Year: 1874

WALh1NG DRESSES AND MATERIALS.


It is certainly little ludicrous, this
silent and unacknowledged, but very
visible struggle of the lady of fashion to
keep ahead OF the majority, to have
adopted and dropped the styles before
they become commonly worn. A lead
er of the fashions it is her ambition to
be, but she doesn't enjoy being pressed
too closely. She wants her followers to
keep behind her a respectful distance !;
but no sooner does charming Mrs. or
Miss Latestyle select cloak of unique
design, or hat Of peculiarly jaunty
or eccentric shape, which, she fatters
herself (she is quite in the habit of fiat


tering herself), will be particularly be-


coming on account of some feature, or


possibly some defect, of her face than


her next-door neighbor's girl, if not her
own, borrows the style, and, making it
up In imitation material, wears it, often
in such way as to make it look a carica-
ture rather than an imitation. The fe-
male portion Of the Latestyles are of


course disgusted and disheartened, and


even the masculine head feels the mat
ter deeply, in his pocket, for of course
the hat or the wrap can never be put on
again until it is entirely remodeled. But
what can one do who has no time to cul-
t1vate her taste in dress by the study Of
the beauty of adaptability better than to
follow the one who devotes all her time
to the business Of being well dressed {?
and though it, doubtless, is very annoy
ing to the Latestyles, it is yet to these
very imitators that they owe the fact
that they are no longer restricted to one
style of bonnet, as was the case not SO
many years ago, that must be worn with
out regard to it's unbecomingness, but
have at least a good round dozen Of
shapes, all equally fashionable, from
which to select what suits them best.
Another, better still, the Latestyle ladies,
having counseled with their Madames of
the mode, and concluded that their
humber imitators would not readily
adopt sactclock OF holden gray for their


''outing" costumes, have determined


that expensive shall no longer be a
synonym of fashionable in the matter of
the street dress. The diagonals, the


basket goods, and most other of the
| many varieties of the coarselooking,


rough surfaced materials, cost less than


the cashmeres and similar goods, and


are far more stylish for the outdoor


dress. They are newer looking, and are
| thick and comfortable for wearing on


these bitter wintIy days. There are de-


fects, however, that almost overbalance


these good qualities. They frequently


crock-and what could be more disagree


able than to have the color of ones dress


rubbing off! This is probably owing to


the fact that they are not all wool, and


to the great amount of coloring matter


required to get the depth of darkness in
dispensible in street garments of all
kinds. Dark the dress must be, but


great care should be taken in the seIec-


tion to get perfectly fast color. Again,


these soft-textured, rough-fnished goods


are wholly unfit for house wear. They


lack that daintiness of appearance that


is an inseparable adjunct of beauty in a


lady's home attiring, and they show soil


very soon Everything that touches il


sinks into the soft, porous surface, and


after few days of even the most careful


wearing the dress begins to looks spot


ted and old. While nothing could be


more appropriate for the street than such
| a dress, and no other material Is anything
like as fashionable this winter, it is ad


visable and really an economy to change


it for one of a different material wher


coming into the house, especially If one


has domestic matters TO attend to. No


only are these new goods cheap them


selves, but they do not permit of expen


sive trimming. Kilt pleatings on the


skirt with bands or folds on the over


skirt, are all that is required, although


many of our best dress-makers add


heavy twisted or ball fringe to the edg


of both basque and upper skirt. Th


ball fringe is only five shillings yard


the twisted fringe seventy-five cents o


one dollar, and either seem cheap il
comparison with the jets and velvet