Year: 1872

The New Costume and tta Trim


mings-AprOpOs of Dolly Herself.
From the Philadelphia LEDGER


Every now and then whim seizes the
public and takes possession of people s
senses, though why or wherefore, it
would be hard to say, but when once it
has got fair hold, it has to be humored
until it is worn out or supplanted by
some other novelty At the present mo-
ment the name which predominates ev-
erywhere, which is advertised in the pa
pers, posted ON the walls in bills in large
block type, stuck up in the windows of
dry goods stores, and heard in every
body's mouth is that Of Dolly Warden;
the sprightly, eoquettish heroine Of
Dickens historical novel, Barnaby
Rudge." But the novel was written
thirty years ago, and there seems to be
no apparent reason why the London
locksmith' s pretty darnhter should all Of
sudden start out into popularity great
er than she enjoyed when she was first
introduced to the world. She was then
made the subject of many picture, and
the celebrated artist, Maclise, at the sug-
gestion and under the guidance of his
friend, Dickens, painted what may be
called a portrait of her, if there
can be such thing as the portrait of an
imaginary character. 1t was, how
ever, a realization on canvas Of the
conception of the author, and it has
given to her the bodily form and the
costom by which she will henceforth be
identified. just as we form but one con-
ception now of Uncle Toby and the
Widow Wadman, or of Sir Roger de Cow
erley and the spectator, or of Mr.. Pick
wick and Sam Weller, in consequence of
our familiarity with the celebrated pic
lures and illustrations in which they are
represented, so will our notion of Dolly
Warden be limited to that of the artist
combined with the description which
Dickens has given of her. In this she
appears in cherry-colored hood and
cloak and a hat trimmed with cherry
colored ribbons, etc. But graceful and
attractive as she is, there is nothing in
common between her and the young
ladies of the present day, who have
their own peculiar grace and attractive
ness. She lived and heurished while
our war of independence was going on,
and in which her lover lost an arm. To
find any one who would resembler her,
we should have to 60 back to our great.
grandmothers; and herein is a partial
mystery of the Dolly Warden Juror.
Some one-in all probability an enter
prising dressmaker--started the notion
that one of the most striking novel
ties in the way of costume for
ladies would be revival Of the
antiuuated lowered chintz overskirts
worn by English ladies in the
middle of the last century, and it has
been as successful hit as any that has
been made for some time. Accord
ingly, loW-bodied dress, with skirts well
looped up, sleeves tight to the elbows,
and then suddenly assuming the dimen-
sions OF sacks, leaving the portion OF the
arm below the elbow bare, is to be the
costume Of the season, at home, 1t is to
be hoped, for it would scarcely do for
walking or riding in, without some modi-
fcation. And patterns Of every hue
and every variety Of sprig and flower
are displayed in the store windows, TO
the 10 little anxiety Of paterfamilias,
who begins to wonder what sort OF ap-
poarance his woman folk are geing TO
assume when they step forth out of the
hands OF the modiste, with their straw
hats looped on one side. a Ia Dolly, and
their lowered skirts looped up on both
sides, displaying the scarlet or brown
under garment, in which our great grand
mothers delighted, and which they wore
short, so as to display the open clocks
Of their red stockings, and the shining
silver buckles Of their hlgh-heeled