The Sumter Banner

New York Spring Fashions.

The Ladies of New York have been some time on the qui vive, with regard to the spring fashions, and their anxieties were relieved by the notices that appeared in the Herald of this week, that on Thursday their friends the milliners would be prepared to satisfy their curiosity. The day being thus named, visiting parties were made up among the ladies, and, on the part of the milliners, there has been the greatest display of energy to honor them with a visit. On the part of both, expectations were wrought up to the highest pitch. But, alas! they were doomed to disappointment.

The day, the great day, was most inauspicious, being chilly and windy. To enhance the discomforts, the Street Commissioner, failing in politeness to the fair sex, had made no arrangements for having the thoroughfares cleaned, and the consequences of such neglect may be easily conceived—the dust rolled up before the wind in clouds; at the corners of different streets, particularly, the pedestrians had sore trials, for their clothes were covered and their eyes became filled with dust. The ladies wisely forebore venturing out under such circumstances. A few, however, who were unable to restrain their anxiety to see the fashions, satisfied their curiosity, without being inconvenienced with the dust, by the help of carriages, snugly ensconced in which they bade defiance to the weather.

Thus, in the neighborhood of those stores in Broadway, Canal, and contiguous streets, which had been advertised as containing the fashions, lines of vehicles were stationed all day, and, as some drove off with their occupants, others drew up.

The show rooms of the advertised stores presented a truly gay appearance. There were displays of bonnets, caps, hats, and mantillas, of more colors than the rainbow, and the eyes of the visitors knew not on which to rest, nor which to admire the most. The gaiety of the scenes was enhanced by the bustling about of the milliners, and the pleasure and delight which were displayed on the faces of the elegantly dressed ladies, who were surveying the different articles, and ever and anon examining with unalloyed gratification a hat that had particularly struck their fancy.

The prevailing fashions were hats with trimmings on the ribbons, embroidered capes trimmed with ribbons, deep fronts, close crowns. Straw bonnets were in abundance and were trimmed more than usual. Leghorn were adorned with feathers; others were trimmed with flowers and feathers; crape bonnets had many flowers outside, and were expensively trimmed with white flowers; green silk bonnets trimmed with lilac. Very few green bonnets with feathers. French hats, trimmed with ribbons and flowers, which, it is supposed will be very much worn, as also a light and dark shade of linen hat. Lilac trimmed with white blond and flowers. Black veils will generally prevail. The hats generally were made with falling crowns, rising at the top, close at the ears, and principally ribbon bonnets, very thin and gossamer like. Many hats, with wreaths all around and ornamented with gold ribbons, particularly in the case of straw bonnets, the effect of which will be considerably heightened.

The mourning fashions consist of rich mourning millinery mantles, chemisettes, habits and rich flowers. The bonnets are full, and there are very few with cap crowns. There were of thin lace and straw.

The mantles have points and ruffles. Mantles are, generally, of the yoke Talma shape, and of various colors, suitable to the dresses of the wearers.

Such are the spring fashions.—N. Y. Herald.