The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-10 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE month of May came upon us with bright sun-
shine, but with little of that genial warmth which
would be so agreeable a change from the cold east
winds which prevailed during a greater part of the
preceding month. In matters of fashion the month
of May is usually regarded as the herald of summer;
and there are already some indications of what will
be worn during the last days of spring and the earlier
days of the warmer season which succeed it. The
Queen describes some costumes of Parisian manu-
facture which have recently been on view in London.
We make the following extracts from the article:
Imagine a half-mourning toilette of black satin and
velvet, with satin of a tint of veritable " pearly "
grey. At the sides of the skirt were wide panels of
grey satin, the edges straight and merely bound with
silken cord to match. The panels were worked all
over with a pattern of oval rings two together and
interlaced, one of dull steel beads, the other of bright
steel spangles. In front, below the edge of the panels
which gradually opened from the waist, and on either
eide c f a plastron of plain grey satin, was a
band of thread - worked net outlined with
sinei steel spangles, which also bordered the
skirt above a narrow kilting, and down
the centre was a perpendicular row of stiffly-arranged
" wheatsheaf " bows of narrow satin ribbon of the
same tender shade. The long square-cut twin was
of black satin with a narrow centre breadth of velvet
down its entire length. It appeared to commence
from the front of the petticoat, forming short and
pointed paniers, raised on the hips, where it was
fashioned into a broad " cornucopia " shaped plait
lined with pearl satin and also embroidered with
beads. The sides of the train were also lined with
steel-embroidered satin, part of the side panels men-
tioned above, which, carried back as revers, fell at
each side of the train in pointed folds to the ground.
The bodice was of black satin pointed back and front,
made short on the hips in the now prevailing style.
Below the square-cut opening was a narrow waistcoat
of pearl-grey satin covered with steel-worked net,
which also surrounded the corsage, and formed a fril-
ling inaida of lace and cut jet beads.
The elbows sleeve, cut up and curved to the shoulder,
on the upper part of the arm had epaulettes of strings
of large-sized beads. The bodice was crossed in front
with festoons of glittering beads.

tha liediei enlla.r

ANOTHER original costume described in the same
article, was a costume of black gros-grain, with folds
and revers of satin of old-fashioned lavender shade,
trimmed with bands and fringes of jet and a galloon
of silver thread. It had a jacket bodice of black
silk, cut straight on the hips, and below the edge of
the basque was a fold of coloured satin, above which
wt>s a light fringe of single strands of jet. One side
of :,he silk petticoat was trimmed with two perpen-
dicular rows of jet and silver galloon, terminating in a
folded " upholstery " drapery, below which was a
flounce of beaded black net, with lining of lavender
satin. The front of the skirt was plain; at the right
was a drapery bordered with galloon, edged with
lavender satin and a fringe of strands of jet; the
back wail fully puffed, and had a shaped revers of
satin, pointed from the waist, to the edge of the over-
dress, which nearly concealed the petticoat beneath.

A WALKING costume of sicilienne, of an exquisite
shade of tourtdelle grey, had a polonaise bodice over
a skirt of the same material, composed of wide box-
plaits bordered by a flat band of grey galloon, with
a pattern of velvet scales and a scalloped edge of
shaded fris6 silk. The polonaise was most cleverly
cut, anl arranged in such cunning fashion as to give
the idea of a jacket with a basque of graduated points
outlined with bands of galloon, below each of which
was a folded drapery describing a series of curves.
The collar was high and deep, turned down at the
neck a la Byron, and the front of the bodice was
crossed with cordons of silk and chenille. The
sleeves were close-fitting, and cut out in a point at
the cuffs, showing a box-plait of silk, finished with
twisted silk cord.

AMONG the all-black toilettes of silk or woollen
stuffs, relieved in most instances with handsome jet
passementerie or lace worked with closely-set beads,
we remarked a simple yet stylish costume, composed
of cashmere and a material called "canvas grena-
dine," the pattern covered with beads. The skirt was
of cashmere, edged with a frill, and at the sides were
longitudinal folds of the same, increasing in width to
the back. The short paniers, festooned over the
hips, were caught up high on the back of the skirt,
and finished with loops of dull black ribbon. The
close-fitting bodice had a deftly arranged and folded
plastron front of beaded grenadine canvas, which
reached from the neck almost to the edge of the
skirt.

