Fashion.
For the benefit of our lady friends, we give a little gossip about the fashions for January in New York and
Philadelphia:
A favorite dinner dress is of violet Irish poplin, trimmed with blase bands of white poplin, arranged to simulate an overskirt.
The coiffure is of
point applique lace and violet velvet.
The hair is rolled from the face and caught up in a waterfall at the back.
This is an admired home dress:
Ruby reps, trimmed with velvet buttons and ruby silk cord.
The hair is crimped and arranged in a loose coil at the back.
The coiffure consists of a band of ruby velvet studded with jet beads, and tied at the back with a ruby chenille cord.
Also an evening dress, rather flashy than elegant, of white
crepe puffed over silk.
The cuffs are confined by bands of scarlet velvet edged with black lace.
The overskirt of
crepe is bordered by scarlet velvet and black lace, and festooned up very high on the left side by a bunch of white flowers and loops of scarlet velvet.
The corsage is of scarlet velvet, trimmed with buttons and black lace.
Folds of
crepe are laid above the corsage, and about the
crepe is a fulling tulle drawn closely to the neck, and trimmed with pearl beads.
Bunches of flowers and loops of velvet ribbon ornament the sleeves.
The hair is rolled from the face, and arranged in a loose waterfall at the back.
The coiffure is formed of bandeaux of scarlet velvet, caught at the side by a tuft of flowers and loops of velvet ribbon.
The genuine Empire bonnet is so very peculiar in shape that only a tall, stylish-looking person could wear it to advantage.
Imagine a flat, square crown, with small front and long gipsy ears tying behind underneath the water-fall.
A band of ribbon fastened on top passes down and ties under the chin, pressing the bonnet so closely to the face that side trimmings are entirely suppressed.
Gilt chains on velvet, a rich ornament, or a few flowers, are placed over the forehead.
In the hand these bonnets are decidedly ugly, but when "well worn" they are quite
distingue. It is not incumbent upon every one to wear these exaggerated styles, as there are several very pretty modifications of the
Empire bonnet. --All are exceedingly small, with raised, soft crowns, or else a perfectly flat crown, and a small, tightly-covered cape, or band set up rather high on the crown.
The principal feature in the new bonnets is the veil, which has now become the all-important item both for bonnets and hats.
It is of unhemmed
black or
white illusion, spangled with gold, figured net,
crepe lisse, or else the regular made veil.
It is either caught on the side of the bonnet by a fancy ornament, or is fastened just over the crown.
The length varies from three-quarters of a yard to one yard.
It was thought that waterfalls would disappear when the
Empire bonnet was introduced.
Such, however, is not the case.
The bonnets are so short in the crown as to positively require a
chignon of some kind.
Though the waterfall is still popular, the thick coil is fast gaining favor.
It it is a noticeable feature that metal ornaments are introduced into the
toilette wherever it can possibly be done.
Flower
head-dresses have, in a great measure, given place to antique-looking bandeaux of gilt, steel or silver, either plain, engraved or filigreed.
Some are ornamented with a richly-enamelled butterfly, poised on a fine wire, in the centre.
The newest boots for young ladies are of lasting, laced up in front over a tongue of colored silk, which can be changed at pleasure to suit the dress.
A small rosette of velvet, matching the tongue in color, is worn on the toe of the boot.
This rosette on the toe must be very ugly, utterly destroying the outline of the foot.
The fashions of New York and
Philadelphia are not pretty.
There is an air of over-trimming, vulgar glitter, and an all-pervading flavor of shoddy and petroleum.
We have given the fashions, but we entreat the ladies of
Richmond not to wear them.
The material points of this article are from the
Ladies' Book for January, a copy of which the enterprising news dealers,
Messrs. Cole &
Turner, laid upon our table several days since.
