The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-09 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE continuation of mild weather has already had
the effect of directing attention to the new modes in
preperation for the ever-weloome season of spring;
but the uncertainties of our climate are such as to
render it extremely improbable that winter clothing
will be dispensed with for some weeks to come. Look-
ing forward, however, to the inevitable transition,
Le Monittur de la Mode says that ladies who
are gifted with a little foresight can readily
detect amongst the pravailing fashions those that are
likely to endure, aid to be found again in
the spring modes when these make their appearance.
One of these popular modes that is more likely to
grow in favour than to be abandoned is that of pleated
skirts, not the front but the back breadths, which fall
in large, full box-pleats, from the waist. Costumes
for day wear and evening toilettes are alike made in
this style, which is equally well adapted f.)r short
skirts and long trains, but the material must be of
goca quality—silk, satin, brochd, velvet, &c.; thinner
fehrics and woollen materials ere usually made up
with puffed draperies at the back.

THE same authority'eays that the redingote again is
a mode by no means likely to be abandoned, whether
made with long plain fronts for cutdoor wear, or as a
ourea2e, pointed in front and with long pleated tail.'
at the back, for evening toilette. Tunica, long and
short, rounded and pointed, puffed and draped, are as
popular as ever, and may be simply or elaborately
arranged according to the nature of the material and
the taste of the wearer.

IN an article on "Paris Fashions," the Queen says:
Embroidery still plays a prominent pail in all full•
dress toilettes, be they intended for young or middle.
aged wearers. Tabliers of evening dresses are made of
either white tulle, embroidered with white chenille,
needle, or white jet, or of coloured tulle, worked with
'Pads to match. Feathers are most popular for
trimming all evening dresses, wheth:r as feather
fringes, feather bands, or clusters of feathers, used, as
flowers formerly were, for draping overskirts and
tunics. Small birds ready to take wing, are to be seen
nestling in the folds of an overskirt, or perching in the
corner of a bodice, on many new evening dresses.
Large and small butterflies, dragon flies with trail.
sparent green wings, and beetles, are used In the same
manner.

GREAT taste continues to be displayed in the cos-
tumes of the ballroom, and in a " Rev;ew of the
Fashions," Le Moniteur de la Monde states that a
great many ball toilettes are composed entirely of
silk lace in some delicate tender shade on a foundation
to match. The corsage, or rather corselet, is of velvet
in a darker and differtnt but harmonious colour, the
lace bodice under it is either high, low, or square cut,
as may be preferred, and the sleeves are also ci iace,
unlined if reaching to the elbow, or a mere pnff of the
shoulder if the bodice is cut low, Velvet bows match.
ing the corsage are placed here and there on the skirt.
The most fashionable combinations of colour are brown
or prune velvet with a cream lace Orli dark green
with pale pink, bronze or dark blue with light blue,

IN reference to the ornamental appendages, in
which there is scope for every variety of taste, the
same writer says that the most lovely flowers for ball
toilettes are made of satiny plush; roses of this
material in all colours being mounted in long
sprays or wreaths for bordering the skirt,
train, or paniere. Smaller flowers are mounted
as fringes for bordering draperies, berthes,
and short sleeves; and separate flowers, espe.
cially rotes, carnations, and moss-rose buds, each
with a few small leaves attached, are much used for
sprinkling and dotting amongst the puffs and bouil-
lonnees of lace, net, and gauze skirts. Tiny birds,
perched on sprays of chenille foliage, are also amongst
the fashionable trimmings for ball toilettes. A dress
of ripe corn-coloured satin Is ornamented in this
manner, three sprays being placed at the edge of the
folds of the train with long trailing tendrils reaching
up to the waist. The corsage is of dark moss green
velvet, the same colour as the chenille sprays, and the
ornament for the coiffure is a bird and diamond
aigrette. The white kid shoes are embroidered to
match the dress. Kid shoes, as fine and soft as glove
kid, are the favourite chaussure for evening wear;
they match the toilette in colour, and are richly erne
broidered with silk, chenille, beads, gold, and silver,
to correspond with the ornamentation of the dress.

