The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-17 00:00:00

GOSSIP., ON DRESS.

•
Tin problem of drsss in the mid-seasons of the
year is a rather difficult one. When the sun is
shining a summer gown seems not amiss; but
on the very next day, if not on the same
afternoon, a heavy mist may hang about the
atm. °sphere, rendering all things dreary and wintry
of aspect. A summer dress is then a ridiculous
object; a thing that right-minded people feel inclined
to resent. The anomaly, therefore, may frequently
be observed of light tinted muslins and heavy autumn
fabrics contrasting with each other at the same
moment. Whether the wearer of the former is too
cold, or the wearer of the latter too hot, would be
difficult to decide! Only a very few seem able to
grapple successfully with the dress question,
and, while avoidinc, the extremes, to present an aspect
consistent with each changing phase of the weather.

IT is not for want of suitable materials that dress
is not always conformable to the season. British
manufacturers are by no means behindhand in the
production of fabrics of every possible degree of
lightness or warmth. To take the fashionable canvas
as an instance—it may be had in a texture suited to
the most summer-like of autumn days, or in one that
is thick enough and warm enough to defy the wintriest
of blasts. It is not in this direction that there is any
failure. This is but one material among several
hundreds, and in fact the only difficulty is that of
choice among so much that is attractive. But what
we want is foresight. When summer suns shine upon
us we enjoy their brightness, well pleased hnd careless
of the morrow. When autumn winds blow chill, the
day of reckoning comes. Gowns have an annoying
way of all getting shabby at once. This may be only
a generous kind of esprit de corps, proving the un-
willingness of any to shine when the companions are
dingy. But it is nevertheless exasperating to the
owner. Dressmakers are hunted up; but, alas! all
are busy. Only those who enjoy the invaluable gift
of foresight have managed to be beforehand, and the
multitude is all rushing to have its frocks made up at
once. The consequence is that limp and forlorn-
looking summer gowns are to be seen about on the
most cheerless and drizzling of autumn days, and the
doctors have their hands full with patients who have
"caught cold," and are apparently so pleased with
their malady that they take no pains to get rid of it
until it has developed into a smart touch of bron-
chitis, inflammation of the lungs, or something equally
disagreeable and dangerous.
• •

ROUGIIINESS of surface and a superficially apparent
coarseness of texture are the princinal characteristics
of the new autumn and winter materials. Dashes of
colour are introduced in sudden flecks and dots raised
above the level of the woollen fabrics, and where
stripes are introduced they are principally composed
of a series of lines of these flecks, which present a sort
of irregular regularity. On handling the very roughest
of these materials, however, the touch assures one
that they are composed of the finest wool. It is only
to the inexperienced eye that they lcok cheap. As a
fact, they are by no means so, as regards the beat
quality of these new materials.

AT the same time, good woollen fabrics are told at
very low prices, and though they may fail to present
all the eccentricities of the more costly kinds, they
are in reality none the worse for that. To be ultra-
fashionably attired is a meaningless ambition where
the means are limited, and incases where true economy
ought to avoid what is run after one year and for-
gotten the next. Perhaps the best and purest taste is
that which unconsciously selects the plain-coloured
woollen materials, and intuitively rejects stripes,
speckles, and other patterns. Such unanimity would
be bad for trade, which needs all possible encourage-
ment at this moment, and would also be productive of
a rather depressing monotony in the matter of dress.
And stripes are perfectly unobjectionable if carefully
treated. If whisked about hither and thither, so that
they annoy the eye by their distracting lines, they are
odious; but if bkilfullv managed and harmoniously
arranged they form a valuable relief to the plain
simplicity of what i 3 known as a self-coloured
material.

IT is fortunate that it is so: for stripes appear upon
everything—on plushes, velvets, velveteen, and silks.
In the softer fabrics, with raised pile, some of the
colours blend very effectively. There are velvets
with stripes of moss-green and black, myrtle and
moss-green brown and stone colour, or old gold and
violet, which are admirably adapted for trimmings.
Striped silks, intended for a similar purpose, are in
such contrasts as caroinal and smoke-colour, and
poppy and myrtle green, lettuce green and toad.
colour, gold and black, reseda and myrtle, fawn and
m ms-colour, and fawn and dark brown. All these
tints look even to better advantage in the beautifill
new plushes, the softness of whose pile brings out to
perfection the qualities of the lovely dyes. There are
browns which brighten into pure gold in the high
lights; greens which look flecked with sunlight as
though they were moss with the shadows of a tracery
of leaves thrown on them in some cool glade; yellows
with all the tints of ripe corn under cloud or sun;
end plum colours with a bloom on them that emulates
the fruit itself. These soft plushes are made in
half a hundred different tints, and good managers
will readily perceive the utility of haying one or two
bodices of this warm and beautiful material to wea.
with the ready-made skirts which can be bought af
the best shops.

