The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-11-10 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

MANY lady readers will be interested in the follow-
ing te count, which we quote from a London content.
te.rary, of some of the dresses worn at the recent wed-
cl,ng of Viscount Wolmer and Lady Maud Cecil :
rite bride's dress was composed of the richest white
satin duchesse, the front being elaborately trimmed
with tine Brussels lace, fastened with white bouquets of
orange flowers, and the gracefully-arranged train was
trimmed with plisse of satin and liege. Sprays of
orange blossoms were prettily arranged in the hair.
and a very fine tulle veil was fastened by diamond
stars, her mother's gift. Her other jewels included a
diamon3 brooch, the gift of the Prince and Princess of
Wales; single stone diamond earrings, given by her
mother; diamond and sapphire bracelet, the present
of the Earl and Countess Selborne ; and antique paste
buckles on her shoes, the gift of Mrs. Collins. She
carried a bouquet of orange blossoms, white roses,
jasmine, eucharis lilies, camellias, orchids, &c. The
bridesmaids were dressed alike in skirts of white Bilk,
covered with wide flounces of coffee-coloured lace, the
bodices and draperies being composed of white nun's
veiling, also trimmed with coffee lace, of which their
bonnets were composed, with the addition of coffee
velvet strings and small white feathers. The children
wore lace hats to match. They wore jewelled pins,
each of a different design, the gift of the bridegroom,
and carried bouquets of white roses, eucharis
lilies, camellias, red geraniums, &c. Tbe Princess
Christian was handsomely attired in brown
brocaded velvet over a skirt of satin Merveilleux the
same colour, the flounces of which were edged with
brown lace; gold bonnet trimmed with shaded yellow
flowers, and sable muff. The Marchioness of Salis-
bury's dress was dark brown velvet, trimmed across
the front with several rows of fur, bonnet to match.
The Countess of Selborne wore mulberry velvet and
satin, with bcnnet en suite; Countess Waldegrave's
dress was composed of prune satin, over which opened
a long waterfall tunic of velvet brocade of the same
colour; the Countess of Galloway wore deep pink
satin, spotted and trimmed with ruby velvet, and
bonnet to harmonise; Theresa Countess of Shrews-
bury, white and black striped moir6 and satin trimmed
with rushes of white and black lace, black lace bonnet
trimmed with white flowers; the Countess of Eldon,
peacock brocade trimmed with sable, plush cape of
the same colour, and bonnet to match; Viscountess
Midleton, brown brocade trimmed with gold passe-
menterie, gold bonnet with a bunch of red flowers on
the side; Lady Margaret Howard, mahogany brown
velvet and cast- mere„ with velvet cape and bonnet;
Lady Garvagh, beautiful costume of sapphire blue
velvet, with hat of the same, sable muff and boa.

THAT competent authority in all matters connected
with dress, Le Follet, in its monthly fashion article,
says :—There is certainly no dearth of useful or attrac-
tive materials for the winter season, and our readera
of c•mservative tastes will be glad to find that,
though every day introduces some novelty in fabrics,
many of the old favourites are equally fashionable.
Among these are velvets, satins, tallies, poplins,
broolvis, aurahs, and other soft silks ; velveteens,
tweeds, serges, and a never ending variety of English
.o.,l!ens. Certainly, the English mount acturers
have now no cause to complain, for all those who
have kept pace with the wants and tastes of the
period, tind their productions in universal request.
Co-tumes of woollens and velveteens are the " pieces
de resistance" for walking•dresses in all wardrobes.
Many have polonaises, or tunics and coats of the
woollen, plain or fancy, over velveteen skirts; others,
of the woollen fabrics, have the ornaments, such as
waistcoats, panels, tucks on the skirt, bands on
flounces, or sewn on the skirt and pleated with it,
made of velveteen. The greatest novelty in fancy
fabrics is the shot woollen, either all wool, a species of
cachemire, or wool and silk; the latter, though very
effective, is not 80 serviceable in wear. The favourite
bleudings of colour in these are myrtle-green, shot
with gr6nat ; peacock blue, with dead-leaf shades; and
Royal blue, shot with emerald, giving much of the
shade known as "drake's neck."

POLONAISES will be worn through the winter, and
the many elegant styles of draping and arranging them
are added to every day. They are made in many
plain and fancy materials, but never of cloth, satin,
velvet, or velveteens; for all these the jaquette-
ousaquin, or pointed bodice, is far more suitable.
Velvet appliqués are excessively fashionable. As
ornaments to panels, arranged on box•pleats, and
trimmings to bodices, pines, large flowers, fruit and
leaves, arabeKines and geometrical deii4ns, are all
used. The front breadth, entirely covered with
velvet applique in continuous designs, is very hand-
some, bronze velvet on bronze satin being remarkably
elegant. With sueh a dress, the skirt would be edged
with a velvet plisse, the side breadths or panels being
of satin, and the back drapery ot velvet and satin, the
jaquette of velvet having a satin waistcoat.

IN the same article we read that handsome brocades,
in combination with velvet, satin, and rich silks, are
much worn as visiting, carriage, and reception dresses;
tunics, panels, and draperies being made of the bro.
cade, the train, if of the plain silk, having revers of
the brocade. The leading colours for winter wear are
claret, grenat, crimson, plum colour, and grey. This
does not prevent many blues—such as navy, and a
medium tint of peacoak—greens, Russian, myrtle,
Louis, being thoroughly fawhionable. Many of the
greys, blues, and greens are those known as the smoke
shades," with a species of grey bloom, as if seen through
smoke, which gives them very soft tints. Black is
very fashionably worn in rich silks and Irish poplin of
the best quality. The latter combines perfectly with
velvet; the different tones of the two materials have a
very artistic effect.

