Our Deportment Part 41

The material for a walking suit may be either rich or plain to suit the taste and means of the wearer. It should always be well made and never appear shabby. Bright colors appear best only as tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. Black has generally been adopted for street dresses as the most becoming. For the country, walking dresses are made tasteful, solid and strong, more for service than display, and what would be perfectly appropriate for the streets of a city would be entirely out of place on the muddy, unpaved walks of a small town or in a country neighborhood. The walking or promenade dress is always made short enough to clear the ground. Thick boots are worn with the walking suit.

DRESS FOR LADIES OF BUSINESS.

For women who are engaged in some daily employment such as teachers, saleswomen and those who are occupied in literature, art or business of some sort, the dress should be somewhat different from the ordinary walking costume. Its material should be more serviceable, better fitted to endure the vicissitudes of the weather, and of quiet colors, such as brown or gray, and not easily soiled. While the costume should not be of the simplest nature, it should dispense with all superfluities in the way of tr.i.m.m.i.n.g. It should be made with special reference to a free use of the arms, and to easy locomotion. Linen cuffs and collars are best suited to this kind of dress, gloves which can be easily removed, street walking boots, and for jewelry, plain cuff-b.u.t.tons, brooch and watch chain. The hat or bonnet should be neat and tasty, with but few flowers or feathers. For winter wear, waterproof, tastefully made up, is the best material for a business woman's outer garment.

ORDINARY EVENING DRESS.

The ordinary evening house dress should be tasteful and becoming, with a certain amount of ornament, and worn with jewelry. Silks are the most appropriate for this dress, but all the heavy woolen dress fabrics for winter, and the lighter lawns and organdies for summer, elegantly made, are suitable. For winter, the colors should be rich and warm, and knots of bright ribbon of a becoming color, should be worn at the throat and in the hair. The latter should be plainly dressed. Artificial flowers and diamonds are out of place. This is both a suitable dress in which to receive or make a casual evening call. If a hood is worn, it must be removed during the call. Otherwise a full dress bonnet must be worn.

DRESS FOR SOCIAL PARTY.

For the social evening party, more lat.i.tude is allowed in the choice of colors, material, tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, etc., than for the ordinary evening dress.

Dresses should cover the arms and shoulder; but if cut low in the neck, and with short sleeves, puffed illusion waists or some similar device should be employed to cover the neck and arms. Gloves may or may not be worn, but if they are they should be of some light color.

DRESS FOR CHURCH.

The dress for church should be plain, of dark, quiet colors, with no superfluous tr.i.m.m.i.n.g or jewelry. It should, in fact, be the plainest of promenade dresses, as church is not the place for display of fine clothes.

THE DRESS FOR THE THEATRE.

The promenade dress with the addition of a handsome cloak or shawl, which may be thrown aside if it is uncomfortable, is suitable for a theatre. The dress should be quiet and plain without any attempt at display. Either a bonnet or hat may be worn. Gloves should be dark, harmonizing with the dress.

DRESS FOR LECTURE AND CONCERT.

For the lecture or concert, silk is an appropriate dress, and should be worn with lace collars and cuffs and jewelry. A rich shawl or velvet promenade cloak, or opera cloak for a concert is an appropriate outer garment. The latter may or may not be kept on the shoulders during the evening. White or light kid gloves should be worn.

CROQUET, ARCHERY AND SKATING COSTUMES.

Croquet and archery costumes may be similar, and they admit of more brilliancy in coloring than any of the out-of-door costumes. They should be short, displaying a handsomely fitting but stout boot, and should be so arranged as to leave the arms perfectly free. The gloves should be soft and washable. Kid is not suitable for either occasion. The hat should have a broad brim, so as to shield the face from the sun, and render a parasol unnecessary. The tr.i.m.m.i.n.g for archery costumes is usually of green.

An elegant skating costume may be of velvet, trimmed with fur, with fur bordered gloves and boots. Any of the warm, bright colored wool fabrics, however, are suitable for the dress. If blue or green are worn, they should be relieved with tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs of dark furs. Silk is not suitable for skating costume. To avoid suffering from cold feet, the boot should be amply loose.

BATHING COSTUME.

Flannel is the best material for a bathing costume, and gray is regarded as the most suitable color. It may be trimmed with bright worsted braid.

The best form is the loose sacque, or the yoke waist, both of them to be belted in, and falling about midway between the knee and ankle; an oilskin cap to protect the hair from the water, and merino socks to match the dress, complete the costume.

TRAVELING DRESS.

Comfort and protection from dust and dirt are the requirements of a traveling dress. When a lady is about making an extensive journey, a traveling suit is a great convenience, but for a short journey, a large linen overdress or duster may be put on over the ordinary dress in summer, and in winter a waterproof cloak may be used in the same way.

For traveling costumes a variety of materials may be used, of soft, neutral tints, and smooth surface which does not retain the dust. These should be made up plainly and quite short. The underskirts should be colored, woolen in winter and linen in summer. The hat or bonnet must be plainly trimmed and completely protected by a large veil. Velvet is unfit for a traveling hat, as it catches and retains the dust; collars and cuffs of plain linen. The hair should be put up in the plainest manner. A waterproof and warm woolen shawl are indispensible, and may be rolled in a shawl strap when not needed. A satchel should be carried, in which may be kept a change of collars, cuffs, gloves, handkerchiefs, toilet articles, and towels. A traveling dress should be well supplied with pockets. The waterproof should have large pockets, and there should be one in the underskirt in which to carry such money and valuables as are not needed for immediate use.

