The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-03 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

DESPITE the fact that many fashionable arrange-
ments are still kept in abeyance by the continuance of
public mourning, there are not wanting signs of
vivacity in those circles which are known by the
general term "Society." The continuance of bright
weather has conduced to this result, and many bright
cpstumes have made their appearance. To those who
are about to make choice of materials for present
wear, the following extracts from the Queen, will be of
interest: The new zephyr cloth, both striped and
spotted, makes a charming gown for morning wear,
combined with plain material, and trimmed with
Russian lace of scarlet and blue thread, with fawn or
creamy white. Some of navy blue, with well raised
spots of rose colour or pale blue, are attractive look-
ing, and are used as polonaises over petticoats of the
plain zephyr cloth, edged with a series of narrow and
parti-coloured kiltings, which also trim the round
basque of the bodice, and border the waistcoat of
spotted material, with jabot of gathered lace.

THE mixture of navy blue and red, blue of two
shades or crimson, with every shade of mushroom or
vert-de-gris are all the height of fashion and good
taste, and the numerous tints of bege look particularly
well in zephyr cloth and ther kindred stuffs
embroidered, in small designs in red and blue, and
trimmed with Russian lace. A pretty costume of this
colour had a plaited skirt of a deep shade; the folds
were rather wide, and each was cut slantwise at the
edge like the teeth of a gigantic saw, and bordered
with coloured lace. Wow these folds was a flounce
of red and blue zephyr Joth made in alternate
"accordion" kilts, about six inches in width, and,
maybe, the same in depth. The upper part of the
skirt was of a lighter shade of cloth, embroidered all
over with a design of tiny feathers worked in blue and
red, and bordered with Russian lace. It formed a
sharp-pointed apron front, artistically folded, and
at the sides were short festoons, which mingled
with the drapery at the back, arranged as a
half-spread fan. The gathered bodice was of
the embroidered material also; it had the round
basque, cut in teeth, and edged with lace, which fell
over an " accordian " kilting cloth of the deeper shade.
The sleeves were raised slightly on the shoulder& but
were otherwise plain, with cuffs of gathered lace,
which also surrounded the neck. On the right shoul-
der was a twisted knot of satin ribbon, red and blue,
which was carried across the chest like a military
sash to the left hip, where it was again knotted, and
fell in two unequal loops. The outer edge of this
sash was trimmed with narrow lace, and its effect was
novel, and decidedly uncommon. The costume was
completed by a jocky-shaped toque of !Age lace, with
peak of blue satin bordered with gold, and adorned
with a red rosette.

THE lighter make of woollen materials intended foi
present wear are endless in variety and fashion, more
peculiar, we think, than pretty. Heads of shrill-toned
chanticleers, horses' heads, horse shoes, with spurs,
and riding whips, appear woven on many of these
woods, and doubtless find favour in the eyes of the
searchers for absolute novelty. Others are woven in
imitation of cross-stitch embroidery, either as an " all-
over" pattern, or in single " placed " designs. All
are used in combination with shot silk, as petticoats,
linings, ruches, and revers. These chameleon-like
silks, with plain satin stripes, for skirts, and gatlinred
waists, with bodices and overdress of cashmere, a a
favourite and fashionable mixture for morning, dress;
mushroom and porcelain-blue with pale blue stripes, or
lavender and greenish-gold with stripes of the former
colour, being particularly stylish and well-conceived
combinations. Silk Merveilleux, in all delicate
shades, and of English manufacture, is an admirable
spring material, and of three distinct varieties; the
first shot, and the other two striped respectively with
narrow and wider lines of self-coloured satin; all
three to be used, however, on the same costume. The
indescribable charm of this beautiful silk can best be
hinted at by giving a few of the most happily chosen
mixtures—as, for example, grey and lavender, with
lavender stripes; yellow and grey, with grey stripes;
pink and navy, with navy stripes (this is especially
attractive) ; or porcelain blue and full gold, with
stripes of the latter shade.

VELVET striped satins—moss colour, biscuit, and
grey, are handsome and well worn, with skirts of plain
velvet, Sicilienne, or fine cashmere. They havo
longitudinal and narrow lines, arranged in groups of
three on a dull silk background of a distinctly lighter
shade, Rich satins, that literally "stand alone," are
strewn with trefoil ornaments of fris6 silk; fawn on
red, mushroom brown on fawn, crimson on sapphire-
blue, and red on olive-green are a few of the most
tasteful combinations, while all are stylish and of par-
ticularly good appearance. Plain skirts of this
exquisite material are worn with an overdress of cash-
mere of the same shade, having an appliqué trimming
of velvet trefoils, outlined with self-coloured beads,
and the bodice has a waistcoat and cuffs of similar
trefoil ornaments laid on a background or lighter or
contrasting satin. Very noticeable was a mixture of
rosewood-brown satin, velvet, and cashmere, with
waistcoat lining and cuffs of vivid saffron-yellow
beneath the velvet trefoils. With this was
worn a Princesse bonnet of brown French lace and
beads, with coronet of saffron velvet and a largo
spray of daffodils, on which were poised two butter-
flies of brown and gilded feathers.