ELAcic lace is being largely employed for evening
wear; the same may be said of white. Either of these
as dresses admit of being worn over a great variety of
coloured skirts, but are never more elegant than when
the under dress is of the same as the lace, the black
generally being enlivened by coloured trimmings, or
an immense quantity of jet.

THE same journal gives the following description of
a waking dress of "Helvellyn " woollen material,
dark g nil:let in colour : The skirt is edged with a six-
inch baud of velveteen the same colour, above which
are three lines of tarrow gold braid ; the skirt is in
wide fist pleats mounted to a deep bsnd ; the pleats
are kept in place by ribbons underneath as far as the
velvet band. Polonaise of the same, fastening on the
left side with gold ball buttons, to four buttons below
the waist ; from here it is draped in several folds
under a long flot of velvet ribbon. The lower edge of
the tunic is trimmed, like the skirt, with a broad
velvet band and gold braid; this is not carried up the
raised part, which is left open, forming a point,
towards the left; the right side is cut much longer,
and draped in wide upright folds ; the tunic is raised
behind the hips, and hangs in a curve at the tack.
Shoulder cape quite plain on the shoulders with broad
hand of velveteen edging it, and velvet "col officier."
Velvet cuffs and gold buttons. Togue of the same
material as the dress, with wide flat velvet bow in
front.

COSTUME of Russian green cloth, with plain skirt,
cut in long scallops; under these are three scalloped
bands of the same, each falling over a scalloped red
band, which does not show more than an inch below.
Dinner dress of pale blue faille and Indian silk the
same shade, of very fine, soft quality. Round skirt of
blue taffetas, with nine narrow fluted flounces of faille ;
the front and left sides are trimmed with gathered
flounces of lace, each sewn on net nearly the same
width, the net heading being covered by the lace of the
flounce above. These form a rounded scallop in front,
covering the four top flutings of silk just in the centre,
A long drapery of Indian silk is pleated in numerous
folds to the left hip, showing the lace flounces on that
side; it crosses the front diagonally, hanging over the
skirt where not covered with lace frills, and turns round
to the back; here it is gracefully draped in the side
seams and at the centre of the back, and the end is
brought round to the left side, where it is drawn
together and fastened on the lace flounces, a little
above the knee, under a flat bow of satin ribbon. The
bodice of the Indian silk is open square, with a frill of
lace surrounding it and continued en jabot down the
front, where it turns off to edge the waist line, which
is pointed. A small scarf of the same silk, with late
at the edge, pleats into the point of the bodice at the
left side, is smooth over the hips, and hangs in a
graceful curve to meet the lace flounces ; the other
end of the scarf is pleated into the point at the
back. Elbow sleeves, with lace frill naught up by a
satin bow.

NEARLY all the new bonnets are made to suit the
hair, worn high on the top of the head. Plain and
terry velvet, with featiers of every kind, are the
fashionable and, indeed, only materials employed by
the leading milliners, flowers being almost exclusively
d for caps or evening headdresses. Describing the
productions of a prominent London millinery establish-
ment, the writer of an article on "London Fashions"
In the Queen says:—An "Olivia " shaped bonnet, the
crown composed of the green feathers of the parrakeet,
with a few wing feathers of the pheasant introduced
among them, is a marvel of elegance and good taste;
the strings, of salmon velvet lined with satin, are
arranged in plain folds across the front of the bonnet,
and the lined brim is filled with gathered lace; a
salmon-coloured aigrette at the left side. A combina-
tion of golden-brown and crocus yellow is remarkably
stylish, an ornament of shaded plumage, fastened
with tiny humming birds, being arranged at one side
of the gathered crown, and resting on the hair in a
very becoming fashion. A bonnet in the new shade of
" yiatercress " velvet has the round crown adorned
with a large cluster of pale cerise feathers, the rather
wide brim being lined with a border of curled feathers of
the same pretty tint; and a second, of bronze green velvet
and feathers, has a coronet front of glistening beads
In the form of shells, exactly reproducing the brilliant
colourings of Indian beetles' wings. An uncommon
looking aapota has the crown covered in brown net,
scattered with shaded satin leaves, veined and out-
lined with tinted beads; and another, in somewhat
aimilar style, of slate-grey velvet, with cerise aigrette
of marabcnt and strings of cherry velvet, was remark•
able for the novel arrangement of its gathered brim,
which was tilled with a close•eet row of clusters of
black bristles, tipped with silver. The velvet strings
sprang from the top of the crown, where they are tied
in a careless knot. We saw several pretty hats, mostly
variations of the still popular Henri 11. shape ; the
crown increased in height, the brim decreased in width,
and surrounded by a torsade of folded velvet or otto-
MALI silk. One we greatly admired was of brown
velvet, trimmed with golden drab feathers and knots
of satin ribbon; the brim, very shallow at the back,
was raised in a coquettish way over the left temple.
Another of volvet, with feathers of a rich myrtle shade,
was decorated with a large flat bow of chestnut and
vieil. or velvet.

In the neighbourhood of Agra alone no fewer than
sixty•tive children, from a few months to four yearn
old, are stated to have been carried off by wolves
during the recent hot weather and the rains. The
ravines bordering on the Janina and (Thumbs' rivers
are, it is stated, infested by these animals which are
apparently becoming more and more daring year by
year.