The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-15
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
DISCUSSION OF DRESSES AND
THEIR "NiREUP."
Mate Leroy Declares That Woman should
Use Artificial Aids OF Various Kinds
to Enhance Her Beauty.

II hrs long been a question as 10 whether
It is right or wrong for ladies to use paint
or powder, TO dye their hair or make their
eyebrows darker than nature intended
them, and the question Is rs far from being
definitely settled now as ever before; but.
pending the full decision, full benefit is
taken OF the doubt.
In these days it does not mean that q
woman is without the pale Of good society
who makes up" her face just as she would
put on her evening attire. She realizes
that she needs little more color and adds
adeft touch That makes her eyes look hol-
low--she must put little cosmetic around
them and on her eyebrows That renders
it necessary to apply something that shall
make the skin appear whittier, and also
something is needed to blend in with the
color on the checks so that the dividing
line will not be visible, and so sho puts on
powder If she is sensible, n cream" IL she
IL reckless. and that makes the lips appear
red enough in contrast. No one who I'M
derstands herself puts rouge on her lips.
The rest passes, but that does not, and only
cakes and leaves little pink spots over the
natural color.
A little rouge, n little cosmetic and a lit
tic powder are all proper and suitable ad-
juncts to full dress evening costume, and
no one thinks of dccrying it. But the true
lady draws the line, and that clOsely, about
appearing in church or in the street with
any artificial coloring on her face.
At a ball or other social gathering women
are expected TO look their very best, and
men 20 expecting as right that all the
women present shall be pretty, and it seems
to me right that any woman should for her
own sake, for the sake of her friends and OF
people in general seek to make as good an
appearance H. she can. IL she is over forty
sine has right to use all the arts she can
bring to bear on herself TO make her face
as pleasing IA her dress is handsome. She
can have her hair skillfully dressed. and if
there are few gray ones they can be cut out
or dyed To match the rest. She can hayea
full set Of false teeth il she needs them
without one dissentient word, and the best
society now maintains the right TO use every
means possible to look its brightest and
best.
or course even a good thing can be
abused, and there is period IN woman's
life beyond which such aids 10 the appear
ance become CHASTITY, and it requires a
self sacrificing friend to inform the unfor-
tunate lady that she has passed the age OF
any possibility Of regeneration, and that
henceforth she must accept the inevitable
gracefully. Most OF them do, but Others
cannot, and SO 90 on. wretched PAROLES Of
themselves.
Youth does not require much making
up" yet many young ladies whose features
are nearly perfect lack color, and very
slight addition in that respect makes them
beautiful, and il is accepted everywhere
now that whatever aid can be lent TO
beauty it is legitimate To accept.
At the recent great annual charity ball ]
saw lady who has always been called
beauty, and she does command admiring
attention, but somehow it fell to me, who
am never critical on principle, to enpmerate
her actual and borrowed beauties. She was
tall and had middling sized feet and hands
Her figure was straight and we'll drilled 10
graceful movement, but she was thinner
than strict beauty demanded. This was
carefully hidden by n judicious dressmaker
and plenty Of lace and n magnificent neck
lace of diamonds Hereyes really small
and black, but by careful penciling and
shading they looked large and expressive.
The broad and high forehead was softened
under graceful curls and pair of flashing
diamonds caught the eye before it could
note that the checks were almost hollow.
Her teeth were white, though irregular,
and her lips and nose were well formed,
but thin. Added TO this was soft pink
and white color made up of cream and
rouge. She, with her queenly carriage, i,
called beauty.
Let ME tell what she wore. A maize bro
SADIE with demitrain, with several narrow
ruflles Of maize Grape, all sewn together mt
the bottom; q corsage and sleeves OF maize
brocade and white velvet. Over this she
threw, when not dancing, II cavalier cloak Of
purple and gold shot velvet, with a yoke OF
shirred satin. With her was her young
daughter who came out last season. and
who IS now engaged TO scion Of British
nobility" She wore a black silk frock,-
with an overdress of striped black gauze,