ANOTHER charming dress was of black satin and
sicilienne, with round plain skirt of satin entirely
Covered with horizontal rows of narrow dull silk braid.
Over this was a polonaise of sicilienne, quite untrim-
med, but draped with marvellous taste, gathered round
the neck, and down the front to the waist, where it
was confined by a girdle of black satin ribbon. An
arternou toilette for warm and con-
genial weather was made wan t,IAL‘,.., 14e,
on a skirt of soft black satin, with overdress of silk
grenadine, with the narrowest satin lines. The satin
bodice had a jabot of lace adorned with ribbon bows,
arranged with consummate taste, and the drapery of
the overdress took the form of two festoons, one loose
and rather long, the other folded and fastened some-
what higher. On the right side of the skirt were
three rosettes of satin; at the back was a long and
gracefully looped-up scarf. In white, cream, or grey
grenadine, or velvet-figured gauze over satin, this
would be equally pretty, and especially suitable for the
evening wear of young married ladies or girls.

Fon first or second mourning, when crape is not
en regle, there was a pretty mantle called "July,"
made of embroidered net, lined with thin black silk,
and trimmed with French lace flounces and orna-
ments of dull beads, which are novel and effective. A
good-sized mantle, shaped as they all are, with deep
cape at the back, and long scarf ends below the waist
in front, was of black silk lace over satin Merveilleux,
the pattern "needle run "by hand—that is, worked
all round with cord of the finest twist, passed in and
out the threads. The cape was trimmed with flounces
of lac‘e, headed with jetted gimp. The wide sleeves,
which sprung from the shoulders, were also of similar
lace, but of flounces of narrower width, and studded
at intervals with tassels of jet to match.

A LONDON morning paper has a special article on
"Paris Fashions," from which we quote the follow-
ing: Full chemisettes and full fronts to bodices and
polonaises promise to be very much in vogue through-
out the summer, Perhaps women are getting some-
what tired of being corseted so tightly, and hail the
semi-freedom thus afforded to them. For young
girls such garments are peculiarly applicable, as
allowing considerable play to the chest and arms, and
draping in a becoming manner lank or half-formed
figures. They are also useful as permitting those
of small means to attire themselves fashionably,
and at a moderate cost, with the newly-made
gowns to be found at linendraper's, and so escape
the heavy toll levied by the dressmaker. Most
simple summerscotton gowns will be worn with blouse
or polonaise tunic ajuste behind only. All tea gowns
and home dresses are made so, whether in dark-liped
cashmere and Sarah, with round kilted skirt, or the
more dressy train-robe, open in front over draperies
full
cream-
white of creamy lace and delicate tinted silk. A very re-
markable gown of this sort has a "knife blade"
taffetas,
hemi:
white cashmere
w black velvet swallows,
i
se plaitedt t e ofpeertetainico-aetoloofureaudroz,painndk
train robe of m
and edged with strewn th
"frivolous " ruchings of pink and
white' '

,
FOR evening gOwns the full front is plaited in close
folds to the waist, ribbons sewn to the side seams
being drawn down in a very long point and tied over
it. White and cream-coloured polonaises of cash-
mere are made in this way to wear over plain skirts
figured with large fruits and flowers. They are effective
without being extravagant, a pleasant exception in
these days of unlimited lace, embroidery, and passe-
menterie. Another style of gown, at once pretty and
inexpensive, is made of nun's veifing, the front of the
skirt being covered with woollen balls to match,
which, pendant to a double loop of cord, dangle like
cherries on their stalks. In pearl grey, aurora pink,
faintest Arctic blue, sulphur yellow, and cream, they
are suitable for small evening parties and weddings in
the present, and for almost general wear in the balmy
future of summer.

IN the artificial conservatories the cherries have
ripened before the real trees in the orchards are out
of bloom. Many of the new spring bonnets that ap-
peared during Easter week were decorated with this
bright red fruit, surmounted by sheaves of green corn,
or plumes of foliage and ywhite flowers. They suit
the prevailing taste for crimson in millinery. Large
butterfly bows of scarlet velvet seem equally in favour
for bonnets, black, brown, or grey. Several garters of
terry velvet ribbon, of the same brilliant hue, were
used to deck high-crowned hats; while red velvet
capotes were mostly decorated with green grasses,
plumes of white lilac, white heather, and that dainty
'little meadow-flower which goes here by the name of
the "artist's despair," so tiny, feather-like, and in-
tangible is its form.

A TACK-MAKING MACIIINE.—An American paper
says that a Connecticut man has perfected an auto-
matic machine for making upholsterers' tacks, and is
producing the goods at Torrington. These tacks have
so far been always imported, and the secret of the
English manufacture is not known. Various at-
tempts have been made in this country to devise
machinery for producing these goods, but resulting in
failure. One firm sank 20,000 dols. in the endea-
vour. Another firm, fifteen years ago, partly suc-
ceeded, but failed financially. The new machine
turns out perfect tacks at the rate of 150 per minute.
An average day's work is 60,000. One man can take
care of four of these machines. By using different
dies the heads may be either round or cone-shaped,
and severalsizes can be made. After shaping, another
machin polishes the face of the metal. The im-
mense quantity used is shown by the fact that an im-
porter in New York receives eight or ten millions of
_ -
these tacks monthly.