The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-01 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

WHILz all the fashionable world remains at the sea-
side, washing costumes, dresses of light woollens, and
large shady straw hats are principally seen (says lifyra's
Journal). But dressy toilettes are required for the pier
or promenade, where elegantes dress with more elabora-
tion and display, though with less richness of
materials, than in London nr Paris. Shot silks are
chiefly used, and beautiful embroidered materials
worked by hand, and costing a small fortune are in
vogue. The richest laoes are used for tzimmings,
this being a very favourite ornament for country
toilettes, because of its freshness, beauty, and
elegance. Very many toilettes are trimmed with
velvet bands, ribbon or otherwise, laid on quite
plainly. This is a specially pretty ornament for black
and white chequered foulard. One skirt has two
pleated flounces and a pleated upper skirt trimmed
with three black velvet bands securing the pleats.
The back drapery is ornamented also with velvet
ribbon, and three bands in front simulate three
tabliers one over the other, finished with a velvet bow
on the left. A corsage of plain black velvet, with
short basques, is worn with the skirt.

THE same authority says :—A. gracefully draped
polonaise is of glace fawn and mauve silk; it is in-
tended for a country visiting dress. The skirt has
three gathered flounces, each cut into pointed scallops
at the edge and the polonaise has very long skirts
draped up high on the right, and again on the left
knee with brown bows; half the material falls free on the
left and the upper part is gathered upon the left hip
with a bow. A ganged pointed plastron in front is
partly covered with a plain guipure parure ornamented
with brown bows, the brown velvet collar being studded
with guipure stars. The large round Henri 11. hat is
of white straw, and is trimmed with brown velvet
and a large plume of violet feathers. Striped or
pekin materials are recovering their position which
has been seriously affected lately by the popularity of
broches. The restoration of polonaises has contributed
to this, as pekin never looks so handsome as when
forming a corsage, paniers and long train in one. An
evening reception dress for country house wear has a
polonaise of pekin white and pale blue foulard ; the
fronts are pleated and drawn behind to form paniers,
then the material extends into a long graceful train
lined with blue satin. A fluted blue frill edges the
neck, tied with a blue bow, and deeply fluted blue
epaulettes ornament the shoulders. The long full
sleeves are of white lace gathered at the wri4t with
blue ribbon, the plastron being of white lace flounces,
across which a large blue sash is tied in a long bow in
front. The skirt is of pleated lace, falling over a blue
satin balayeuse. The lace sleeves display the arm
beneath, but the lace skirt is lined with blue satin.

A PECULIARLY tasteful autumnal toilette is of dark
violet shk, the skirt trimmed with three pinked•out
,unces. Above is a beautiful draped tunic of Corinth
broehd velvet gauze, the upper part of which forms
puiLd Vertngadin paniers, following the outline of
the pointed corsage, the sleeves of which are very full
at the shoulder, contrasting gracefully with the tight
lit of the corsage. A. faille bow coquettishly adoring
the left shoulder. The capote is charming, very small,
made of tine straw, and trimmed with a beautiful
plumy wing in shaded grey, violet, and white, and
with three ruches of violet silk tulle ; the strings are of
violet faille, and the veil is of spotted tulle, giving a
shadowy feathery appearance to the capote.

IN an article on "London Fashions," the Queen
says :—Coetumea for travelling are still occupying the
attention of dressmakers and ladies' tailors, the newest
material being a fine cloth shot with silken threads of
bright colours. A gown of dark green cloth shot with
red and gold; the bodice and tunic of this material;
the skirt of stripes of plain and shot cloth; this is plain
in front, and arranged in box-plaits at the back. The
tunic is cut in two long points, which 010fil3 in front
half way down the skirt; these are gathered high on
each side, and disappear under the short puffed
drapery at the back of the skirt. The tight-
fitting jacket bodice has very short coat tails;
the front is cat away to show a waistc )at of crimson
watered silk, fastened with gold buttons. It is a
good plan to have several waistcoats, for variety is ever
welcome, and can be attained in this way without
materially adding to the balk of luggage—a great
desideratum when travelling. In addition to the
crimson waistcoat, one of cream moird, and another
of satin, with stripes of green or:: imson and gold,
would both be pretty changes, and suitable wear with
the above costume.

