The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-24 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

IN London, on the 14th islet., a numerous and-tto-
,
cratic company assembled at St. George's Church, an-
yverervare, to witness the marriage" of' -Ite. Miëhabl
Hugh Shaw-Stewart, eldest eon of Sir Ilichael Shaer-
Stewart, Bart., with the Lady Alice Emma Thynte,
eldest da,ughter of the Mirquis of Bath. It is tanneees-
nary to remark that the occasion afforded a dis Way of
the most reclarchg tiostumes. The bride's dress was Of the
richest White satin duchesee, with long plain train,
opening over a petticoat of the same entirely covered
with blossoms( without. zaves, the white of the carna-
tions hyacinths,' and orange flowers being relieved b
the delicate blush of Scotch roses. The eight-brides-
maids' dresses were very tasteful: the skirts were en-
tirely of narrow white lace flounces, and the bodices
and drapery of white nun's veiling, trimmed with rows
of narrow gold braid, and edged with large gold. balls.
They wore small white felt bonnets trimmed with
white satin ribbon and aigrettes, and,bordered with
gold braid to correspond with their dresses, the white
satin strings being fastened with a pearl and diamond
bar brooch, the bridegroom's gift; all carried bouquets
of white ftqwee, also the bridegroom's present.

R-avi

TEN various etyles of dress approprialop for ,the pre-
sent season are profusely illustrated in the pages of
the Queen, The same journal, in an article on
"London Fashions" says :—For evening wear
nothing is more popular than velvet or chenille-figured
gauzes, which seem to have superseded the gowns of
white tul.e and net, fashionably worn laA year.
Coloured tulles, with satin or broch4 velvet bodices,
are, however, mach in vogue; and these are seen in
all shades of yellows (from pale lemon to the deepest
orange-red), greys, pinks, and undecided greens. The
skirt. are mostly made " ballet " fashion—that is,
with several petticoats of equal length placed
over each other. The uppermost skirt is often em-
broidered with sprigs af tiny leaves, or sprays of
small flowers, in shaded wools, and finished with a
plain hem, above which appears many rows of gold
twist, threaded in the material itself. A very pretty
gown for a young ady had the skirt arranged in this
style; the tulle, of a peculiar shade of yellow•green,
was scattered with small bouquets of autumn leaves,
worked in coloured wools; the bodice was of satin of
the same shade, and ornamented with garlsnds of
tinted leaves and yellow lace; a girdle of russet-brown
satin ribbon fell from the 'ides of the pointed bodice,
and was tied in a careless knot low on the front of
the skirt. Another was of apricot tulle, spangled
with tiny gold stars, and a bodice of a deeper shade
of apricot satin. The skirt was ornamented by a
large crescent•shaped garland of white Bankeia roses,
suspended at one side by narrow white ribbons. A
brilliant butterfly was poised over the blo.soms with
pleasing effect. White satin, embroidered with
bouquets of flowers in coloured wools, is a decided
novelty, and is the newest material used for the trains
or side panels of dinner and full-dress toilettes. The
designs, of bright yellow roses, shaded to deep claret.
red, are strikingly beautiful, as, also small groups of
nasturtiums, their vivid colouring showing up well on
a background of dull green leaves.

TIE new kid bonnets are more quaint than elegant.
The plain and rather high crown is of pale yellow kid,
and the flat brim is decorated with three rows of smaU
round buttons in imitation of stained ivory. The brim
is lined with seal velvet ; a folded torkade surrounds the
crown. A plume of brown feathers is placed on the
left side of the crown, mixed with loops of narrow
mandarin velvet ; strings of seal and mandarin velvet.
A hat of the ever-popular Henri Deux form has a
basket-work crown of white kid and chenille. The wide
brim is of felt, edged with twisted chenille, and the hat
is trimmed with a group of kid bows of various sizes,
one or two white pigeons, and a cockade of stiff, up-
standiug feathers. Birds, large and small, distorted
beyond recognition kite all impossible shapes, feathers,
aigrettes, and cockades of stiff plumage, are the chief
characteristics of fashionable head-gear. The appear-
ance of many of these montrosities border so closely on
the grotesque that one almost expects, and would
scarcely be surprised, to see these coverings suddenly
endued with the power of volitation, take unto them-
selves their wings, and literally "fly away."

