The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-19 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

Tun Queeie has the following: Autumn is comin6
upon us, slowly but surely. Reluctantly the pretty,
light summer clothes are laid aside, and the warmer,
darker once substituted. Regretfully the sojourners
by the seaside, and in the country, prepare to bid
farewell to the haunts where rest and health and
enjoyment have come to them—and turn back again
to the ordinary routine of life. The yachts, with
their gay parties of pleasure-seekers that recently made
the Solent so gay, are away, far and wide, hither and
thither—some bound for the northern coasts, others
for the bright watering-places on the shores of France,
ant a few to pass the winter in far distant sunny
southern climes. All over Great Britain the country
houses are full; excursions and picnics, lawn tennis,
and shooting are the amusements of the day;
and in Scotland the votaries of fashioa have been
disporting themselves freely at the numerous High-
land gatherings. It is here that the first glimpses
of autumn fashions may be caught, when the
tweed and flannel costumes assert their superiority in
comfort and appearance over the thinner lighter ones
that the wners are so loth to part from. From
general observation, dark blue and light brc:wn seem
the predominant favourites in colour, trimmed with
decided contrasts in shades. Very rough textures
are popular, and scme stylish costumes, worn by well-
dressed women at recent gatherings, have been c,rn-
posed of coarse-looking serge, called by soLie of the
leading dressmakers " scouring flannel." It is striped
and plain, and the two are usually "arranged" to-
gether. The bodice is nearly always a close-fitting
jacket, with a waistcoat of velvet, plush, or some
fancy material. One or two waistcoats have been
seen of bronze kid, worked over with a design in
shaded chenille.

TARTANS are being introduced as the panels of
sLirts, a3d waistcoats with self-coloured or dark
heather mixture material. The skirt of the plain
stuff is usually arranged in long draperies coming
from the right side, which is left plain, and filled in
with the tartan in plaits, flanked on each side by a
narrow panel of some dark velvet harmonising in
shade, meeting just below the basque of the jacket,
and fastened together by a fancy broo-2h or two good
buttons. The jacket has a straight high collar and
cuffs of the velvet, fastened by corresponding orna-
ments, and a waistcoat of the tartan. Stripes and
checks are arranged in the same way. Full plain
skirts are greatly worn for walking and tennis, with
Norfolk jackets and belts. Fancy scarves are arranged
as short drapery, looped at the back or far back
at one side. A favourite and pretty style
of gown has the front of the skirt mounted in a
very wide box-plait, and the back in kitting up to the
waist. From each side of the box-plait comes a wide
sash length sewn in, at about a quarter of a yard
below the waist, without fullness. This is taken up to
the waist at the back and tied in a large bow with
drooping loops and ends. If the skirt is of canvas ur
any delicate material, the bodice is often of the samo
soft silk as the sash, made without any basque. but
with a band fastened beneath the sash at tie back.
If, however, the material is one of the ordinary svery-
day ones, the bodice is of the tight-fitting kind, with
a waistcoat corresponding with the sash. The sash
need not neoLssarily be of silk, but of any thin
fabric.

EATS are in endless variety. For travelling, the
tweed deer-stalker is becoming to many faces, with a
gauze veil matching in hue, twisted round, crossed at
the back, brought forward and tied under the chin.
Then there is the fishermen's cap, with the end hang-
ing to the left side, with a canvas scarf daimily twisted
round the head and catching up the end. The scarf
takes away from the plain appearance, so that the
fisherman would have some difficulty in recognising
his own cap. The Tam o' Shanters are now of one
coloured material, matching the *ostatne, with straps
of two-inch wide velvet, of a different or deeper hue,
brought from underneath the full crown, carried up
to the centre of it, ending (where the woollen tuft
usually is) in a cluster of loops. Felt hats, with
rounded crowns, and rather bread brims, have a
twisted scarf cf gauze or fancy canvas round them,
drawn upwards in front, and mixed with cocks' plumes.
Sailor hats have no longer the bows in front, but very
much back on the right side, "perked up" as much
as is possible. They are often trimmed with the
material of the costume. The gilded fancy canvas
ribbon, about two or three inches wide (made
on English lootns), are much used for passing
round these hats, with a smart butterfly bow, and
sometimes the addition of a bird's wing, a black cock's
tail, or a bunch of artificial fruit in season. The high
crowned hats, especially one kind called " Mysotis,"
with the brim considerably wider in front than at the
back, are most popular, and to be seen in every colour,
with every sort of trimming. One worn recently at a
garden party, with a café an lait coloured canvas
gown, triirtmed with brown velvet, was of brown straw,
with a café an lait scarf striped with brown velvet,
and a few bulrushes thrust through the loops in front,
towering above over a quarter of a yard. Several of
these high-crowned hats have a few feathers placed
almost at the back, curling over the crown towards
the front; but they are tr 3 log to most faces. Seaside
hats of coarse straw are trimmed with dried seaweeds
and shells, small shells sometimes edging the brims.
" Peasant' hats of rushes, for garden party wear,
have artificial fruit, grass, clusters of little fir cones
nuts, or almost anything that can be placed on them

