tots of 3 and toi-
GAng along the park walks in garments
Somberly funereal. Quiet colors may be
preferred as mole in harmony with the
family grief. but there is absolutely no ex-
cuse Tor greatly altering the dress Of little
5H% under 10, except il case of the loss of
parent, and even then people OF the bes5
taSie often consider that a white dress with
D'Gca sash or llgat gray dress with black
llouln or velvet trimmings is the nearest
approach to mourning which it is desirable
oput on a very young child
Al the dress Of the widow some few
changes arc TO be noted this spring. The
arrangement Of the veil is somewhat modi-
ned Ii Is laid in deep plaits from the front
oI the Bonnet, IS fastened on the top by dull
lft pms or by invisible stitches and fails
sralght down behind, reaching quite to the
.O'tom Of tie gown. The hem IS deeper
Sl.aA ever aud Is woven into the material
ne widows cap is made not mfr quently
%tVl an edglng Of white cape instead Of
eue olacE tl!le hitherto considered .ndispen-
aoe' inside the pointed frontlet White
ia e Is also Inserted at neck and sleeves.
~ s-F5eI wear mourning wraps are made
.r Shanh nt lO0c circular capes. not al
1eelher unlike the Connenara cloaks,
tleIelY htted to the waist by an iuner belt.
.E'ened down at the seams and under the
ga'E. lie material is cashmere, OF bl&ck
seInot, or some dull black wooden fabric
=, aghC weight for summer Wide bands
uupe are stitched upon the frouts and
tpo Is IS often deep border of Grape around
H. ~ DOlUJm. For women who prefer it the
@ @r'aca casaplere shawl is still in order, but
Hla..ues lEay be cut of any cloak or cape
which IS not fitted to the figure.
ssL. - s'reet dress should be Of Il dead black
ta.' taOilc' and she simpler and palmer the bet
Gaste displayed. Women who can af-
ei. ,1 ~ cover tue dress entirely with En-
s. 90 Grape 1t has often been considered
t6tlaI that the widows indoor gown
Cooe14e [,1u4 lie cut with a train, but except on
-lCdalOUS Of .arapnop,r ,,,,r,o,, =