Our Behaviour/Part 4/Chapter 4

A LADY who wishes to maintain a reputation for always being well dressed will be scrupulous in suiting her toilet to the special occasion for which it is worn. She will not appear on foot upon the streets in a dress suited only for the carriage, nor will she either walk or drive in a costume appropriate alone for the house.

The dress for a drive through the streets of a city or along a fashionable drive or park can scarcely be too rich in material. Silks, velvets and laces are all appropriate, with rich jewelry and costly furs.

The carriage-dress may be long enough to trail if fashion so indicates, though many prefer to use the short walking-dress length.

For country driving a different style of dress is required to protect against the mud or dust. It seems hardly necessary to describe the dress suitable for country driving, for each lady is capable of selecting for herself, bearing in mind that the dress is worn for protection and not for mere show.

​If the lady drives herself, she will require wash-leather or cloth gloves, for handling the reins will ruin kid or thread ones.

There is no place where a handsome woman appears to better advantage than upon horseback. We will take it for granted that our lady has acquired properly the art of riding. Next she must be provided with a becoming habit. Her habit must fit perfectly without being tight. The skirt must be full and long enough to well cover the feet, while it is best to omit the extreme length, which subjects the dress to mud-spatterings and may prove a serious entanglement to the feet in case of accident.

A lady in donning the riding costume must take off all skirts and put on drawers of the same material as her habit. The boots must be stout and the gloves gauntleted.

Waterproof is the most serviceable cloth for a riding costume, though broadcloth is more dressy. Something lighter may be worn in summer. In the lighter costume a row or two of shot must be stitched in the bottom of the breadths of the left side to keep the skirt from blowing up in the wind.

The riding-dress is usually made to fit the waist closely and button nearly to the throat. Above a small collar or reverse on the waist is shown a plain linen collar, fastened at the throat with bright or black necktie. Coat sleeves should come to the ​wrist, with linen cuffs beneath them. No lace or embroidery is allowable in a riding costume.

It is well to have the waist attached to a skirt of the usual length and the long skirt fastened over it, so that if any mishap obliges the lady to dismount she may easily remove the long overskirt and still be properly dressed.

The hair must be put up compactly, and neither curls nor veil should be allowed to stream in the wind. No jewelry save that absolutely required to fasten the dress, and that of the plainest kind, is allowable.

All ruffling, puffing or bows in the trimming of a riding-dress is out of place. Trimming, if used at all, must be put on in perfectly flat bands or be of braiding.

The shape of the hat will vary with the fashion, but it should always be plainly trimmed; and if feathers are worn, they must be fastened so that the wind cannot by any possibility blow them over their wearer's eyes.

Calls may be made in either walking- or carriage-dress, always provided the carriage-dress is justified by the presence of the carriage itself. The dress should be of silk, with velvet cloak in winter and lace one in summer; collar and cuffs of the finest lace, light gloves, a full-dress bonnet and jewelry of gold, either dead, burnished or enameled, or of ​cameo or coral. Glittering stones are not worn by daylight.

A dress of black or neutral tint in which light colors are introduced only in small quantities is the most appropriate for a morning call, and the only one sure to be in harmony with the furniture and surroundings of the different reception-rooms against which it must be displayed.

{{ph|Dress for Receiving Calls.

The dress of a hostess differs with the occasion on which she is called to receive her guests, and also with the social position and means of the wearer.

A lady whose mornings are devoted to superintendence of domestic affairs may and should receive a casual caller in her ordinary morning-dress, which must be neat yet plain, devoid of superfluous ornaments or jewelry.

If a lady sets aside a special day for the reception of calls, she must be dressed with more care to do honor to her visitors. Her dress may be of silk or other goods suitable to the season or to her position, but must be of quiet colors and plainly worn.

White plain linen collar and cuffs belong to the plain morning-dress; lace should be worn with the ceremonious dress, and a certain amount of jewelry is also admissible.

For New Year's or other calls of special significance the dress should be rich, and may be elabor​ately trimmed. If the parlors are closed and the gas lighted, full evening-dress is required.

We do not in this country, as in England, expose the neck and arms at a dinner-party. These should be covered, if not by the dress itself, then by lace or muslin overwaist or cape and sleeves.

The hostess' dress should be rich in material, but subdued in tone, in order that she may not eclipse any of her guests. A young hostess should wear a dress of rich silk, black or dark in color, with collar and cuffs of fine lace, and plain jewelry by daylight, or, if the dinner is by gaslight, glittering stones.

An elderly lady may wear satin, moire antique or velvet, with rich lace. If gloves are worn before dinner, they are withdrawn at the dinner-table.

The dress of a guest at a dinner-party is less showy than that for evening; still, it may be very rich. Silks and velvets for winter and light, rich goods for summer, which latter may be worn over silk, are the most appropriate.

Young unmarried ladies should wear dresses of lighter materials and tints than married ones. Middle-aged and married ladies should wear silks heavier ​in quality and richer in tone, and elderly ladies satins, velvets and moire antiques.

All the light neutral tints and black, dark blue, purple, dark green, garnet, brown and fawn are suited for dinner wear. But whatever color the dress may be, it is best to try its effect by daylight and gaslight both, since many a color which will look well in daylight may look extremely ugly in artificial light.