GOLD, silver, and mixed braids otill contin Lie the
most fashionable trimming for walking costumes, and
also for the more dressy toilettes hr afternoon wear.
The skirts of these dresses are frequently ornamented
with perpendicular rows of broad braid placed be-
tween the wide box-plaits, the tunics and bodices
outlined with several rows of narrow width. Rua-
gins a gown of two shades of " clover " tinted
vicuna of finest texture, which is trimmed in
this way with excellen: effect. The broad
silver braid on the skirt has a pattern of bright
silver in relief on a dull ground ; the narrow braids on
the tunic and very short ba4que bodice are closely set,
but of alternate bright and dull silver. The tunic,
gathered in festooned panrers, shows here and there a
lining of velvet of a dark shade; a few loops and ends
of velvet among the folds at the back of the skirt, the
ends of which are out in long points and edged with
narrow braids. A lovely dinner dress has a plain
skirt of crimson velvet, cut in deep battlements at the
edge, and trimmed with frillings of ficelle lace, which
fall over a plaiting of salmon satin. The velvet is
appliquoi all over with large roses of chenille in
exquisite shades of salmon pink, outlined in gold
thread. The tunic, of crimson flowered brocade, is
untrimmed, and the pointed bodice is simply finished
round the basque and elbow sleeves with frillings of
lace as on the skirt. A cluster of shaded feathers
forms an epaulette on the left shoulder.

Lace still enters largely into the composition of
dresses made of silken fabrics, the sleeves very fre-
quently being entirely of lace. A dinner toilette for
a married lady has a plain skirt of rich moss-green
faille edged with a very narrow fluted balayeuse. The
tunic is of broche, figured with a darker green, edged
with a very wide white lace flounce; a band of moss.
green velvet crosses the pleated tablier from the left
hip to the drapery behind on the right at the height of
the knee, and is secured at each end by a gold buckle;
the lace of the back drapery nearly reaches the edge of
the skirt. Narrow box-pleated blouse paniers finish
the corsage, which is of green faille, with a point in
front and very long coattails behind. The neck, open
en mar, is edged with a lace ruche, which continues
in a jabot down the front. The sleeves do not reach
the elbow, and consist of a lace puff, gauged into the
shoulder and into a wide green velvet band at the
elbow, fastened with gold buckles. Long white
&life gloves disappear beneath the velvet bands on the
sleeves.

THE latest ulsters are of rough but very light cloth
in the new " ganglia " colour, and are sometimes
trimmed with bands of velvet of a darker shade; the
backs arranged with a series of perpendicular folds,
spreading from the waist downwards, allowing ample
space for the now almost universal crinolette. The
manly tail-coat of this material and colodr, profusely
braided with fine silk card, is worn over a fl3unced
skirt of black voile or soft Indian cashmere, finished
at the edge with a narrow plaiting of the same colour.
This last is rather prcmonc6, and can hardly be recom•
mended for street wear.

THE "Princess" bonnet is still the favourite shape,
but this is now made shorter at the back to allow for
the new fashion of raising the hair from the nape of
the neck, and arranging it in rouleaus on the top of
the head. A bonnet of gold braid and brown chenille
of this universally becoming style has a brim about an
inch and a half wide, composed of imitation tortoise.
shell beads, in graduated rows, threaded on gold wires.
Folds of chaudzon velvet, lined with palest pink
ottoman, are arranged across the front, and at the left
side is placed a cluster of pink rosebuds, and a brown
feather aigrette. The crowns of some bonnets are
made entirely in lattice-work of twisted cords, over a
lining of bright satin. One of black and white cord
over crimson satin, with a cluster of stiff white
feathers at the side, curved slightly to the front, is
particularly stylish. A scarf of fine crepe, covered
with raised silk spots, is arranged as a coronet across
the forehead, and also forms the strings, fastened
behind the ears with mall pearl ornaments.

VERT pretty pins are now used, which are passed
through the hair to support the bonnet at the back.
Small balls of tortoiseshell, studded with paste
diamonds or imitation turquoise, are the newest style
of pin•heads; others, like two-pronged forks, are omit-
mented with arrow-heads of brilliants or small butter-
flies and birds onamelled in natural colours.