PARASOLS are slowly giving way to en taut cas, but
they still reign supreme at county gatherings, where
their owners are glad to display to the last their
beauty. White lace ones with little clusters of arti-
fieial lemons all round the edge, and at the ferrule;
black km, with cherries thrown lavishly all over:
cream lace, with an edging of mother of pearl shells
from the Adriatic, and a num of them clinging to sea-
weed running from top to edge of one division, are
too remarkable to be seen a second season, and have
a right to be well exhibited. Those edged with large
cut jet beads, or freely powdered with smaller ones,
may perhaps hope to be seen again; still, it is
doubtful.

Is country houses, small pieces of work, for draw-
ing-room employment (which, as a rule, progress but
very, very slowly), are kept in the velvet bags, with
silver tops, that have done duty hitherto as shopping
bags. They thus answer two purposes. As one in
blue velvet, with monogram and crown, was given to
Princess- Beatrice as a wedding gift, we may con-
clude that they are not, as many believe, out of
fashion. Handsome antique buttons are now placed
together, and mounted as cloak or waistband clasps.
The number depends on the size. Two buttons,
joining each other and backed by a pin, are worn as
a brooch. The embossed gold back of an antique
watch is now utilised as a brooch, but it is more
curious than ornamental. It seems to be a fashion
just now among young girls to fasten a few small
feathers, by means of a small broocia, at the throat.
Thin gold bangles, with a hook at one end, and a
button formed of a pearl, coral, diamond, or
cat's eye at the other, supposed to fit the arm
tightly, are presented as gifts. Three are sold
together in a case. A broader gold bangle
is often given by one friend to another, with a tiny
padlock and key. The bangle is locked on the arm,
and the key kept by the friend, or en the watchain of
the recipient. Bracelets are to be seen now, placed
on one side of the head, fastened into the turned-up
hair. They are put in like a half bandeau, and the
hair on the other side of the head is dressed higher,
and rather differently. Strings of pearls are used in
the same way, and the addition of an aigrette is an
improvement. The hair is now oftenei dressed in
two coils than one, divided down the centre, rolled
away from the face and towards the middle of the
back of the head, and then drawn to the top, and
curled round. In the evening the wing of a bird is
worn, fastened into the hair at the side of the head,
just above the ear. A jet or a diamond star appa-
rently fastens it. Black, white, grey, or red wings
are all used, according to the trimming of the gown.

RIIAMPORE CIILTDDAJr shawls, both long and short,
are now converted into the most fashionable cloaks
for infants, and trimmed with broad bands of plush
or velvet. The grey ones are not only trimmed
with their own colour, but with deep blue, claret, or
ruby. The little hood is made to match. Little girls
are wearing skirts of striped material attached to
woollen jerseys, with cuffs and collar of the stripe.
On one side of the skirt is a bow of velvet, with a
little bag pocket beneath. For tea parties, white,
cream, or pale-coloured thin jerseys are worn with
nun's veiling skirts, and wide soft Surah sashes tied
in a large bow at the left side,

A PRETTY arrangement for a square-cut bodice is to
fasten a bracelet across the chest, just below the
throat, and hide the ends by loops of velvet put into
fans of lace. The square bodice should have a lace
ruche standing well up round the neck, or a stiff
collar, to carry out the idea well, as the bracelet is
inter.ded to keep it in its place, and the loops are
placed just where it ends. This looks equally well
ivith a black or coloured dress. A length of marabout
feather trimming is worn as a boa, for driving, or on
chilly days. It passes round the throat, and fastens
with any fancy clasp on the left side, and is carried
down to the waist, where it either loses itself in the
band or is tucked into the bodice. Lavender bags,
made of lace and muslin, now lay on small tables, as
they emit a pleasant perfume. Eau de Cologne
bottles, in little covers of plush or brocade, tied round
the neck with a bow of ribbon, are also to be seen.
The base is a circle of cardboard, and the bag cover is
sewn to it all round.

HEATHER is now in full beauty on its native hills
and moors, and it figures also as dinner table decora-
tion, and in tall vases. In a drawing-room every
kind of tall (lower is to be seen—hollyhocks and sun-
flowers, gladioli, single dahlias, and chrysanthemums,
with tinted chestnut and copper beech, clematis, and
wild grass, ferns, and asparagus run to seed. Flossers
of different classes are seldom mixed now, but each is
arranged C2l, masse in its own particular receptacle.
At recent country dances, cardboard fans, covered
with tulle or lace or satin, miaching the costume, have
been made by the possessor k with a border of real
leaves and flowers round the edge, sewn on for tha
time. Old fans can be used in the same way, with a
wire run through them to keep them out in shape.
Small bouquets are occasionally placed on the lace
round the throat, a little to the left side '