Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-05
THE DEGREES OF FASHION.
Popular Styles for Late Winter and
Early Spring.

Early Spring.
fAHos-NADE COSTUMES ALWAYS DESIRABLE
THEIR cosr AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sc
CURED BIT TIE ARRANGEMENT or SILK cos
rUxEs-GowSs FOR THE INAUGuRXi. BALL
IFrom Our Own Correspondent
NEW YoRK. March 2, 1859.
The winter has been 80 unusual that Il
has been very difficult to arrange outdoor
dress In accordance with It. The very
sold weather came early and late. the mid
eason recalling the loveliest part of May. These
changes and uncertainties hare been bad for
merchants and those sanguine women who con-
slider winter over when February is well under
way, and persist in dressing up TO poetic and
traditional spring. Indeed, dress, as well as the
seasons. Is getting very much mixed. We have
been accustomed to laugh ut Engiishwomcn Tor
wearing fur over q light dress In summer that
ID, upon the damp. chilly days common TO july
In the British isles-but We have displayed
straw bonnets here, In our coolest regions, dur
ing the past winter, and q black lace dress has
been seen upon the street In New York IN COM
pany with nun and boa. Verify there IL nothing
In this world that We can afford TO r,dicale. for
we never knowshow close an acquaintance We
may make with It,
THERE'S every opportunity for latitude In regard
10 dress, for nothing Is any more remarkable.
The directoire styles are OF course predominant,
but they are by no means universal. There are
long, prfncesse coats, with trailing sleeves, the
points OF which nearly touch the ground, the
interior showing the satin lining In contrasting
color. There are round, full cloaks In Connemara
style, or made with a yoke, one OF which dis
played itself recently In bright apple green, the
hood lined with red satin and red bonnet with
fat
cipal decorative feature.
PRETTY JACKET COSTUMES
are still seen, and are neat and appropriate for
young girls and small, slender figures; but the
long garments are newer and more swell" as
the phrase goes, and they are made in matelas-
sic, always a stiff, ugly fabric. and in the big,
bideous, raised and detached figured velvets,
which have been comparatively cheap this sed-
son, and render stout woman positively appall-
ing. or course they are not now used By the
exclusives; they never ought to be used at all.
Large, detached, fixed figures are always diff
cult to manage to make up. and should be re-
served for the character costumes, which de-
mand them.
Stripes are apparently in great vogue now.
but they are too common to be fashionable dur
ing the incoming season. that is to lead fashion;
for. as before and frequently remarked, every
thing is worn, but everything is not high fash
ion. which indeed is rarely seen upon the street
at all. These astonishing eloaks and costumes
In loud and contrasting colOrs which parade up
and down every fine afternoon are not worn By
the 400, nor even by the ], 900 who are striv-
Ing to be admitted to the ranks of the 400
They are actresses in variety shows, or third
rate opera companies, or women who have
money but not culture or the experience of So
ciety. who are attracted and excited by color as
by wine, and have nowhere to display it but
upon the street.
THE TArLoR-MADE DRESS.
There Is q great deal of happiness to be OBJ
tanned from color, and each individual woman is
ct liberty, in these days and in this country, to
adopt It to her own taste, but the way she uses
1t is, to experienced eyes. very clear indication
OF her social habits and status. The tabernacle
dress has been accepted as the standard for walk
ing attire, and the tendency Is constantly toward
making 1t darker. more simple, more unobtru-
sive, freer from noisy decoration. This does not
render Ii less expensive. On the contrary, the
cost, which Ia put as much upon the inside as
the outside, is perhaps increased. But it Is q
triumph Of dress-making skill and comfort. The
tailor-made dress has passed through many
vicissitudes. 10 has to adapt itself to the vary
Ing and sometimes vulgariZing tastes Of the
wearers. and also to the desire of the makers to
offer novelties" to their patrons. But the
efforts to graft upon them the bunchiness. the
OVERLAPPING draperies, the eAentrc cut. the con-
~ oStS AZ "otctio4 ouu COiOks tTiUl-
mings Of the usual showroom walking DRESS
have been conspicuous failures; while the best
and most authoritative taste settles down more
and more upon those elements which constitute
o quiet and absolutely inconspicuous street
costume. The only external decoration per-
mitted upon Q really refined tailor-made dress
Is fne braiding or embroidery upon the material;
the latter term including the stitched edges,
which are 30 simple yet always elegant as a
finish great deal Of expense may be put into
this work II 1t Is done by hand. But this Is ex-
ceptionaL The cost of the best class of tailor
made work II In the quality Of the cloths and
serRes OF which the garments are made; In the
specially manufactured silk Innings, buttons,
braidA, bindings. and facings with which they
are finished. The ut absolutely mouds the
figure and never changes; and now that the
skirts hang straight, that the clumsy mat
and overhsnging draperies have been
abandoned. they are as near perfection as any
thing can be made ct this stage In human de-
velopment.
INTELLIGENT DREssNAKERs NEEDED.
Every woman Of Intelligence knows what an
eternaly recurring struggle it is not to crafty,
but to nnd clothing that does not offend her
taste, and that Is within the reach of a moderate
income. What We need Is intelligent and
dressmakers, who have read the litera-
ture and understand something of the art of
dress and medium of expression. At present the
best OF them only look at IL through the
Changes and mutations of what addresses
Itself to their minds as fashion"
70 which the individual Is quite subordnated.
There Is apparent variety. but it Is all of kind.
IKE an ignorant cooks soups and sauces
AN ATTRACTIVE REDIxGorE
There are. however, occasional cases, even in
desert Here Is one OF them. and il is green.
as an oasis should be. 1t consists of a redin
cote OF dark green cloth, open upon the back
but not upon the sides, and braided In a delicate
scroll pattern with very narrow silk braid. In
which there Is thread OF gold. The collar and
small, turnover cuffs are braided to match. and
also the square maps, moderate In size, which
tau over the pockets just below the waist line.
on either side Of the front. These pockets ara
real, not simulated BY the flaps, as Is usually
the case. The only point Of color is small vest
OF eanary-colored silk Grape at the throat lajd
N cross folds, but quickly disappearing In the
niRn. coat-eut OF the bodice. The cut at the
waist line Is that Of dress" coat. fastening
wltn smail, nat SILK buttons. over the slightly
orapeo 'front.' OF the skirt, which Is of satin fran
caise. forming the lining also and exactIy match
3 IN color. This costume is accompanied bv
. large hat Of dark green velvet felt, the crown
surrounded by long plumes laid fiat and de-
scending to the shoulder, the interior of the
brim edged with a line Of braidlng matching
shat upon the costume. but almost Invisible.
home dress for the same lady, rather tall
and beautiful American" that IL blended type.
was q terra-cotta wool, made whole. draped to
one side from the shoulder and tied around the
waist with q sash OF terra-cotta silk, knotted on
the side and reaching to the edge Of the skirt
1he belt part was not laid in folds. but caught
here and there In its gathers UPON stiff founda-
ton. Tue sleeves were full and set In full
Ou6 Of the silk.
BLACK SILK COSTUME.