ON the subject of children's dress, Myra's Journal
says: There seems to be no abatement in the extreme
luxury of children's dress which was heralded by the
approach of winter. Not only for parties and evening
wear are rich fabrics used, but the handsomest plushes
and velvets figure in their walking costumes. Their
pardessus are specially handseme, the thapes being
as stylish as the material. Velvet Memento in paletot
shape, with long pblerines, are in great favour for
girls from five to eleven or twelve, quite plain or
trimmed with bands of fur or marabout. In this last
case the fronts close under the fur band in the centre;
but if plain they are generally double-breasted, fasten-
ing with silver or rteel buttons. The same shape is
made in green, claret, brown, or husear•blue cloth,
trimmed with chinchilla fur.

IN connection with the subject of dress for the
young, it will not be inappropriate to quote the
following note from the Queen on suitable dresses to
be worn at Qonfirmatiomi :—The more simple in
style they are the better. The whole toilet should
be white, not necessarily shoes, which are sometimes
lirotizA. sometimes black, but as often as not either
white kid or satin. The choice of materials for cons
titivation dresses lies between white Indian muslin,
book muslin made up over silk, white nainsook,
white brilliant, white striped cambric, nun's cloth,
alpaca, and cashmere, and soft washing silk, The
wore plainly these can be made up the better. Trim-
mings of almost any kind are not considered appro-
priate; no lace is used, no fringes, no beads, merely
a large ribbon sash. The arrangement of the skirts
cultists mostly of three box-plaits or three kilt-plaits,
a drapery above this finishing at the side, and
bouffant round the waist, and, in nine cases out of
ten; the bodice is made plain and full, with a band.
The new accordion skirts in white woollen fabrics are
admirably suited to the occasion; they are graceful,
simple, and merely rcqaire drapery over them.
Very rarely a soft washing silk is used for the dresses,
and this is most soft end pretty so arranged. Plain
waterfall skirts (that is, the material simply hemmed
and made very full at the waist), with no further
adornment but some looped bows at the side, is a style
of making to be recommended for any soft woollen
stuff. We have seen a skirt of muslin, or nun's cloth,
with the fulness caught in a sort of diamond all over
the front, and at each corner a bow of narrow ribbon;
the back of the skirt plaited d l' Abbe, the bodice full.
With regard to the headdress. Veils are not nearly
s much worn as caps; the size is 2yds, of the clearest
tulle, hemmed, a point falling just over the face to the
waist, A cap is preferable; this is slightly pointed in
front, and fits the head quite closely. The tulle is
simply caught down full upon the shape, and allowed
to fall in two long ends to the waist at the back;
round the edge next the face there is a soft tulle ruche.
Tulle caps are seldom worn without the tulle hanging
at the back. Either silk, kid, or Sado gloves com-
plete the dress.

THE Paris correspondent of the Queen says that in
bonnets there is endless variety at all the fashionable
fetes, and many are to be seen with narrow brims,
pointed in the centre, a form they affected some six
mouths ago. Sometimes lb were form the crown;
blossoms of the sweet pea, white velvet daisies, and
sutumn•tinted plush leaves have all been used for this
purpose. The undecided weather leaves the milliner
in much perplexity how to arrange, and with what to
campose her new bonnets so that they may look
wintry and yet have a dash of spring about them.
Fur such as otter or beaver, small wings, aigrettei,
ostrich, and marabout feathers are all fashionable,
with crowns of pink, white, and yellow velvet.

IN regard to children's millinery, Myra's Journal
says: Felt hats are made this year of very fice and
supple quality ; the brim is always without exception,
lined with velvet put on quite Plain and flat. No
flowers are used for trimming hats, and wings, which
have been used to excess lately, are giving place to
fanciful made-up plumes or ostrich feather tips in rich
colours. The plumes no matter of what kind, never
or rarely match the hat in shade, but are of a lighter
or more striking colour.