ASTRAKHAN is to appear upon everything this season,
not only in the form of the fur itself, but in the in-
numerable fluffy imitations that are produced in
almost every material. In silk it is immensely used
for trimming bonnets and hats, and the soft loops
and rings have a very soft and becoming effect. In
woollen materials, the new astrakhan will he made
into costumes, with an admixture of some woollen
fabric of plainer surface. In cloth it is used for
coats and jackets, and is especially to be recommended
for children's outdoor garments. It is sometimes
called curl cloth, and is occasionally made on the
same principle as stockingette, which gives it an
elasticity that is very comfortable in wear, and also
conduces to excellence of fit. The colours are varied,
including black, navy blue, myrtle green, cardinal,
grenat, wine-colour, and cigar-brown. It is gene-
rally made in double width.

Tun new cloths for mantles are of an elaborate
description. The sloped plushes are the great
novelty, so far, of the season. These graduated piles
made their appearance before In the brocaded de-.
signs, but have now been brought to greater perfec-
tion in the manufacture. They will probably always
remain expensive, since the process of making is an
elaborate one, and therefore costly. The terry cloths
are also of great beauty, the floral and other designs
being produced in raised loops, set very closely to-
gether, which give an appearance of richness and
softness combined. Brocaded plashes and velvets are
still in great favour, and mantles in the larger designs
are invariably made quite long. Jackets, on the
contrary, are short, and the principal novelty for
their trimming is the rosary bead.

THIS is also adapted to bonnets, which are smaller
again for winter wear. The immensely high trim-
mings have disappeared. Moderation has replaced
eccentricity, and the new shapes will be found much
less trying than the old. The stockingette hats are
scarcely pretty. There is a lavish display upon them
of what looks like the back seam of a silk stocking,
and this is scarcely reconcilable with one's ideas of
what is pretty and graceful in a hat. A foolish
fashion is als3 being introduced of painting the wings
of birds for hat trimmings.

THE "Doctor of Music" caps have suffered change
since Lheir introduction. They have been to Paris,
and have returned with a sheaf of ribbons hanging
out from the crown instead of the orthodox tassel. A.
grave and portly Doctor of Music would scarcely
feel inclined to don his cap with such a frivolous
addition as this. In plush or velvet, however, the
imitations are hardly traceable to their original
source. They look more like modified Tam o'
Shanters.

IDAINTY little sets are made for wearing on cold
days, consisting of hat, deep cape collar, and muff.
One of these is in mouse-coloured plush and beaver.
The hat is of plush, trimmed with a band of the fur
round the edge of the rolled brim. The collar is
mo.ao ont;roiT of fur, aria is just deep ennugh to
reach to the top of the arms. The muff is of plush,
with a narrow line of beaver at either end. It is of
the bag shape, and is lined with poppy-coloured satin.
A bunch of poppies brightens the hat, and the muff
is slung to the fastening of the collar by a perfect
Niagara of poppy-coloured velvet ribbons. A knot of
similar ribbon and a poppy nestles in the plush folds
of the muff.
ANOTHER set is in sealskin, and a third is in striped
velvet and skunk. Felt hats are much worn at pre-
sent. Tney are made in all the new colours, so that
they may match the winter dress. A silk scarf
dashed with bright autumnal tints forms the popular
trimming for them, or one of canvas striped with bars
of Oriental embroidery. If the dress be myrtle green,
the hat matches it, while the trimming is chosen to
carry out the colours of the stripes or flecks which are
introduced into the dress. This makes a kind of
harmony, which is very valuable to those who dress
with taste. Theremay be a number of colours intro-
duced, but so long as they are kept together and not
! permitted unduly to spread themselves over the whole
,I of the attire, no one can accuse [them of undue pro-
minence.

"Another man hurried to the grave by self-indul-
gence," was the comment of a local paper of Milan,
Mo., when Jame 2 Williams died. He was a whiskey
drinker and tobacco chewer, and he died aged on 6
hundred and six years.
A bright little miss was given a warm cookie by a
neighbour. Though contrary to her custom, the
mother allowed the child to eat it. Shortly the little
girl exclaimed, "Mamma, let me go and get another
cookie; I know Mrs. -- will give me one." " Nei
dear, it will make you sick." "Will I die and go ti
heaven ?" "Yes." "Well, Mrs. -- (her Sunday,
school teacher) says heaven is a beautiful place."
"You don't want to go to heaven and leave papa and
mamma, do you ?" "Well, mamma, you get a
cookie too and come with me to heaven." -