THE WEDDING DRESS.

A full bridal costume should be white from head to foot. The dress may be of silk, heavily corded, moire antique, satin or plain silk, merino, alpaca, c.r.a.pe, lawn or muslin. The veil may be of lace, tulle or illusion, but it must be long and full. It may or may not descend over the face. Orange blossoms or other white flowers and maiden blush roses should form the bridal wreath and bouquet. The dress is high and the arms covered. Slippers of white satin and white kid gloves complete the dress.

The dress of the bridegroom and ushers is given in the chapter treating of the etiquette of weddings.

DRESS OF BRIDEMAIDS.

The dresses of bridemaids are not so elaborate as that of the bride.

They should also be of white, but may be trimmed with delicately colored flowers and ribbons. White tulle, worn over pale pink or blue silk and caught up with blush roses or forget-me-nots, with _bouquet de corsage_ and hand bouquet of the same, makes a beautiful costume for the bridemaids. The latter, may or may not, wear veils, but if they do, they should be shorter than that of the bride.

TRAVELING DRESS OF A BRIDE.

This should be of silk, or any of the fine fabrics for walking dresses; should be of some neutral tint; and bonnet and gloves should match in color. It may be more elaborately trimmed than an ordinary traveling dress, but if the bride wishes to attract as little attention as possible, she will not make herself conspicuous by a too showy dress. In private weddings the bride is sometimes married in traveling costume, and the bridal pair at once set out upon their journey.

DRESS AT WEDDING RECEPTIONS.

At wedding receptions in the evening, guests should wear full evening dress. No one should attend in black or mourning dress, which should give place to grey or lavender. At a morning reception of the wedded couple, guests should wear the richest street costume with white gloves.

MOURNING.

The people of the United States have settled upon no prescribed periods for the wearing of mourning garments. Some wear them long after their hearts have ceased to mourn. Where there is profound grief, no rules are needed, but where the sorrow is not so great, there is need of observance of fixed periods for wearing mourning.

Deep mourning requires the heaviest black of serge, bombazine, l.u.s.treless alpaca, delaine, merino or similar heavily clinging material, with collar and cuffs of c.r.a.pe. Mourning garments should have little or no tr.i.m.m.i.n.g; no flounces, ruffles or bows are allowable. If the dress is not made _en suite_, then a long or square shawl of barege or cashmere with c.r.a.pe border is worn. The bonnet is of black c.r.a.pe; a hat is inadmissible. The veil is of c.r.a.pe or barege with heavy border; black gloves and black-bordered handkerchief. In winter dark furs may be worn with the deepest mourning. Jewelry is strictly forbidden, and all pins, buckles, etc., must be of jet. l.u.s.treless alpaca and black silk trimmed with c.r.a.pe may be worn in second mourning, with white collars and cuffs.

The c.r.a.pe veil is laid aside for net or tulle, but the jet jewelry is still retained. A still less degree of mourning is indicated by black and white, purple and gray, or a combination of these colors. c.r.a.pe is still retained in bonnet tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, and c.r.a.pe flowers may be added. Light gray, white and black, and light shades of lilac, indicate a slight mourning. Black lace bonnet, with white or violet flowers, supercedes c.r.a.pe, and jet and gold jewelry is worn.

PERIODS OF WEARING MOURNING.

The following rules have been given by an authority competent to speak on these matters regarding the degree of mourning and the length of time it should be worn:

"The deepest mourning is that worn by a widow for her husband. It is worn two years, sometimes longer. Widow's mourning for the first year consists of solid black woolen goods, collar and cuffs of folded untrimmed c.r.a.pe, a simple c.r.a.pe bonnet, and a long, thick, black c.r.a.pe veil. The second year, silk trimmed with c.r.a.pe, black lace collar and cuffs, and a shorter veil may be worn, and in the last six months gray, violet and white are permitted. A widow should wear the hair perfectly plain if she does not wear a cap, and should always wear a bonnet, never a hat.

"The mourning for a father or mother is worn for one year. The first six months the proper dress is of solid black woolen goods trimmed with c.r.a.pe, black c.r.a.pe bonnet with black c.r.a.pe facings and black strings, black c.r.a.pe veil, collar and cuffs of black c.r.a.pe. Three months, black silk with c.r.a.pe tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, white or black lace collar and cuffs, veil of tulle and white bonnet-facings; and the last three months in gray, purple and violet. Mourning worn for a child is the same as that worn for a parent.

"Mourning for a grandparent is worn for six months, three months black woolen goods, white collar and cuffs, short c.r.a.pe veil and bonnet of c.r.a.pe trimmed with black silk or ribbon; six weeks in black silk trimmed with c.r.a.pe, lace collar and cuffs, short tulle veil; and six weeks in gray, purple, white and violet.

"Mourning worn for a friend who leaves you an inheritance, is the same as that worn for a grandparent.

"Mourning for a brother or sister is worn six months, two months in solid black trimmed with c.r.a.pe, white linen collar and cuffs, bonnet of black with white facing and black strings; two months in black silk, with white lace collar and cuffs; and two months in gray, purple, white and violet.

"Mourning for an uncle or aunt is worn for three months, and is the second mourning named above, tulle, white linen and white bonnet facings being worn at once. For a nephew or niece, the same is worn for the same length of time.