Our Behaviour/Part 4/Chapter 5

CHAPTER V.

EVENING COSTUMES.

NO matter how richly or well dressed a lady may appear in public, she can lay no claim to delicacy and refinement if she do not give an equal amount of thought and attention to her home-dress. This dress need not be so expensive and should not be so elaborate, but it should be neat, tasteful, of perfect fit and of becoming colors.

Ordinary Evening-dress.

A lady should always be prepared for casual visitors in the evening. The house-dress should be tasteful and becoming, made with a certain amount of ornament and worn with lace and 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 should be worn at the throat and in the hair. The latter should be dressed plainly, with no ornament save a ribbon. Artificial flowers are out of place, and glittering gems are only worn on more important occasions.

Dress for Evening Call.

Those who pay a casual evening call will dress in similar style, though somewhat more elaborately. More pains may be taken with the coiffure. A hood should not be worn unless it is intended to remove it during the call. Otherwise a full-dress bonnet must be upon the head.

Dress for Social Party.

For the social evening-party the rules just given regarding dress will apply, save that somewhat more latitude is allowed in the choice of colors, material, trimmings, etc. Dresses should be worn covering the arms and shoulders; or if they are 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.

Dark silks are very dressy—relieved by white lace and glittering gems are admirable. Gloves may or may not be worn. If worn, they should be white or of some light tint harmonizing with the dress.

The Soiree and Ball.

These two occasions call for the richest dress. The former usually requires dark, rich colors and heavy material, the latter far lighter tints and goods. The richest velvets, the brightest and most delicate tints in silk, the most expensive laces, low neck and short sleeves, elaborate coiffures, the greatest display of gems, artificial flowers for the headdress, bouquet de corsage and ornaments upon the skirt, natural ones in the hand bouquet,—all belong more or less to these occasions.

Still, it is possible to be over-dressed. It is best to aim at being as well dressed as the rest, yet not to outdo others or render one's self conspicuous. A lady must also consider her years, her means, the importance of the occasion, her complexion, size and general costume in selecting for herself a dress for ball-room or soiree.

The colors of an evening-dress should always be tried by gaslight, for some tints which are beautiful by daylight lose all their character when worn in the evening, and look faded and hideous.

White kid gloves and white satin boots always belong to these costumes unless the overdress is of black lace, when black satin boots or slippers are required.

It is impossible to give any special directions concerning these dresses, as fashion is so constantly changing; and that style which is acceptable one season is entirely out of date another.