Year: 1867




the tyranny exercised, these many years, by French
miiliners and mantuamakers the female men-
bers of our American Society. 1t is only within
week or two. however, that this rumor has taken
any definite shape; nor, indeed. has it been TIL
within very few days that we have thought 1t
worth whre to call the attention of our reporter to
the matter We had given up thinking of the matter
until day before yesterday, when received an IN
vitatiOn to attend meeting of ladies OF the hrst
families and of the highest respeoability, at No -
Fifth-ave to take measures to establish an
American leadership of fashion in opposition
to that at present exercised by France.
This note was so prettly and respectfully
worded, and written such extremely delicate
paper with so high-tOncd perfume, that we hardly
needed the curously ytwisted monogram (sO thought
fully giving especial prominence TO the middle lntla


70 convince US that the writer could only be one
whose name, whenever heard, rouscs tempest OF
mingled envy and admiration i'll every female BOSOM
Derceptible TO the charms of wealth, blood beauty,
and breeding combined. We felt sure that IL sueh
hands had taken the matter up il was high time TO
look into it, and accordingly requested the lazy
who is nj the head of our reporting staff to take HE
TRIBUNE carriage and her notebook, and repair to
the mansion in question: in order that may lay an
accurate account of the meeting before our readers
which We are proud to be able to do this morning in
advance of all our contemporaries.


On reaching the paatial mansion in question
which of course, had a brown-stOre front-tliow
astOnished tho fashionable people travelling IN Eu-
rope must be- to find real palaces, not only more
than twenty five feet wide but not built beside OF
Lrown-stone Nay, in some cases, if they can believe
their eyes, built actually of plain red brick! !l-on
reaching the residence in question our reporter pre-
sentcd the pcrfumcd billet, and, not liking perfume,
was only too glad to present it and get rid OF 1t;
whereupon she requested to step into the De
ceptiOn room as "a small child of ours once called the
small closet which in most fashionable houses does
duty for waiting-rooml and Mrs. - would be
down in a minute. That radiant creature appeared,
very shortly dressed in the prettieSt fashion and
looking so like celestial shepherdeSs Of French ex-
traction that not little surprised ut being
addressed in very good English good, at least as
is ordinarily spoken by ladies who have been edu-
Gated at fashionable New-York schools. and have
never studied their language since they LETT the
infant department. She was very anxious, she SAID
: 10 have q word with before the meeting began
for things had turned out so badly The tickets,
which had been prepared with so much care. and
distributed in the most exclusive manner posi-
ble had been treated just one treats free
theater-tckets: they had been given away
10 anybody and everybody, and the consequence was
that her drawiug-rOOms were at the present moment
filled with u crowd of people of no position what
ever she even believed there were some servant
girls among them, which quite dreadful to think
of! She would have refused admission to the greater
part of these people If there had been any way OF
distinguishing them: but that quite impossible;
dress is no longer any criterion manners are quite
rs bad up stairs as down. and the only way OF finding
ont the tlith-to stop each person at the door and
make her tell on oath the amount of her income, and
that of her husband-although. of course 1t would |
have at settled her right to be admitted to the
best society, was evidently out OF the question.
Therefore she had been obliged to submit to the i'm
position and, warning our reporteress beforehand OF
what she expect to she led tho way into the
drawing -roOm and having given her seat and a |
copy of Democrats Monthly TO rest her paper on, she
Immediately proceeded to call the meeting to order


After q few preliminaries had been settled the |
meeting was addressed by a great many ladies In |
succession although there appeared to be decided
preference among them for speaking all ut once a !
preference they not prevailed Oh TO relnqulSh
without good deal of maDeuverne, and not little
downright scOlding In the general hurry yburly and
confusion. it was not easy TO catch many consecu-
tive words. but, as our highly accomplished
repOrteresS could contTve II, the fOI0WlnY are the
most important speeches:


Mrs - said she thought the matter they were
met to discuss of great Importance. She really
wondered how intelligent American women could |
consent to live in such slavery to French fashion IL
was puzzle she could not solve. how it ever began;
but however it originated, there was no doubt II |
existed. All the world was in the same condition. |
The Germans. the Italians, the English, the Rus |
san all acknowledged the force Of French DEGREES,
and even the Sultan of Turkey is said, on his return
home to have carried an immcnse number o. hoops |
cbgnons and French bOnnets with him, and lmme- |
diately to have issued decree ordering every wo-
man in his dOminions to put on the new toggely on
pain of death for disObedience. Nay, 1t is even |
said that the Pope himself at the recent |
canonizatOn of thousand so new saints |
appeared walking along the piazza on his way TO ST.
Peters to robe himself for the ceremony dressed III
the very latest French style, with extremely tight
trowsers coat OF nfantile shOrtness. lvorycooIed
kids, q Macmillan hat, and followed by little Sibe
rian poodle small enough to 20 through napkin |
ring. For her part, Mrs. - was unable to see any
reason for submitting to this tyranny. and she had
long ago refused to do so. She believed We ought 10
establish and maintain purely American standard
and she had come TO the meeting in dress which |
shs recommended as a model At the conclusion of
her remarks Mrs - stepped lightly upon her chair
and from her chair to the table where she exhibited
70 our admiring eyes the well-known Bloomer dress
with certain notifications of her own contrivance.
IT consisted of tight-ftting waist of dark !
green cloth. with skirt of the same,
tjobt-6tting trowsers of brilliant blue
and q bonnet of pink satin, trimmed with purple
flowers and of large generous pattern, sufficient
10 shield from the sun and rain, and make UNI
brea quite unnecessary. Lace mits, balmoral boots
q large gold chain over the shoulders and long crys
tal earring, completed this recherche costume, the
appearance of which Immediately reused tempest
ofconaicting approval and dsapproyal in the draw
jncroom en- led by the disapproval getting the upper
4 tfs.ff in fhp M