A CORRISPONDENT of a London daily paper in an
article on "Paris Fashions," remarks that most of the
fashionable and dressy bonnets are decoratzd with
plumage, and the tufts of feathers aie placed very
high against the front of the crown, so as to materi•
ally increase the height, thus transforming the
smallest of close-fitting shapes lit) a moderately
large head covering. As for the material of which
the bonnet itself is macte, no particular rule is
laid down. Plain velvet holds first rank, per.
haps, but then it affords no great scope for choice,
tke colours for bonnets being confined to various
browns—from richest red-brown to the yellowish-
brown of bronze and the drab-brown called Bois—thep
blue, Cyprus green, steel and iron grey, and occasionally
claret and crimson. Coloured velvet, breidee, must
either match or be in carefully-chosen harmony with
the gown it is rte •Eed to accompany. The same may
be said of Ottoman siik, while felt is disadvantageous
from another point of view, being sold in large quanti-
ties, everywhere at sacriicial prices, and is probably
on the high road to an objectionable popularity

THE same writer says that The most eccentric bonnet
the season has brought forth is in thinly out cork, the
brim being concealed beneath gathered velvet. The
effect is that of a tan felt, and, beyond costing dearer
and weighing lighter, the advantages of it escape
detection. Chenille offers the widest scope for fancy,
and may be made very pretty, although it has already
run a good chance of becoming almost as common as
felt, especially the original plaited chenille capote.
Now this delicate material, which fears a touch almost
As much as does a butterfly's wing, in placed across
the crown in rows so as to cover the buckram com-
pletely, or may have rows of small beads, gold or silk
braid laid between.

TEE last novelty in veils is a scarf, some two yards
and a half long, made of white, black, or scarlet gauze,
and trimmel at either end with little tufts of
woven at intervals into the fabric it.elf. For Rome
time past very clear gawp*, spotted with chenille, has
been worn instead of chenille spotted net, whereas the
net is merely woven with a silk speck like a pin's
point, when it is known by the popular name of judie.

VBRY charming bonnets, combining well with gowns
of rick velvet brocade, are composed of chenille
(chosen to match the velvet arabesques), alternating
with braid of the exact shade of the silken ground. A
few capotes may be seen, here and there, made of
the brocaded gown msterial itself, but the patterns
chosen are generally too large for the purpoae, and
it is thought preferable to ransack the shops of the
brie h-brao merchants for old staffs—cloth of gold
and silver, the brilliancy of which is tamed down
by time, delicate brocades of the lett century
wrought on yellowy-white or pale reflections of blue
or pink—relics of courtly trains that have flitted over
the waxed floors of Yellen!, s, remnants of priests'
garments discovered among tlle3 mouldering treasures
of cDuntry vestries. To these are joined plails of
chenille dyed in harmony with the time-mellowed tones,
bits of rare old lace, their contemporaries, peihaps, or
modern reproductions thereof perfect as to every
detail of tone, plumes of ostrich feathers, and jeWelled
trinkets.

A LONDON contemporary says that the wearing of
English crape has entered within the last few yearn into
French customs. Previously the dress was of woollen
material untrimmed, the bonnet of crepe Hese,
arranged in hideous ganfferings ; and for very deep
mourning the only permissible outer garment was a
long black woollen shawl. Such a garb made grief
horrible. Even now woollen is maintained for all
mourning gowns during the first month or so, and
there is no regulation arrangement of bands of crape
to denote the different degrees of relationship.
The principal innovation is the adoption of mantles
or cloaks instead of the shawl, and the in-
troduction of jet amongst the crape. The Com-
tense de Paris, who wears very deep mourning
for the chief of the Bourbon house, has her long
sweeping robe of black woollen decorated with Eng-
lish crape and jet; but the Duchesse de Chartres, who,
nevertheless, stands in the same relationship to the
late Count, is content with dull black siik and Anda-
lusian blonde; her daughters and she, moreover,
wore dark brown habits when folio wing the hunt on
St. Hubert's Day, a crape tied ar mud the left arm.
To tim with silk blonde the front edge of one of
these long ()Taped cloaks and the cloak it,elf with
bands of crape is a fresh exception to the old rule, but
it is some Vine since the obcoxioui ruched cap6te was
superseded for young. people by an English crape hist
or bonnct of any fashionable form. The let er is
mostly furnished with a long veil, pleated fl,t—not
here the appanage of the widow's headdress only—and
the crape strings are lined with silk. Cross•cnt folds
of the material constitute the trimming (no funereal
imitations of flowers or fruits are in favour) until jet
beads and black ostrich feathers may be worn, and
later on lilac or pale grey marabout, tipped with
bugles or powdered with jet.