Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-30
Hats and Gowns Shown in These
Beautiful Tints.
GOOD CHOICE NOW, BUT HIGH PRICED
PIaids Unbecoming on Any but
Tall Figures.
THE DOUBLE-FACED CLOTHS



NEW YORK, September %. 1859.
If you have visited az farm house in
| the country ever boarded there. or if
| you have acquaintance who live in little
| towns, or even if you have been in villages
| of small area and population, you have
seen what are called the pastel portraits.
Don't you remember those staring, gray
and black horrors on the walls of the par
lor,'' the room which was used only once
| a week or SO? After an experience of this
| kind one shoulders at the word pastel But
| if you have come across a delightful little
book translated from the French, called
.Pastels in Prose-, you have come in con-
tact with pastels which quite change your
impression of what the word intended to
convey. Or if you have ever studied a
good pastel painted by artist quite
different meaning to that word as it is used
in this sentence), you will be interested in
the new pastel shades even though you de-
precate the of this word mere fab
RIGS to cover what Becky Sharp, in her
scene at the ball before the battle Of
Waterloo, calls her 'imperceptibles.'
In hats the pastel shades bid fair to be
worn very much. Nor will they be confined
to gala occasions. For a hat in soft tones
brightens the dullest winter scene or dark
est furs But In broadcioth and Venetian
cloth the pastel shades Will be used chiefly
for carriage or reception gowns. 1t re-
Quires bravery winch at the best may
not be a meritorious quality, to wear those
pale delicate colored broadcloths in street
gowns on a winters day. Yet how beau
tiful they would be with snow on the
ground! How eXquisitely the snow and the
pale vi net, green, blue or pink would har-
monize! THIS We Shall not see, IN spite of
the enthusiasm of the manufacturers and
sellers of these new shades of cloth. But
at receptions, in carriages, made up in de-
collete bodice for evening wear or in elabo-
rate high necked effect at the theater
we will see these SCft-toned cloths. FER
haps 1t is because we have worn white SO
much this summer that we are 10th to go
back to dark colors altogether. and thus
we have for our the much-heralded
pastel shades.
New Goods High Priced.
It is all very well to say that if one buys
the material for winter frocks now one
does not have great choice. but it is not
strictly true. Everything is opened by the
list of October, and although the price may
be little higher on the new goods, there
is infinitely more variety.
Although we may have soft bright shades
for elaborate street dresses or for any of
the occasions outlined above, it is certain
that will also have a walking dress OF
a dense and dark blue, gray or mixed
brown and black effect. The grays for
walking dresses are especially dark. There
is one called oxford gray, which would be
black enough for second mourning were
there not a rough raised weave on the sur
face in which some white threads are mix
ed. All of these grays are excellent for
tailor-made gowns to wear shopping on
journeys, and when properly sponged and
made with short skirt, walking length,
NO weather need be dreaded.
Chcviots and Twceds.
The tweeds and cheviots are extremely
:,
cloth to match are striking, and yet not
at all conspicuous. A keen observer was
mourning not long ago what she called the
plaid craze, saying we had departed from
the Scotch patterns and were being led
into a wilderness of most inartistic and
glazing combinations. l have seen some
Scotch plaids which made ones eyes ache
much more than any of the brown and
black. blue and black or gray and black
combinations which have appeared this
season A luminous plaid of blue crossed |
with black bars with a blue of the same
shade also with luminous threads in it,
would make striking gown for woman |
of medium height. Unless one is quite FIVE |
feet five, or. better still, five feet six. these
plaid skirts must be eschewed. Plaids were !,
not meant for women who boast of having |
allotted to them the same number of inches |
to which Egypt's queen drew herself when |
she took in her hand the deadly asp.
The zibeline weaves. which have firm
~ eStaDllSneQ themselves III popular favor,
have come back with one or two new pat
terms There is with solid back and |
across it run stripes of contrasting color,
which are raised and rougher than camePs /
hair weave. Then there is a combination
of plain zibeline and zibeline with back
ground of the same color, but with rough ,
black polka dots over it. A very striking
gown has just been made Of a red zibeline |
overdress and in underskirt of black zibe-
line. on which are the red polka dots And |
another combination was a brown zibellne |
skirt. with princess overdress of brown |
with black polka dots in it; the reyers and