The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-11-08 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS-

Trio Queen describes the dress at the leading
London establishments this week as follows: The hand-
somest and richest materials are the fashion; cheap
imitations are utterly unsuitable for the styles in
which really good gowns are made. The skirts are
piain and full, with flat bands of a contrasting stuff
[aid upon them, as horizontal stripes or revers: and
plain fronts of expensive brocade find favour in Paris,
with untrimmed square trains of velvet. But the
beauty of a toilette depends on the perfection of the
fabric, so do not be deluded into the purchase of
cheap blush with which our English market is
flooded; it wears badly, and does not even look well
when first donned.

M. PIIILLIPPE. of 12, Old Bond-street, has some
charming plush gowns. I was particularly pleased
with one in a mahogany shade, the skirt quite plain,
except that at the back of the waist there was a short
basque lined with pink, caught up on one side. The
front of this skirt was a series of twine-coloured lace
flounces over puflings of a delicate pink shade of soft
silk, and at either side of it were flat revers of
brocaded silk. A dark myrtle cloth of the kind
called "Amazon," was trimmed with plush of a red
:erra-cotta tone. The front was covered with close-
set horizontal rows of the plush; the back drapery
had reveris of the same, and it appeared again on
the bodice. Myrtle-green and terracotta are among
the newest mixtures worn.

IN making plain trained dresses for evening, it is
well to remember that tho fronts, if of a different
colour or material, are very narrow, and the backs
have distinct square ends. The best example I saw
of this was a claret brocade and velvet dress; the
square velvet train was edged with a broad piece of
the brocade, and the front tunic, drapery, and sides
were cut in heavy scallops, and edged with a long
drooping fringe of chenille, with velvet tips.

TUCKS are much worn; but the newest are very
deep, and are med even on velvet brocade, as in a
rich black Sicilienne intermixed with velvet, on which
WaS a raised brocade of apples in natural colouring;
this was introduced at the back, and also as tucked
panels at the side, and elaborately trimmed with a
heavy black Spanish guipure, the pattern outlined
with cord.

ENGLISH women with difficulty reconcile themselves
to stripes, but they are much worn in Paris. A new
variety are broad velvet stripes, intermixed with
Sicilienne of equal width, on which veivet pastille
spots are scattered. Quite the newest idea is the
Tienri Trois pattern, small diamond-shaped designs
sunk in velvet, like the craves or slashings which ap-
peared in the habits and sleeves of that period. These
are repeated in every variety on velvet, plush, and
poult de sole. Mme. Philippe has a largo selection
of the expensive brocades of Louis XV. and Louis
XVI. periods, in which a good deal of gold tinsel is
introduced, as also in striped and figured silks and
velvets of less pretension. These tinsel stripes in
handsome goods have hardly as yet been taken
un in England, save in the best houses. A
good example of a brocade for flat panels
had a sky-blue ground and a pattern of
roses intermixed with gold. Another cream ground
had a large design of shaded gold and crimson holly-
hocks. Mme. Philippe had a few distinctive bonnets.
One, with the crown embroidered all over in a cash-
merienne design, was of the Olivia shape in the brim,
and displayed a large green bird, with outstretched
wings, hovering over the front. The hats worn in
Paris are exceedingly high in the crown, and very
generally covered with a piece of the cloth to match
the dress, the trimmings being set at the back. The
fashionable Amazon cloth is used for millinery, and
also for dresses, plain and embroidered; it forms a
good groundwork for large velvet appliquo flowers.

V LVET 19 most fashionable. Mrs. Welborn, of Duke-
street, Manchester-square, who would seem to have
only dresses which attract the eye at once from their
perfect style, has an admirable example of a gown in
a black velvet with full plaited back, a fringe of
sable tails carried across the front, the bodice made
of striped velvet and cashmere, matching the drapery
of cashmere on the skirt, the edge of the bodice
bordered with a narrow jet gimp and fur fringe. A
brown Siciline, with the brocade in frise, was trimmed
with an applique of velvet, the design birds painted in
tiQfra colours. Plain poult de sole is coming in again,
and just the perfection of a useful and stylish gown was
in tile with broad box-plaits to the waist, a drapery at
tile back, and a close-fitting bodice. More costly was
a black Bengaline broch6, plaited at the back and side
with chenille fringe and a velvet waistcoat.

bbrr.. ItErrvix, of William-street, Lowndes-square,
has returned from Paris with so many novelties, that
the difficulty is where to begin to describe the artistic
creations which have made her famous. Some
notable triumphs of her skill were to be seen at Lord
Stafford's wedding last week. People will not soon
forget the nine bridesmaids in their white satin gowns
so indescribably draped: largo white sashes keeping
the fulness in place; long white mittens to the elbow;
muslin caps and fichus ; nor Lady Tarbat's beautiful
gown cf mousse velvet, striped with gold, worn with
a Marie Stuart bonnet of the same, bordered with
gold beads.

