Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-06-01

From Our Own Correspondent.
NEw YORK. May 30. 1889.
Society takes a new departure during the
last OF the spring months. and is to be seen out
of doors rather than in crowded rooms. A the
season begins in London IT ends in New York.
and its leaders and lights give themselves mp to
daylight park parades up and down 9Th ave-
nue. and on the grand drive;' to preparations
for the annual exodus to the country; to thea
ter parties on CLOSING nights" to teas and
luncheons given to friends about starting for
Europe. and finally to assisting their departure
with the requisite flourish
The drive" in the park in the sweet O. the
year has become one of the sights of the town
and IL well worth little trouble to see. In
fortunately. there not the facilities for wit
Messing II which exist in the HydePark Row"
and which make the crowd lining the way as
interesting the crowd in carriages and on
horseback. but otherwise the show is as well
worth seeing. and both exhibit the splendid re-
suits, physically, of good living and free, out
door life.
MAGNIFICENT PHYsIQUEs.
The last twenty years has given US a larger
number than were seen formerly of women
with magnificent physiques of the Turkish
order. women of ample proportions. rich de-
yelOpment lovely cOloring. no muscle and not
much activity. who recllne in their softly
wadded carriages and do actually live in an
atmosphere which the winds of Heaven are not
allowed to visit. except in their gentlest mood.
They are usually the wives of very rich men.
and properly so; only rich men could afford
them and wealth and ease have assisted to
make them the perfect specimens of beautiful
flesh they are. For even beauty must be cult
waited and adorned to satisfy fastidious tastes.
As for the adOrnment. solomon could not have
surpassed II and the lilies have no less to do
with II. Somebody is paid to think for them,
to dress them as well as to cook for them and
keep their bodies up to this high-water mark
OF civilization.
After all. it is not little care to keep oneself
even If 1T Is only ones body. up to so high a
standard. Ii is the first thing to be thought of
In the morning. the last thing at night 1t is
an eternal round of rubbing and brushing and
bathing and polishing and manipulation. The
daily airing Is necessary for a woman as a
horse, If she il to be kept in conditions; and
what monotonous business it becomes. always
TO do II under the same circumstances, even
though these be easy and pleasant.
CARRIAGE DRESS,
o. it is technically termed, always has certain
conventional character, but it derives pictur-
esque charm nowadays from variety of color
and the contrast of color with white The mil
hnery OF the season, too. Is very conspicuous
The bOnnets are not large. but the floral dis
play Is all the more attractive for its novelty,
artificial flowers having been very little used Of
late years, and the revival wisely following the
old lines of adherence to nature. giving us
charming semblances of the loveliest things.
The new shapes. too, a total reversion of
the preceding order. The brims droop, fine
knife-plaitings of lace overhang the edge like
the roof of a matched cottage. The point
which turned upward projects out and is
mounted or surrounded with lace and grasses
or dropping hOwerets. The Marie Stuart head
dress appears IN transparent shape, with re-
limo r1au 4 n
bow of ribbon filling up the space or making
an objective point which emphasizes a fine pro-
file and the delicacy of the lines of beauty from
the temples to the throat in front of the ear
STYLES IN HATS
Large hats are not much affected by fashion,
able women in conjunction with carriage cos
tune. There is a certain informalty. and
therefore incougruity about large hat and
formal style of dress; and there are no women
on the face of the earth more alive to shades"
and subtleties, correct forms and the differences
appropriate TO various circumstances and occa-
sions than the travelled and cultivated Ameri-
can. Besides, the large hat renders the parasol
to certain extent supertuOus, and the parasol
Is very important nowadays. The newest and
finest revive the old real lace covers, upon silk
the color of the dress; but there are others
equally costly that are enriched with delicate
embroidery or are specially made of rich India
(Benares) brOcade. with turned bamboo or
carved handles, with gold or silver rings or
tops.
PARAsoIs.
The dropped silver sticks or those which
are encased In wrought silver are found too
heavy. and are therefore not cultivated even by
those who can afford them. Very delicate and
charming parasOls are of plated lisse over silk
OF the same tone. if it is very light as cucumber
green, she'll pink. cream and the like Ivory
white would be used over old rose, lavender.
eorn-cOlOr or ecru. and would correspond with
the touches of white in the costume the
vest. the facings, the panels and the like
The material is silk or bengaline, and it is
often enriched with the open-siIk and
tinsel embroidery. which made its appearance
last year. but was then SO extravagantly high
that IL found few purchasers. Now it is reduced
TO about one-fourth, that is from IS per yard
to q, which affords some idea as to the margin
OF profit for a novelty" This outlines the
white silk or crepe vest and panels covers the
collar and sleeves at the wrists If YOU see any,
thing very striking. snowy or ''odd' on the
drive. Its wearer Is pretty sure to be an actr ess
or a foreigner. perhaps both; for American ac-
tresses OF the best class are usually very quiet
In their out-of-door dress.
STYLE OF SKIRTS.
This conventionalism is far from character
izing the dress of the period as seen upon the
crowded thoroughfares, among Steamer
parties, in the shops and upon informal excur-
slons. Men stand IN groups to see the process
slOns go by. declaring them - better than the
circus; and certainly some extraordinary out
hts are 10 be seen. The directoire costume and
vest front. wide revers and straight skirt hang
ing full at the back under the eoat-shaped
bodice Is Of course the predominant spring and
early summer style. But the beauty OF the
May month has brought an unusual number of
thin SILK and lace gowns and even Anticipated
satInes. the fine qualities in which particularly
III the new white cOral-like figurings on dark
red. green and gray-5lue grounds, can hardly be
distinguished from silk
These materials demand different treatment
from the solid silks and woods They are de-
stroyed by being cut into the usual stiff BASQUE
forms, yet they often become grotesque carl
eatures by huge pulling and punching of
sleeves and an exaggeration of certain antiaue
features, while the rest of the design is modern
and conventional. This mixing up is rarely
seen IN French designs. and this fact alone
gives them a character superior to our own
IMPORTED DESIGNS
There Is peculiar delieacy daintiness, and
simplicity about the best imported styles this
season, which is in marked contrast to the high
eolored, horiated. heterogeneous character of
what Is seen IN our shops. Why we cannot
have the best as well as the worst designs in
SIMPLE materials at moderate prices il one OF
those problems that no one can find any answer
70. The fact always remains that the simpler
the form the higher the price and the fewer
there Is OF II. At recent morning reception
given to lady of some distinction from