The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-11 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

BONNETS, says the fashion writer in Ltfe, are crowded
with spring flowers such as daffodils, cowslips, prim-
roses, and violets; but feathers, ribbons, or aigrettes
of the new light-green shade are the greatest favourites.
There are some charming little bonnets with close
round crowns of chip or rice straw, and open brims
formed of a network of beads on wire; these naturally
require very little additional trimming, and a few
loops of narrow velvet ribbon with some ostrich tips
or a full aigrette complete a most novel and dainty
head-gear.

HATS of the low round toque shape are-gradually
becoming things of the past, for high crowns and
trimmings are quite general. The trimmings are of
the most mixed description, and bunches of looped
ribbons, feathers, tufts, osprey, as also the heads and
claws of birds, are often piled upon the same hat.
This style undoubtedly looks well with bushy furs and
long winter coats; but when we cast these aside and
appear slim and small in costumes without the ad-
ditional jacket, we shall certainly have to reduce
these trimmings if we do not wish our heads to be
ridiculously disproportioned to our bodies.

THE real novelties in fabrics are two, named re-
spectively " bouclé " woollen and " canvas" cloth.
The new woollen materials (says Myra's Journal for
April) are distinguished by a remarkable combination
of apparently opposite qualities; they are thick and
rough in appearance, and yet of extreme lightness and
softness; many of them bear a striking resemblance
to beds of moss in which small flowers are growing,
large patterns of flowers being at present far less
fashionable than small ones. Some of the new fabrics
are in alternate wide stripes of thick and openwork
material, the transparent stripes being in the most
vivid colour —red, gold, or some other rather bright
tint.

Limn: woollen canvas, figured with spots or
flowers in woollen plush, is another novelty, and
woollen etamine is made in so many new ways, and is
so elegant and serviceable a fabric, that it will be very
much worn. Plain and printedetamines are combined
together or employed separately; some of the pointed
etainines are very lovely; the ground is white, cream,
blue, or pink, with designs of garlands or bouquets of
flowers; one, for instance, is sky blue with a scattered
pattern of pink wild roses, another is cream with a
design of Nice violets. The thick mossy fabrics have
similar designs of separate flowers, and are made in
all colours with the flower in some contrasting tint.

WOOLLEN or mohair laces, worn over skirts of
woollen or silken fabrics, are likely to be quite as
popular as black lace dresses, and are more service-
able and less dressy than these. This woollen lace
is maae in a variety of colours, and is over forty-
seven inches wide; it costs about 10s. per yard, and
a plain material that combines well with it, and is
made of the same kind of wool, is less expensive.
Sultana lace is a less costly fabric of the same kind,
also accompanied by a plain material to match.
* * *

A VERY curious novelty is a rough but transparent
woollen fabric, light enough for summer wear, although
warm in appearance. Thibet canvas is another of
these fashionable semi-transparent woollen materials.
A closer fabric is the Cheve du Malahar, a very soft
and silky mohair, deliehtfully fresh and youthful
looking, and which may be associated with a polonaise
or corsage and panels of figured silken material.
Indian muslin, in wool, embroidered in cross-stitch
with silk and gold, is equally pretty, whether the
embroidery is in colours that contrast or harmonise
with the ground; embroidered voiles are also fashion-
able, but the embroidery on these is in satin-stitch,
not in cross-stitch. Cable Pekin is a canvas or open
fabric, with thick, wide stripes; the new voiles, on
the contrary, have very narrow stripes. Mousseline
cheviotte, Indian muslin, and Hindoo voile are all
light woollen fabrics made in white and colours for
summer wear; white ',denten° armure, lined with
coloured silk, will be much used for little girls'
toilettes, but not exclusively for these, as many
dresses for young ladies are also made of it.

OUTDOOR costumes, even those worn as viiiting toi-
lettes, are more than ever made in very simple styles,
although some are in the bright colours, malachite
green and uncut ruby, already referred to. The
skirt is pleated, if of plain material, with beaded or-
naments. or a few rows of laminated braid in the
intervals between the pleats: a polonaise of printed
cashmere, or of the same material, with a woven
design of palms, completes the costume. The polo-
naise is draped in small paniers and falls in a puffed
drapery at the back, a wide sash crossing the front
.md enveloping the puff. If the skirt is of figured
material, the polonaise is of plain cashmere or
vigogue, and many of the polonaises have the straight
lines of a redingote, draped on one side but plain on
the other. Tunics draped at the side are made both
long and short, with the pleats from the side or from
the waist. A long and handsome sash of moil-6
ribbon, or of velvet, almost invariably ornaments the
left side, where the tunic is draped to the hip.

YAK lace is becoming fashionable in the most as-
tonishing manner, and nearly all the gowns made of
soft woollen miterials are trimmed with it. The
ordinary lace is of moderate prices, but the piece
laces and the lace flouncings are expensive. The
cheaper imitation yak is made in almost every shade,
and really does not wear badly.

Tnn new mantles are very pretty, such beautiful
jet and soft lace being used in their composition.
One in long dolman form with Russian sleeves
is extremely novel. It is of brown satin com-
pletely covered with handsome black
yak lace,
and trimmed with flouncings of yak to corre-
spond, the back being arranged in Parisian style.
Another a long redingote or jacket of faille
Francaise, forms a most elegant spring or summer
coat; the back has a full draping of soft French lace
added under a jet ornament; the front has also this
same lace in folds from the neck downwards, which is
crossed by handsome bands of jet; from this lace to
the back an arrangement of beaded passelnenterie
simulates a Zouave jacket; altogether there is some-
thing very smart about this garment. Another jacket
was formed of alternate stripes of corded silk and
yak lace, and would be especially effective worn over
a light or coloured gown. One other dainty little
mantle is of silk grenadine, with a woven pattern of
cut beads; this is of course dolman shape, with lace
in folds down the front and jet straps, the whole
being profusely trimmed with cut beads and full
flounces of lace.