MUSLIN is once more fashionable, and is likely to be
in vogue for all summer dresses for day and evening
wear, for concerts, dinners, dances, and what not.
White Madras and spotted muslin make charming
ball gowns for young girls, draped over skirts of
pale-coloured satin, covered with a deep flounce of fine
embroidery, worked in white floss silk, or in ninny
brilliant colours. The low bodices are also of satin,
cut round on the shoulders, with berthes of similar
embroidery. French muslins, the ground pale cream
colour, strewn with sprays of roses or shaded lilac
blooom, are once again the mode, the delightful
material draping gracefully over petticoats of satin or
faille. Complete gowns of beg° lace, the skirt one
mass of billowy flounces, are remarkably effective
over satin of geranium-red or crocus yellow. We
saw one made up over the latter colour, the flounces
of the skirt, which were graduated in width, being
caught up at intervals with tassels of yellow beads,
finished with small silk balls, and down one side was
a row of yellow rosettes, increa • g in sise to the edge
of the satin skirt. The bodice was of yellow brocade,
the bertha and short-curved sleeves of bege French
lace, the round opening outlined by a single row of
large-sized yellow beads, a string of which, finished
with tassels, tied up the lace, and formed epaulettes
on each shoulder.

LIE Daily News devotes a special article to the
subject of "Spring Costumes," in which the
writer observes: Deep lace flounces are to be much
worn this season. The fortunate possessors of old
lace, measuring a yard or a metre in depth, may now
congratulate themselves on the opportunity of utilising
it. Pingat, the Parisian milliner, is arranging lace of
this depth over satin, with the top gathered in folds
into the waist, and thence falling outwards towards
the sides. The deep lace, in its uninterrupted linedi
gives apparent height to the figure. Very tall women
would do well to choose those flounces, which measure
about half a yard in width, and of which three are
used to trim a skirt. Some very beautiful imitations
of Brussels and Chantilly have been produced to meet
the demand that will arise directly this new behest or
fashion becomes known. These imitations reproduce
the designs of the old lace, and even the colour,
and aro by no means so inexpensive as to lead to
the fear that " everybody " will be wearing lace
flounces. Five guineas a yard is not exactly
a quotation that places the fabric within the reach of
all. Our mothers wore these lace flounces, and out
from their lavender perfumed hiding-places they will
now come to "revisit the glimpses of the moon."
What stories they could tell, these softly-tinted old
laces, "by age made yet more mellow," of now for-
gotten words and sighs, and the more than half.
forgotten emotions they indicated "The flounces
on my wedding dress," says Mr old lady, seeing in
memory's mirror a picture of herself standing at the
altar in the scant skirt of her girlhood's days—" they
trimmed Arthur's christening robe," she adds, sighing
"Poor Arthur !" and then, "Well, child, you may
have them for your next dance." Thus are inanimate
things woven in with the histories of individuals and
of families.

MIS year's mantles for the mid-season are, for the
most part, short at the back and very much trimmed
round the edges and down the front. A hundred
yards of lace are sometimes used for the trimming of
a dress, and thirty yards for a mantle. Jackets are
either very long, showing scarcely even the margin of the
dress, or quite short, with but a few inches of basque.
When long, they come into the category of ulsters,
and take the place of the now forgotten Newmarket,
dethorned by the crinolette. A slight trimming of
braid runs round all the edges, and defines the
position of the pockets. The short jackets, on the
other hand, have that air of smartness which is now
one of the characteristies of the well dressed. The
basque is of equal length all round. It is some-
times untrimmed. Occasionally these jackets are
edged,with astrakhan; but more suitable to the season
is the soft and pretty feather trimming called marabout..
Many of them are braided, some in the Hussar
style, and others with the straighter lines to
be seen on the Royal Artillery jackets. To ada to
the military air, the side seams up the back are
covered with a row of braid, and a little braiding
appears also on the front of the collar. The sleeves
are quite tight, and reach comfortably to the wrist.
The prettiest costumes are those in which this short
jacket is similar in material and colour :to the skirt,
but it is quite allowable that it should be different in
both respects. Gendarme blue or dark red cloth may
be worn with grey, brown or black skirts. Dark red,
especially, is in favour, and is extremely becoming to
some complexions, particularly when softened by
being edged with brown marabout. An eminent
authority on such matters has originated a grey
jacket with trimmings of natural astrakhan, which is
in shades of grey, and so soft and fleecy as to make
one wonder why a texture so beautiful should almost
invariably be spoiled by the process of dyeing it
black,