The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-24 00:00:00

CATHERINE'S MISTAKE,

OR,
• A SECRET FOR YEARS

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

Tun Queen has the following: A hat or a bonnet is
almost the most important item of the toilette. This
season there is much that is novel, both as regards
form and material. French women have been wear-
ing the Olivia shape for a long time; but this autt.mm;
it has been modified to English tastes, and is very
little more remarkable than the Marie Stuart. In
the latter the point bends towards the forehead, in
the Olivia it rises above. It is applied to plain and
fancy straws, to chenille bonnets' and indeed to all
kinds, and often has a cord at the edge.

MANY of the smoothly-covered shapes have still an
outer covering, such as fancy silk-woven lace, like
openwork stockings, or fine netted cord. Stocking-
nette bonnets, too, are worn in stone, brown, and
'other colours; the material is the same as the silk
jerseys, and is applied alike to hats and bonnets:
Felts of all kinds and silk beavers are being adopted
as winter approaches. The felts are much trimmed
with chenille on the brims. Bonnets made of the
same material as the dress are fashionable, the fabric
covering the shape without fulness; merino and cash-
mere are richly embroidered. Plush-covered bonnets
are perhaps the nevtet most fashionable, judging
from the vast stock in one of the chief wholesale
houses which supplies the leading West-end firms.
We propose describing more fully what is now to be
seen at this establishment, in order that our readers
may, as it were, be "well posted up" in the matter
of millinery modes. Raven feathers are not only
coloured and painted, but stamped with mediocval
designs in gold, red, blue, stone, and similar colourings
which we know by the name of "Theodore." Even
the birds with outstretched wings for hats and bonnets
are thus painted all ovsr.

STRAW bonnets promise to he worn during the demi-
season—plain straw, chips, and the new Swiss plait,
which shows the shiny surface of the straw and is
spiky. A perfectly new form is La Casque, like a
helmet, the straw of the crown running from the fore-
head to the back of the head, while in the brim it
goes round. Coarse plaits in many colourings are
popular; plaited grass also is now introduced. Bows
and loops are secured with a variety of ornaments in
gold, steel, and beads, such as feathers of jet or gold
leaves, daggers, and quivers. Pins in every variety,
too, are utilised, some with garnet beads, others with
crests or hatchets. There is nothing particularly new
in beads, though they are much used, especially the
wooden carved ones, which in millinery are called
"cocoa," and were brought out in the summer. Dull
jet is interwoven with bright French jet, and irri-
discent beads in all shades are employed with tinsel
wherever it can peep in and in whatever form. The
shamrock is a new shape of bead, dating from the
Royal visit to the Emerald Isle. The colourings are
lead, bronze, garnet, and green. The newest kind of
ribbon for bonnet strings has alternate stripes of
watered silk, satin, and plush, with the old-fashioned
purl, or picot edge brought in again. The colours
brown (mordore), red of a cardinal shade, Zulu (the
new gold shade), crevette, beige, and, above all,
plomb (lead). The purl edge is applied to reversible
satin ribbon, satin ottoman, and satin and, velvet, and
some of the striped ribbons have a corded edge.
White ribbons are not now much used; about two
inches and a-half is the width usually employed. The
plush used in millinery has a short pile, the velvet
known as Velours Supreme a long pile. Velvet with
a satin cord in irregular stripes, and Satin Pointille
—that is covered with tiny pin points of a terry natute
—are the materials most employed.

MANY of the new bonnets have black beaded crowns
and fancy flaring fronts, while chenille worked on to
the material is commonly used. The straws are,
many of them, threaded through with gold in lqng
loose stitches. -Very original are some of the new
models from Paris; for example, the Poppy bonnet.
The back is entirely composed of a gigantic poppy,
made of infinitesimal feathers; another on the front,
the two constituting the bonnet. Bronze and gold
are a favourite mixture; steel and navy blue are also
worn, and dark green. Many of the strings are of
shaded ribbon. Some bonnets display birds entirely
made of beads and portions of the bird of Paradise.
Cloth bonnets are prepared for later on, with velvet
and hackle feathers. A stylish white felt bonnet is
lined with red, and many cloth bonnets of beige and
other tones are covered with embroidery in metallic
beads. A brown velvet bonnet is plaited like the
petals of a flower. Jetted lace is largely employed,
but the great novelty of the year is velvet lace,--viz.,
velvet embroidered and worked like lace. This is
used as trimmings, and also employed as crowns, as in
the case of a bonnet of a beige shade, with a mass of
feathers on one side. A stockingette bonnet is bor-
dered with a blue bronze edge, and trimmed with
velvet and feathers. A gold and silver brim is intro-
duced on a green velvet bonnet, with Impeyan
pheasant feathers. The wooden beads play an im-
portant party in millinery.

HATS this year are made with high crowns ; indeed,
in Paris they are preposterously high, having huge
metallic buckles in front. Many of the felt, velvet,
and cloth-covered hats are dotted all over with beads
half an inch apart, others with loop of beads; and
some again are covered with fancy-wove open and trans-
parent fabrics, and with netting like the bonnets.
Many have astrakan brims, not put on, but forming
part and parcel of the fabric; and some bats are com-
posed entirely of this woollen astraltan. Many of the
brims widen in front, and become narrow at the back.
Beaver bats are made with the narrow
pointed crowns worn about 1792, during
the period of the French Republic,
when George 111. was King. The same shape obtains
in stockingnette. Hats, too, like bonnets, are
closely covered with plush. The felt ones are to be
had in all kinds of colouring, light blue, r6seda,
bright Zulu beige, but dark brown, dark red, and
green will be most worn.

ANOTHER novelty are hats covered entirely with
small feathers, like the breast of a bird. The new
travelling hats exactly meet the wants of those who
travel. They are made in soft felt, bound with corded
ribbon, and have a flat bow of the same in front.
They could be put in the pocket Without injury. The
Spanish or turban hat has been revived, and has
found favour; but the particular fashion of the
moment is the Academic hat, such as is worn by
students at college, and which the Princess of Wales
has invested with a new beauty. The crown is no
longer a stiff chopping boaid ; the plush or velvet is
allowed to be limp, and one point falls at the side
with a knot of white ribbons secured to it. These are
specially adapted to children; so is the Edward VI.
shape, with the soft, low, round crown, as large as
the narrow brim. Hats from Paris, for grown-up
people, are covered lightly and plainly with satin,
and have very largo feathers; beavers are much worn.
Some of them are extravagantly high in the crown,
and show as many as six tips of ostrich feathers
beside an aigrette.

Vnt.vm hats are interblended with beaver on the
brim, and the mode of ar..anging the feathers is to
place them at the side. Square plush plaited crowns,
and beaver crowns are certainly the fashion.