Our Behaviour/Part 4/Chapter 6

THE dress worn in public must always be suited to the special place where it is to appear. Thus, for church the material should be rich rather than showy. For the opera the extreme of brilliancy is allowable.

The dress for church should be characterized by plainness and simplicity. It should be of dark, quiet colors for winter, and there should be no superfluous trimming or jewelry. It should, in fact, be the plainest of promenade-dresses, since church is not intended as a place for the display of elaborate toilets, and as no woman of consideration and right feeling would wish to make her own expensive and showy toilet an excuse to another woman, who could not afford to dress in a similar manner, for not attending divine worship.

The ordinary promenade-dress is the suitable one for the theatre, with the addition of a handsome ​shawl or cloak, which may be thrown aside if it become uncomfortable. Either the bonnet or hat may be worn. In some cities it is customary to remove the bonnet in the theatre—a custom which is sanctioned by good sense and a kind consideration of those who sit behind, but which has not yet the authority of etiquette. The dress should be, in all respects, quiet and plain, without any attempt at display. Gloves should be dark, harmonizing with the costume.

Lecture- and concert-halls call for a little more elaboration in toilet. Silk is the most appropriate material for the dress, and should be worn with lace collar and cuffs and jewelry. If the bonnet is worn, it should be handsome; and if it is removed, the coiffure should be somewhat elaborately made, with either ribbons or flowers. White or light kid gloves should be upon the hands. A rich shawl or velvet promenade cloak or opera cloak is an appropriate finish. The latter may be kept on the shoulders during the evening. The handkerchief should be fine and delicate; the fan of a color to harmonize with the dress.

The opera calls out the richest of all costumes. The lady goes to the opera not only to see but to be seen, and her dress must be adopted with a full real ​ization of the thousand gaslights which will bring out its merits and defects, and of the hundred lorgnettes which will be no less spying.

The material of the dress should be heavy enough to bear the crush of the place, rich in color and splendid in its arrangement and trimming. The headdress should be of flowers, ribbons, lace or feathers—whatever may be the prevailing style—and the head must be uncovered. If, however, it is found necessary to have the head protected, a bonnet of the lightest, daintiest character must be adopted. If a bonnet is worn, the arms and neck must be covered.

Jewelry of the heaviest and richest description is admissible in this place, and there is no occasion when the glitter of gems will be seen to better advantage.

White kids or those of light, delicate tints are indispensable.

A most important adjunct to an opera-costume is the cloak or wrap. This may be white or of some brilliant color. White and gold, scarlet and gold, green and gold or Roman stripe are all very effective when worn with appropriate dresses. White ermine capes are beautiful when lined with white satin or colored silk and finished with heavy white cord and tassels.

Lace, either black or white, may be adopted with great advantage in an opera-dress. Pink, purple, orange and most light tints require black lace, ​while the neutral shades may be worn with either white or black.

Blue and yellow should both be avoided in an opera-dress, as neither bears the light well. Green requires gold as a contrasting color; crimson, black.

The lorgnette, the fan, the bouquet and dainty handkerchief must all have due consideration and be in keeping with the other portions of the dress. Thus a lady in pink should avoid a bouquet in which scarlet flowers predominate.

Skating is to winter what croquet is to summer, and the requirements of their costumes, in all but material, are similar. Both call for a greater brilliancy in coloring than any other out-of-door costume. They should both be short, displaying a handsomely fitting but stout boot. Both should be arranged, by the use of close-fitting sacques, to leave the arms perfectly free.

Croquet gloves should be soft and washable; skating gloves thick and warm. Kid is not suitable on either occasion.

The hat for croquet should have a broad brim, so as to shield the face from the sun and render a parasol unnecessary.

Velvet trimmed with fur, with turban hat of the same, and gloves and boots also fur bordered, combine to make the most elegant skating costume imaginable. But any of the soft, warm, bright-colored ​woolen fabrics are quite as suitable, if not so rich. A costume of Scotch plaid is in excellent taste. If cold tints, such as blue or green, are worn, they should be relieved with trimmings of warm, dark furs. Silk is not suitable for a skating costume.

White furs should only be worn by experienced skaters, for they easily become soiled by the novitiate in tumbles upon the ice.

The boot should be amply loose, or the wearer will suffer with cold or frozen feet.

We cannot pretend to write a full description of the wardrobe which the lady of fashion takes, or desires to take, with her to the country or sea-side resort. But there are general rules which apply to many things, and which all must more or less observe. Let the show wardrobe be ever so numerous, there must be a certain number of costumes suited for ordinary wear and to do more or less battle with the elements. Thus, dresses, while they may be somewhat brighter in tint than good taste would justify in the streets of a city, must yet be durable in quality and of wash material. The brim of the hat should be broad to protect the wearer from the sun. The fashion of making hats of shirred muslin is a very sensible one, as it enables them to be done up when they are soiled. The boots must be stout and serviceable. A waterproof is an indispensable article to the sojourner at country resorts.

A bathing-dress is best made of flannel. A soft gray tint is the prettiest, as it does not so soon fade and grow ugly from contact with the salt water. 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 the ankle. Full trowsers gathered into a band at the ankle, an oilskin cap to protect the hair, which becomes harsh in the salt water, and merino socks of the color of the dress complete the costume.

Any other material than flannel becomes limp and unsightly after being worn for a short time.