Year: 1868

These are the latest novelty, and already
hooped skirts have been filled with enormous
bustles to wear under them. Les painters con-
sists simply of the gathering of the hind folds
OF the skirt in such way as to allow them to
fall over in 60uilleR upon the lower part of
the skirt. The arrangement is as simple as it
is absurd, but 1t requires to be done correctly,
or it is supremely ridiculous and not few
young ladies have attracted the attention of
crowd by their effort to effect amateur pdtterS,
and the grOtesqueness of their appearance
when they ventured cOrageouSy yinto the streets.


Paniers for a short dress are effected by
lengthening the upper skirt somewhat at the
back, and running a drawing string from one
side to the other though the centre of the
back breadth is inserted plain, and Of the pro-
per length, the junction at the sides being con-
cealed by roSettes, bows and ends, sashGS, or
some other ornaments.


l would not advise any one to attempt pa
n'erS on their own account, without first hav-
ing seen a correct model.


In full dress, however, many ladies impro-
wise them very respectfully by tying up the
train with a wide sash and arrangiog the folds
over the tOWnure, for [ am ashamed to say the
old-fashiOned hustle is Notwithstanding in
stiff harcloth, sometimes in springs, which are
shaped to form the hustle at the back Of the
hoOpcd skirt.





bic. In addition to the enormous hustle, or
wide shelf, which sometimes extends to the
sides as well as across the back, there is broad
train, which destroys the beauty and elegance
of the trailing dress Fullness at the back,
stretching off for long, narrow queue, is the
effect required but hOoped skirt manufacture
ers, in endeavoring to make the trail, have
brOadened the skirt so that the length of the
dress is ia ken up necessarily, and the peculiar
grace Of the style wholly lost. There are bet
ter shapes to be had, however, and advise la
dies to search for them. Don't take large,
ugly, ungraceful hoOped skirt because some
one tells you it is the --latest style" Large
hoop skirts are not worn yet, and when next
they are it will be the signal for their entire
overthrow. Such an outrage upon decency
and good sense will not long be permitted. If
hOoped skirt manufactures wish to perpetuate
the institution, let them adhere to a small,
graceful shape, covered-not made like a cage
such a one as will be advantageous to health,
and save superabundance of weighty under
skirts. An exaggeration like the fitting "
skirt, for example, may be successful for liz
tie while, but it came very near abolishing
hoOped skirts altogether.


Ladies have fashions in their own hands, and
can control them just as we'll as be controlled
by them. Not unfrequently they say with a
start of fright and astonishment on the appear
ance of a new and eccentric mode Good gra-
cious is that what we are coming too?'


Yes it is what we come to if we choose but
it is not what we come to if we don't choose.
| Women of the highest intelligence, and many
of those belonging to the very first class of So
ciety, pay no attention to the eccentricities and
carpices Of fashion, simply because they are in
terested in questions of much greater import
ance. Women of mere fashion are pitiable,
because it shows what sad emptiness of heart
or brain must have existed before they could
be content to fill the void with such husks as
these.


Fashion is simply question of supply and
demand As long as the majority are content
to take the result of whim or an accident,
and shape their own bodies and souls to it, SO
long shall we be at the mercy of 'caprices :"
in fashion.-.Jennie J1ae.