Kitabı oku: «Harper's New Monthly Magazine. No. XVI.—September, 1851—Vol. III», sayfa 29
"Englaund, the players' stage of gorgeous attyre, the ape of all nations' superfluities, the continuall masquer in outlandish habilements, great plenty-scanting calamities art thou to await, for wanton disguising thyself against kind, and digressing from the plainnesse of thine Auncesters; scandalous and shamefull is it, that not anie in thee (Fishermen and husbandmen set aside) but lyve above their ability and birth; that the outward habite (which in other countries is the only distinction of honour), shoulde yeelde in thee no difference of persons: that all thy auncient Nobilitie, (almost,) with this gorgeous prodigalitie, should be devoured and eaten uppe, and up-starts inhabite their stately Pallaces, who from farre have fetcht in this vanitie of pride to entrappe and to spoyle them. Those of thy people that in all other things are miserable, on their apparaile will be prodigal. No Lande can so unfallibly experience this proverbe, The hoode makes not the Moncke as thou: for Tailers, serving-men, Make-shifts, and Gentlemen in thee are confounded. For the compassment of bravery we hear theye will robbe, steale, cozen, cheate, betray their owne Fathers, sweare and forsweare, or doe any thing. Take away braverie, you kill the hart of lust and incontinencie. Wherefore doe men make themselves brave, but to riot and to revell? Looke after what state theyr apparaile is, that state they take to them and carry, and after a little accustoming to that carriage, persuade themselves they are such indeede."
There is that in the following brief social homily which renders it worthy of a better preservation than an inscription upon an unappropriated slip of paper in the "Drawer: " "There is no better evidence of ill-breeding than the practice of interrupting another in conversation while speaking, or commencing a remark before another has fully closed. No well-bred person ever does it, nor continues conversation long with a person who does do it. The latter often finds an interesting conversation abruptly waived, closed, or declined by the former, without even suspecting the cause. A well-bred person will not even interrupt one who is in all respects greatly his inferior. If you wish to judge the good-breeding of a person with whom you are but little acquainted, observe him, or her, strictly in this respect, and you will not be deceived. However intelligent, fluent, or easy one may appear, this practice proves the absence of true politeness. It is often amusing to see persons, priding themselves on the gentility of their manners, and putting forth all their efforts to appear to advantage in many other respects, so readily betray all in this particular."
Fashions for September
The warm weather, which generally continues until the middle of this month, makes a change in the materials for dresses quite unnecessary, and we report some slight novelties in mode rather than change in fabrics.
The figure on the left, in the above illustration, exhibits an elegant style of Walking Toilette. – Silk drawn bonnet. The poke is made on a whalebone skeleton. Crown reclining, trimmed with a silk fanchon, edged with two ruchès, one blue, the other same color as the silk. A similar double ruchè runs along the edge of the poke and curtain. This last is very full. On one side are small bunches of forget-me-nots, with a little foliage. The ribbons or edges are worked in festoons. Dress and mantelet of plain silk with band à disposition trimmed with fringed ribbon. The scarf-mantelet is low on the neck; it is cut with a point, and the part of the top which folds like a shawl falls over the other, from the front, and behind is continued in a point following the shape of the lower part. The band is clouded with blue and green on nut-color, and is detached from the ground by a narrow white fillet; below there is a plain part which forms a hem, under which are sewed fringed ribbons of the same color as the stuff, the threads being alternately an inch of blue and an inch of green. The fringe of the shawl part is from 6 to 7 inches deep at top, that at bottom from 9 to 10 inches. The body is open, and there is a chiné, or clouded band, about an inch from the edge. The skirt has two tucks along each of which runs a clouded band with a hem of about an inch, and a deep fringe. The upper one reaches to within 1½ inch of the band at bottom. Therefore, if the skirt is 44 inches deep, there are 10 of fringe, 8 of interval, 10 more of fringe, and the rest forms the band and the top of the skirt. The collar is composed of three rows of lace turned down, and the front of the habit-shirt is formed of three rows of beautiful lace, having the appearance of a very full triple shirt frill.
