The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-23 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE fashion writer in the Queen says: It is
curious to notice how the return of the Prince and
Princess of Wales his quickened into life the
slackened pulse of London; and the sudden show of
all that is newest in dress and fashion during the last
ten days is a strong proof of the influence of Royalty's
presence. Amongst the many mantles especially good
two should be specially described. Goffered lace, a
rechauff6e of our ancestors' tastes, is a decided
novelty to the younger generation, and deserves their
encouragement. A sleeveless casaque, called La
Marquise, is made entirely of this goffered Chantilly
lace, with the exception of the jet gimp, which acts as
a trimming. The back and front give the effect of a
long pointed bodice; indeed, this charming covering
might equally be worn for indoor purposes, whilst,
headed by a broad band of jet, goffered lace encircles
the hips, and gives the smart appearance (if I may
say so) of a lady's "cover" jacket.

THE "Soleil," for those who do not affect these
close-fitting garments, has much to recommend it,
the arrangement of the wide watered sash, which
falls over plaited lace, having a most happy effect at
the back.

DURING this uncertain weather, which borders on
summer, and yet is scarcely spring, guipure de laine is
the most fashionable thing in summer mantles.
Chantilly lace bids fair to surpass it in favour by-and-
by; also, that although at present the shot parasols,
for whom rain brings few evils, are now used by all,
they are likely soon to be superseded by the pretty
lace structures, which look as if they owed everything
to the milliner's department. These latter certainly
grow in grace year by year, and this season they bid
fair to surpass their predecessors.

A LADY, writing in a contemporary on the subject
of summer gowns has the following: The popularity
of Bengaline or Irish poplin, shadowed forth in the
early spring, is now evident. The newest colours;
just off the looms, are cobra, which is a little less
green than the tint known last year under the name
of "serpent," and has quite a brown shade over it; a
deep prune, the exact tint of a damson; a dark
brown with a mulberry tinge, a pale pinkish lilac, a
clay red, a true blue slate, two charming shades of
fawn and three of stone, a periwinkle with a strong
dash of mauve in it, several mouse tints, watercress
green, and a very good cafe au kit; in black and
white, a speciality being that with glossy satin on one
side and plain silk poplin on the other._

Fon. afternoon and evenint wear poplin is very
much worn, chiefly by matrons. Moire is another
handsome material revived and combined very fre-
quently with either satin, velvet, or plush. There is
a slight departure in undyed silks of the Tussore and
Cara kind, and a pretty one too. These new silks
are merely the undyed fabric dotted over with tiny
patterns in satin; when made up, as they should be,
over the plain silk, the effect is remarkably good.
Brocaded Surat silks are also new, and will be well
worm. In these the ground is shot, and the brocade
of a small design in the colours of the shot. Those
in red and black, black and white, blue and gold, and
pink and brown are being made into stylish dresses;
the black and white is useful in mourning for d,eini-
toilette.

TURNING to washing matetials for bond Pe summer
wear, the French cashmere sateens, Canadian lawns,
Tussores Anglais, mimosa fibre, Pelousse Precieux,
Arabian cottons, Chene muslins, and Alpaga
Francaise, are all new and fresh looking, the last-
named being, perhaps, one of the most attractive in
appearance; it is of almost muslin texture, but a good
deal stronger, and its surface is ornamented with lines
of colour in blue, pink, cardinal, brown, moss, and a
number of other tints. Very pretty dresses are made
of it; one with a treble scarf-like tunic, each scarf
being edged with lace, arranged over a plain skirt
was fresh looking; the bodice was somewhat full and
confined round the waist by a sash of wide soft silk
tied in deep loops at the back.

SASIIES are again seen, partictdarly for young ladies
wear; they are usually tied at the back in large loose
loops, which form a sort of back drapery, and are of
soft Ottoman silk. In some instances the sashes are
only about six inches wide, and when this is the
case they fasten at the side. With the blouse
bodices affected just now, a sash or belt is indispens-
able.

IN some of the newest morning dresses of thin
cloth, the skirt drapery is gathered on over the edge
of the jacket-bodice, and opens over a plain front
panel with a kilting at foot; in others the accordeon
skirt is still adhered to, with or without a short tunic
above it. A pretty gown of check tweed is made with
a narrow kilted skirt to the waist, with full back
drapery, the bodice having four small points in front.
The " dress " over-jacket for outdoor wear is modelled
after the fashion of a gentleman's dress coat, hence
its name, and is made of plain cloth of one of the
colours used in the check of the dress. It is intended
to be worn open, showing the front of tha b.z)a ice, but
is provided with buttons to close it in damp or cold
weather. This costume is, in appearance, one of the
most stylish of this season's introductions.

Wn are indebted to the able fashion contributor to
the Lady's Pictorial for the following seasonable
items: I have just seen some of the prettiest tennis
hats any young lady can wish to wear. The shape is
slightly shady but not too much so, and though the
hats are very light, the material of which they are
made secures protection from the sun which is ex-
pected to favour us in the course of a few weeks. The
crowns are low and round and covered with very
neatly guaged nun's cloth, a piece of the same being
wound round as trimming. The most universally
becoming hats were white, lined with blue or crimson
nun's veiling, a small flap being turned up off the left
side and daintily embroidered in white with two
racquets and a ball. One hat which would suit a
dark, handsome brunette was of salmon colour out-
side, lined with rich cardinal, and the racquets on the
flap in salmon colour. But it was not everybody's hat
by any mean...

Tun various shades of grey have never been so
popular as they are this year. They have several
great advantages, for, in the, first place, with black
ribbons and trimmings, they pass for slight mourning;
and, in the second, they can be so combined with pale
blue or pink, or navy blue and myrtle green, as to
afford complete changes of costume. Of course, the
light colours must be used while the dress is fresh,
and the darker ones when it is a little passee.

YOUNG girls still wear round hats in preference to
any other kind of headgear. A young wife, of
course, wears any pretty bonnet she fancies, but an
unmarried flue does not put on a capote a brides before
she is five-and-twenty. A girl does not wear a mantle
unless it be very short; her dress is arranged without
one, or she has a pelerine or close-fitting jacket; and
women of almost all ages up to fifty wear long cloth
redingotes lined with silk in travelling or during damp
weather.