IT is not easy to select a good style of winter dress,
go I will describe those I saw at Mme. Kenvin's,
wl :eh pleased me best. A cardinal cashmere, the
skirt in broad box-plaits, with one of these plaits
brought through a cutting in the tunic at the side to
the waist; the back drapery also fastened on to the
back of the bodice. This was new, and hung grace-
fully. A myrtle-green cloth, with a long tunic,
drapery caught up on one side with a large gold
buckle, and trimmed with plush, which was placed in
two bias folds at the hem of the skirt; the bodice was
macie with two very narrow revers on either side,
edged with gold braid. A heliotrope woollen gown,
bitermixed with striped velvet, was made ei la Breton;
that is, the waistcoat was quite narrow, and formed
of small plaits turned towards the front, kept in their
Place by a horizontal wide and narrow band of
velvet at the neck and waist; the sleeve had a
narrow cuff of velvet, on to which the material was
buttoned down. The arrangement of the skirt was
new, insomuch that there was a double tunic, one of
striped velvet and one of the woollen material, just
appearing at the side, one above the other, while at
the contrary side the plain woollen stuff fell over a
broad band of velvet. A dark blue and red morning
gown had the front composed entirely of woollen
lace of the two colours, while the drapery was caught
up on one side beneath a large square pocket. The
coarse woollen canvas is very fashionably worn just
now. A stone-coloured one had bands of black velvet
on the front of the bodice, and a black velvet basque
introduced at the side.

A TRIUMPII of weaving is a red satin, with a brocade
of white flowers. Full justice has been done to the
beauty of the material. The bodice was so skilfully
planned that every group of flowers was perfect. The
bodice was made of the red brocade, with a white
satin waistcoat, hidden beneath pearl embroidery,
while the dress itself was white Duchess satin, also
richly embroidered in pearls and panels of the red
brocade, so arranged that there seemed throughout to
be one dress draped over another.

SOME wonderful embroidered stuffs have been
prepared for bonnets. The cushion shape, with the
crown like the section of a wheel, is much worn,
covered with shot fris6 velvet, especially red and
gold. Bed velvet is scattered all over with bouquets
in gold embroideryblue velvet with gold bees, black
with gold flies. Brocades of clover on a plain ground
are pretty and novel for bonneto. A new mourning
bonnet, which could be equally worn out of mourning,
lia3 a black jet open work front of the thatched roof
form, a cushion crown of jet, and a large spray of jet
oats over the face. Woollen lace, embroidered in
gold. is a favourite material in millinery.

As far as the arrangements of skirts go, I note that
almost each house has some special plan of its own.
The best dressmakers do not seem to make the founda-
tion skirts very wide, but to so arrange the drapery
upon them that there is the appearance of much
width. The average dimensions are as follows for
morning gowns: A front breadth 4Cin. long, 22in.
wide at the bottom, and 14in. at the top; a back
breadth 48in. long and straight, 22in. broad both too
9.nd bottom; two front gores 47m. long, 16m. wide at
the bottom and 10in, at the top; the two back gores
48in. long, 9in. wide at the bottom, 4in. at the top.
Three sceels are placed in these skirts, L2in.,
and 15in. long respectively. For evening dresses
the front breadths are the same; the back 55in. long
and 44in. broad top and bottom; the two front
gores the same as in the morning gowns ;
the back 53in. long, IGin, broad at the bottom and
sin at the top, with four steels, 24in., 2in., 18in.. and
15in. long. Many dressmakers, however, do not put
any steels at all, but merely a tuccession of plaited
muslin flounces from waist to hem up the back ; the
lower flounces are edged with lace, which is only now
shown when the skirt is lifted up. The inside of a
good evening gown is as much a work of re.,l; as the
outside—flounce upon flounce, lace-edged frill upon
frill. Silk is the only really satisfactory bodice lining
for a good dress. In lieu of buttons and lacings.
hooks and eyes are coming in again as fasteninzs ; but
the eyes are buttonholed over with silk, se th'itt t sere
is no fear of their coming undone. Bone casingc are
put in very full. The side of the front pieces of good
bodices are all cut on the cross.

If your daughter is in poor health let her use the
mop about the house. Nothing like home-mop-athy
for a weak, young woman.
THE WEATHER AT BEN NEVIS ORSERVATOnY.— Tho
weather at Ben Nevis Observatory has lately been
very stormy. In the beginning of the week there
were strong westerly gales, with high temperature,
but the wind on veered to the northward, and a
short, but severe spell of ;old set in. This passed off
gradually, and a thaw began, with strong south-
westerly winds. So heavy has been the wind that the
tArpo.ulin which covers part of the observatory build-
ins was torn away from its fastenings, and several
articles, including a spare piece of the lightning rod;
of heavy copper, ten or twelve feet long, were blova
clean :Ira roof.