The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-04-20
SPRING FASHIONS.
Whist the Easter Sunday Display In New
York Revealed.

York Revealed.
a composite photograph Of tho mems
attire seen on Fifth avenue, New York,
on castor Sunday would show great
prepond6Ianco of the frock coat with
an average length reaching Just below
tho knees, being slight modification
Of last years length. Black or Oxford
mixtures of dark gray were mostly seen.
the materials varying from tho rough
est to tho smoothest of soft, fine cloths.
Gray wns tho prevailing color in trou-
sers, quiet stripes being favorite pat.
tern. The silk hat of tho present crop
Is lcss broad in tho brim and less boil
crowned than last year, and in general
tho tone of mems dress throughout is
growing moro conservative GETAWAY
coats, of which many were to DO seen,
arc not Gs long in tho tails this year
and arc less rnkish in cut.
In tho matter Of scarfs, the bow tic
OF dark color was seen in great profu-
sion worn with tho frock coat, and tho
ever popular fourth hand Of dead black
OF white held its own.
Ono noticeable feature was the ab-
senco of lapel flowers as compared with
y
ed himself on Fifth avenue last Easter
wore some kind of flower in his coat
and probably half of these flowers were
white. This year not one-fourth of the
men wore any flowers. and those who
did wore small bunch of violets. The
women, too, We're for tho most part
chary Of floral adornmont in comparison
with former years, and tho display of
outdoor plants along tho avenue was
less than usual. 1t was not u floral
Easter.
Reckoning back for half dozen
years. the veteran wenror of tho season s
bonnet could not call to mind anything
quite so satisfactory for variety and
splcndor as this years dress parade
Perhaps tho superior quality of weather
provided! had good deal to do with this
tiatteriugly prejudiced view of the case
1t enabled every ono to display her fin.
cry to special advantage and mado only
tho wearing OF the lightost wraps neces-
aary.
Wee bits of capes wero all the church
Soers pretended to, so short rs To escape
tho elbows by four inches, so deeply
gored and so frilly with ribbons and
rUchings as 10 resemble moro nearly
than ever tho big riffs of bygone times
Now these scraps OF Capcs. the wide
skirts, elaborate bQdices and fearless
| hess i'll tho use of dazzling color arc all
tho points, says the veteran fashion OBJ
server, that make our Easter of 1896
distinct from those that have preceded
it.
Memory indeed ruuneth not back to
tho timo when conservative New York
women have so lent themselves to the
fascination Of glorious tintings and
standings. 1t seems significant that this
effect is graduated from tho waist line
up, for ali the skirts noticed were dark
and plain, quite untrimmed and good
o y yards around.
Tho bodices had greodily usurpod all
the decoration, and tho hats at first mp
peared to be frantic imprcssionist stud
les from the milliner's standpoint. They
were no bigger than a child hand, and
bonored by tho title of bonnets, or
they were round briins of rough straw
and looked as though thoy had passed
through blizzard of roses that heaped
up in cones, tufts and clumps or spread
into wrcaths wherever they foil, along
with little drifts Of lace and flights of
birds
No two roses over showed the Same
color on tho loose woven straw frames
that III turn flashed in all whimsical
shades from pale lemon and rose to
match tho rough skin of burnt al.
mond or we'll parched peanut Some
times the straw crown was lifted out
and replaced with lace, and the roses
varied with circle Of jutting wings.
The little bonnets showed tho same
fearless disregard for tho old rulo of
matching and harmonizing themselves
OF pretending to have any connection
whatever with their owners gloves or
bodice. Now York SIM.