The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-28 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

Tina weather of the past week, although fine, has
been so cold that wraps and furs, close-fitting jackets,
long velvet coats, &c., have vied with each other in
popularity. Referring to close-fitting jackets and
jersey bodices, the Lady's Pictorial says they are
elaborately enhanced with braiding, and the bonnets
and hats in some cases are made to match. The
braid sometimes is sewn over the back seams. On
each of them two rows are placed close together in
such a way that in the centre and at the top each
strand may describe a scroll on both sides. I have
seen, too, says the writer, one of these vests edged
with a two-inch braid and headed by rows of narrow
braid put side by side, making a band exactly the
same depth as the preceding one, but at the back and
seams each row separates to ascend, describing curls
which collectively shape large arabesques.

HOWEVER, the newest device for them) vests and
jerseys bodices is to give ;to the braiding the appear-
ance of open work applied on a contrasting grbund.
Thus a chestnut-brown cloth will be edged by black
vine leaves cut out like button-hole embroidery, and
the points will fall on a cream-coloured waistcoat
adorned with dark braid standing upright on the very
edge. The cuffs are made to correspond, terminating
with a band of the light-coloured fabric. Sometimes,
too, the fronts and sleeves are deeply dented and
finished off with long narrow scrolls, nearly reaching
the buttons of the waistcoat; or, again, the plastron
is buttoned on each side, offering a good wide surface
for the chief ornamentation.

A cournsft house jacket is treated very much in
the same way. The delicate pink cashmere is em-
bellished all round the edge with a cut-out foliage in
black braid resting on waves of white lace. Numerous
knots of babies' ribbon in pink gauze flutter amidst
the plastron, and other ones appear at the back,
where the fulness is drawn by six drawstrings in gauze,
tied at the sides.

AMATEURS of trefoils will be delighted with the
jersey powdered over the waistcoat, and the straight-
up collar with detached trefoils in gold braid, whilst
a spreading close pattern runs over the coat collar
and revers, the braid being upright. With the elastic
cloth are made the plain and cosy Norfolk jackets so
well known, with their three box-pleats front ,Ind
back, the buttoning being concealed under the
central pleat, and the strip of the buttonholes is care-
fully scalloped, to be, if possible, less bulky. A belt
of corded silk confines the fulness to the waist.

Tun 2ueen says: We are beginning to look forward
to brighter days, when lawn-tennis dresses will be
wanted. To meet this want, the regatta stripes have
been turned to very profitable account. A pretty
dress has a skirt of this:, in blue, black, and white
stripes, made up in broad box-plaits, over it a white
woollen bunched-up tunic, and full bodice, with cuffs,
collar, and Swiss belt of the stripes. This material
is to be had in a dozen shades of colour, and is one
that shows up well on the lawn. A more generally
useful dress is made of red and blue serge, the petti-
coat striped, the blue tunic draped above, a red waist-
coat to the bodice. A brown Velvet cord has rows of
stitching by way of trimming, a suitable one for a
tailor-made gown. The skirt is finely kilted, a new
treatment for velvet. There is a Senorita jacket of
the velvet over the bodice, which can be easily re-
moved for indoor wear, and is a dressy addition for
out. For a travelling dress, the Norfolk jacket con-
tinues to be made, but with treble box-plaits instead
of single-striped.

VICUNAS and cashmeres make up specially well for
the coming season, and canvas cloths with plush
stripes in warm browns, reds, and greens. Some
capital ulsters are made with movable hood, which
are useful for wearing as capes without the ulster.
Most women living in the country will appreciate a
driving cloak slipped on in a minute, quite loose, with
a cape, and made in reversible cloth, so needing no
lining. Harris homespuns will be the fashion for
country wear, some with indistinct checks, some with
very positive ones 4in. square. The jackets are nearly
all single breasted; the Lina has a smart waistcoat,
the Battenberg is trimmed with heavy lin. wide braid.
The ideas for braiding have been borrowed from
Artillery and Hussar uniforms.

BrAcxbonnets are slowly giving way to lighter ones,
and many and varied are the new shapes and kinds.
Open-worked ones in coloured braid shot with gold
threads; in string of various colon.: is, such as two
shades of the new Chartreuse green, light and dark
brown, navy blue, &c.; in fine canvas resembling a
wire sieve, with lace drawn over, and in latticed bead-
work, are all fashionable, as well as coloured straws.
The newest shapes are flat and high in the crown, and
very shrzt on the hair at the back, many being cut
up to allow room for the fashionable coils and twists;
they have slightly projecting fronts, and a cluster of
velvet loops, birds' wings or fans of lace very much
pinched up in the centre. They are all higli in front
and/Jarrow at the sides. Many of the straw ones
trimmed with coloured velvet have the strings from
the centre Of the back, folded to form three points,
one deep and two smaller ones. Young ladies with
abundance of hair frequently dispense with strings
altogether, and secure their bonnets by long pins run
through the bonnet and turned up hair. In that case
the collar or trimming of.dress or jacket is worn high.

BLACK lace, partially veiling poppy-red velvet, is
worn by older ladies. Gathered velvet edges the back
of the bonnet, and sometimes the front. Very full
feather aigrettes, a little to one side, are worn. Ruby
straw Spanish hats, bound with ruby velvet or plush,
and a bow in front, are much worn by quite young
girls. Many of the new hats have tall pointed crowns,
with elongated bows massed in front; poppies mixed
with stiff black wings form the trimming of some
black hats, while a pale pink aigrette, put into the
centre of brown ostrich feathers, is to be seen on
others. Black and brown straw for hats is very
general. A grenadine scarf with every sort of stripe
is twizted into the crown of black velvet-brimmed
hats, and caught at one side by a fancy bird with
gilded beak. Small sailor hats lined with bright red
velvet, and with the gathered crown of the same are
popular and becoming.