The other figure, on the right, shows a beautiful style of Home Toilette. – The hair is arranged in waved bands, short and puffed. A cambric chemisette with small plaits, a raised collar of two frills very finely plaited, and edged with a very narrow valenciennes. Sleeves half-large, of cambric, plaited small; and ending in a stitched wrist-band with two plaited trimmings, and narrow valenciennes, like the collar. Waistcoat body of white quilting, open in front; the collar, which turns down, is narrow, rounded at the corner, and is continued in a little lapel like a man's waistcoat. The lappets are not sewed on at the waist; they are formed by the hollowing of the seams; the front lappet opens and rounds off on the hip. Behind, it is continued square, with an opening at each seam. The sleeves have an elbow, and a cuff turned up, with the corners rounded off. There is a small pocket on each of the front lappets. The buttons are coral. All the edges of this garment have a double row of stitches. The skirt is made of Scotch poplin.
There is a greater variety in the style of bonnets than in dresses. Among the most elegant are a drawn bonnet of white lace, hair, and straw, mounted on a net foundation, with a small poke formed by bouillons of white gros de Naples, placed cross-wise, and separated from each other, by an extremely narrow straw ornament. These bouillons spread between two spaces of straw lace, half an inch wide, one of which forms the edge of the poke, and the other comes at the bottom of the crown. The curtain is very deep, of the same lace, surmounted by a band of silk. Inside are two small bunches of field-flowers, mixed with blades of grass. Another bonnet is composed of cross-pieces of lisse crape, laid flat in contrary directions, and trimmed with three deep blonds, placed according to fancy. The edge is open-work blond. At the bottom of each cross-piece is a roll of shot silk, intended to give relief. Trimmed on the side with a cabbage rose, or marabouts; the curtain, crape and blond. A novel style of drawn bonnet for mourning, is composed of half ornaments of black and white hair, and half narrow flounces of rose-leaf, small-striped ribbons. Each of them is zebraed with three small pink stripes of equal width; but the ribbons are so matched, that these stripes gradually increase in width, and form a very pleasing diversity. Figure 2 represents a very pretty style. The poke of the bonnet of rice-straw, having at the edge in front one row of about an inch wide, and continued, without being cut, along the bottom of the curtain, which is very large and wholly of rice-straw. The crown forms three divisions. Those of the two sides, arranged in the shape of a ram's horns, are composed of three bouillonnés, separated by narrow rows about a quarter of an inch. These bouillonnés, beginning at top, form on each side a kind of semi-circle. The top of the crown between these two parts is formed of nineteen or twenty flat plaits of silk, separated from each other by a narrow row of rice-straw. On the side of the bonnet is a branch of a rose-tree with buds and leaves, which begins wide at bottom and gets narrower up the poke. Inside, ribbons and flowers.
Figure 3 represents a pretty style of head-dress for a home toilette. The hair is disposed in bandeaux, and tied low behind. The head-dress is composed of tufts of silk ribbons, and bunches of velvet bows. These ribbons are mounted on elastic springs, which hold them well on the head.
Chemisettes and habit-shirts form a part of almost every costume, and when arranged with taste, are very elegant. They are of almost every variety of pattern, and some of them, trimmed with fine lace, are very costly. Our engraving represents a very neat pattern, and quite simple. It is made of the usual material, and trimmed with two rows of festooned bands with insertions to match.
Scarfs are beginning to be quite fashionable. Owing to long disuse, they possess the charm of novelty. The mantelets have, for some time, been approaching in form the scarf of former days, and this graceful portion of a full dress, will doubtless soon be in general vogue.
Waistcoats, too, are gaining favor, and their style very nearly resembles those worn by gentlemen. In fact, the ladies seem determined to reduce the volume of their dresses. This is manifested abroad by the prevailing taste for close fitting jackets, and at home by the general favor in which the "Bloomers" are held. There are signs of radical changes in costume, which neither sneers, caricatures, or serious opposition, can prevent. Health and good taste demand a reform, and common sense will doubtless second the demand with powerful effect.
