The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-17
HOUSTON DAILY posi-; SUNDAY MORNING DECEMBER PIG 1893

New York. December 15--Most public
and semi public society functions, such as
used to enliven New York wintee, are
now dying, II not dead, of millionafism. i
The multiplication of FIVE Milo dollar
palaces and the inclusion of private ball
rooms in houses far less costly-regnlating
the living rooms to the third floor and
often cramping them-have bred reluct-
ance to dance in public to which long ago
the patriarchs succumbed, and now the
assemblies, though continued for this win
ter, are doomed.
The days of large private balls al hotels
and restaurants have departed and now
adays the smaller and more jealousy Sc
cluded a function the more smart--a rule
to which there are no exceptions.
Under the new regime of ses--small
sets-costumes as well as house building
becomes constantly more extravagant, be-
cause dress which Is to be exhibited
only to hundred or less, of the very
wealthy must strain to reach the pinnacle
of the modiste's art, and then-must be
flung aside.
The woman who, going much into So
ciety can get through the winter oh six
ball dresses is counted nowadays marvel
of economy, and from the number cen
sidered necessary runs well up into two
figures.
The cost of an evening dress which
shall hold its own in such company ranges
from Sl25 for the muslin or point d'esprit
of the modest debutante to $25O0 for the
matrons lace and velvet.
A woman, not of the exclusive set, but
who is nevertheless wealthy. given 10 en-
tertaining and being entertained, assures
me that for the past FIVE years her ex
penditures for dress has increased. on an
average, 10 per cent each winter above
that OF the preceding sea on. and his
without the smallest attempt to vie with
others, but In obedience simply to the
general trend of her social word.
From the accounts of other women l
am confident that in the same period their
dress expenses have doubled,
The outfit which this lady, to whom
dress is only one of many interests, has
found necessary for the present winter in
cludes for evening wear black velvet !
ish decorations of Honiton lace-value
about $500 graceful white dress of the
most exquisite Chantilly. appIiqued over
white satin, so perfectly done that the ace |
appears to he tissued in the saiin-cost |
$3.50 dress of pale pink crepe de chine
striped with insertions of Brussels lace
embroidered with green leaves and dee /
GRATED with sprays of orchids in part !
painted, in part the most perfect of arti- |
hcial flowers-cost $3.50, a dress of Nile |
green satin embroidered in chenille and |
silk with gold and silver thisiles; dress |
of robins egg blue panne velvet who e (
skirt is made of a series of founces beau /
TRULY embroidered in white and edged |
with sable: and other dresses of lace, {
spanges and gros grain silks the cost OF
any one Of which would pay poor mans +
rent and whose aggregate price is COM
petence.
This lady is not eXtravagant as such
things are reckoned; for while dress can
never pass beyond the stage where skill
and taste can be made to supply, to con-
sideraf extent the place OF money, it
has reached the pass where materials and
trimmings are SO costly that economy has
become the most difficult of the sciences.
The favored stuifs for evening wear are
brocades softer than satins with marvel
ously shaded designs, delicate tinted silk
appliqued with lace, net showing lace de-
signs traced In jewels. flmy transparent
stuffs spangled and jeweled, silks wrought
with velvet flowers, and the new silky |.
panne velvet that looks as If 1t had baen
ironed. To all of these is added lace and