The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-09
CARRIE CARELESS.
On Wedding Dresses and Orange Bios
SONS for Old and Young.


SONS for Old and Young.
CCopui0ht9
NEW YORK Oct. 8-Amoug my CORE
spondence l find a letter Inquiring whether a
woman marrying for the first time at the
age of 80 should don the customary white
dress. and orange blossoms for the wedding
ceremony. The question is one OF a some.
what delicate character, aud as our sex are
usually credited with going about every
thing in the most illogical and inconseuuent
manner possible, l will endeavor to reply to
the last question first, leaving the first TO the
last.
Orange flowers, being regarded in all civil
lied countries save in Germany, as the
symbol of chastity, l am of the opinion
that they may be worn by bride, no mat
ter how old she be, providing she has never
been married prev Ously or been guilty of
those frailties which the French so euphe-
mistically describe by the comprehensive
name Of "adventures." If the lady is ripe
in years, however, l would recommend that
the orange flowers should be
worn less conspiouously and in
smaller quantities than In cases where the
blushing bride is in the first bloom of youth.
Moreover the elderly spinster who presents
herself as a candidate for matrimony would
do we'll to eschew as much as possible the
blossoms of the orange tree and adorn her
self in preference with fully matured
flowers as more IN keeping with her age.
In Germany, | may add, the maiden brides
wear at their wedding ceremonies myrtle
blossoms in lieu Of those of the orange tree
which are only donned by widows when
tempting providence for the second time in
the shape of ma6rimony.
With respect TO the propriety Of a maiden
bride OF 80 wearing a white wedding dress,
l confess that am in doubt. 1t depends a
good deal on the appearance and character
of the lady. II. for instance, she has lived
all her life under the parental roof and
care, and has preserved not only the ways
and manners Of young girl, but also, 10 a
certain extent at any rate, the Juvenile
aspect of the latter, she might venture
upon a dress not of white, but Of
cream color, trimmed with quantities
of old lace and with a veil Of old lace
worn Spanish mantilla fashion in lieu OF
the ordinary tulle drapery. But, in any
case, the venture is one of considerable risk,
from an aesthetic point Of view, and when a
woman has passed her goth birthday in a
state Of single blessedness, she would do
well, il she gets married subsequently, to
wear ordinary walking or travelling dress
at the ceremony. l would especially advise
this when the bride betrays by her looks
that she is no longer on the sunny side Of 20
aud when her independence of manner and
OubEdCbeT WOulu T6Du6E Lu6 White dress,
white veil and the other paraphernalia of
young and blushing madenhood superfiuous.
Not that / approve of white wedding
dress and veil even for the most youthful
OF brides. On the contrary, l distinctly OBJ
ject to the custom and Infinitely prefer the
fashion which prevails in Spain, Portugal
and other countries of the south of Europe.
There the young girls don at their wedding
dresses the color of which is selected with a
rarord n ha and
and must confess that they, as a rule, look
eminentiy more picturesque and TO advan-
tage than our white-rObed and white yelled
brides. Pure white, though very pretty as
far as sentiment is concerned, is very trying
to the beauty of any girl, no matter how
fair she be, and only looks we'll when cut
low, daintily trimmed, and when the cruditY
Of its tone is softened by artificial light. 1t
seems to me that instead of bhndly follow
ing fashion in this respect we should en-
deavOr to array ourselves on our wedding
day in toilets calculated to set off our
charms 70 their best advantage and to pre-
sent US in the most attractive manner to
the gaze Of our friends present, and in par
tIcular to that of the one on whom we are
comforting our heart and hand.
Another reason why l am opposed to
wedding dresses of pure white is because
one finds it so difficult to convert them to
any other Use afterward. 1t is well nigh
impossible to do anything with them, and
they are apt 20 remain as a species of me-
mentO which assumes day by day more and
more the character of a relic. Relics of
this kind are not pleasant. If our marriage
has been fortunate they remind one of a
happy day which can never. never come
again, OF else if the alliance which we have
contracted has proved q source of disap-
polutment and misery they recall memories
of the day on which we babe adieu forever
to all the delights and illusions OF our girl
hood.
1t is owing probably to a proper appre-
citation OF this difficulty with regard to the
disposal Of our white wedding dresses that
certain enterprisiug persons both here in
New York. as we'll as in London and Paris,
have organized firms for leasing out we'd
ding dresses. The latter can now be hired,
Ruj for a comparatively small sum a bride
may be provided with a splendid costume
without the necessity of retaining 1t for the
remainder of her days. Obvious drawbacks
TO the system can easily be imagined. 1t
would be distinctly awkward, for example,
If the ceremony were to be delayed for
some reason or another and the owner of
the garment were to appear in the YES
try to claim his toilette on the
ground that time was up and another lady
waiting TOR it, Such difficulties could
doubtless be surmounted by little man.
agement. But why stop at the wedding
dressl The system might be extended to
the welding presents. The exquisite num-
Der of bracelets and rings and fish knives
aud tea services could be hired. and. after
serving their time in the display on the
wedding day, be returned. The real pres
ents could then take the more conveuient
and useful form of cheques, and married
couples would not be compelled, as they
often are now, to take a house for the mere
purpose of slowing away their useless be-
lOngings. Possibly In course Of time we
may come to the age when, not content
with hiring the wedding dress and the we'd
ing presents, we shall hire she bridegroom
as well. That is a system which would
have many advantages.
CARRIE CARELEss.