The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-01 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

LAST week, among the marriages in high life wh'ch
furnished fashionable circles with a topic was that of
the Hon. Francis Bowes Lyon, second son of the Earl
of Strathmore, with the Lady Anne Lindsay, fifth
daughter of the late Earl of Crawford and Balcarres,
which took place in London, at bt, Paul's Church,
Knightsbridge. We record the event as an item of
interest to our lady readers in connection with the
subject of this column. The bride wore a beautiful
dress, The bodice and train were of ivory satin, and
the front was composed of ivory brocade of handsome
design, on each side of which the satin was arranged
in a few broad plaits, Drapery of Brussels lace was
arranged very tastefully on one side, and on the other
was a handsome bow of satin. She wore a very small
wreath of orange blossoms and a tulle veil bordered
with pearls, which was caught back with diamond
stars, a tiara of which (her mother's gift) was arranged
in her wreath. The bodice, which was trimmed with
orange blossoms, was studded in front with several
diamond brooches; and she wore a beautiful pearl
necklace, with diamond clasps, the bridegroom's
present. The six bridesmaids' costumes were of grey
satin Merveilleux, bordered with beaver fur over plush
of a slightly darker shade, and cream lace waistcoats;
grey felt hats, trimmed with plush to match, and
ornamented with bright wings. Each wore a diamond
and pearl bee brooch, the bridegroom's present, and
carried a bouquet of chrysanthemums in various shades
of pink.

THERE is little variation or novelty to notice this
week either in styles or materials for dress. The
Queen, in an article on "London Fashions," points
out that there is, in the matter of dress proper, a de-
cided feeling in favour of the simplicity of bygone
days; we mean simplicity as applied to the arrange-
ment of material only, for the richness and variety of
the fabrics now produced—silks, satins, and brocades
—coupled with their magnificent colouring and beauty
of design, preclude all pretension to the use of this
term on the score of economy or even moderate price.
Round plain skirts are much in vogue, and are
especially suitable for the advantageous display of the
designs and iints of the velvet•figured ottomans,
brocaded velvets, brocatelles, and brochd satins gener-
ally adopted. For morning wear skirts are invariably
made short, but afternoon, visiting, and evening
toilettes are worn longer than formerly, just resting on
the floor.

YOUNG ladies' ball gowns are prettily made of
clouds of white, cream, or coloured tulle, and are
chiefly ornamented with a profusion of single blossoms
scattered over the entire skirt, which is arranged
" ballet " fashion in the prevailing style, the number-
less petticoats being of equal length, and gathered into
a pointed band of satin below the waist. Others have
the skirts covered with festoons of tulle, embroidered
net, or spangled gaup, and these are decorated here
and there with clusters of variegated feathers, fastened
with carelessly•arranged bows of velvet satin.
backed ribbons.

SHORT walking jackets of black or blue rough.sur.
faced cloth are bordered with Persian lamb or astra-
kan fur, profusely braided in true military style, and
others close-fitting or with cutaway fronts, displaying
a waistcoat, are made of a new rough material called
" Astrakan " cloth, the surface covered by raised and
curiously knotted loops, with good effect. Fine habit
cloth, in the fashionable dark shades of plum, green,
and electric-blue, together with lighter tones of grey•
fawn or geranium red, is much used for tailor.made
gowns designed for winter wear. They are character.
ised by simplicity of style, and are usually trimmed
with flat bands of velveteen, and ornamented
with shell, carved wood, or fancy metal but-
tons. A deep kilted skirt of fawn-coloured cloth
had a tunic of a lighter shade, with large checked
lines of grey and black, which fell in a sharp point
low on the front of the skirt, but gathered high on
either side; three folds of the checked material were
inserted on the Isft side of the kilted skirt. The
jacket bodice was of fawn•coloured cloth, the buff
linen waistcoat had narrow crossed :Loa of rod and
black. Other equally effective and thoroughly useful
costumes were of fine worsted cashmere, scith minute
checks of black and white, green and white, and
mixtures of Bordeaux, blue, or London smoke.

THE Paris Correspondent of the same journal says
that furs are in great demaud this winter, and they
are much worn both indoors and on walking costumes.
The favourite and the most costly is Russian sable,
then follow sealskin, chinchilla, the neck of the black
Russian fox (which is even more expensive than sable
tails), and next in rotation are skunk, Canadian
marten, &c. Skirts, without any fulness, are now
made both in seal and in mink.

FURRIERS follow the fashions more closely than in
previous years, and sealskin is no longer confined to
jackets, which had become a sort of uniform with Bog.
lishwomen, but it is made into shoulder capes, mante-
lets (short at the back and long in front), visites,
dolmans, chasubles, turbans, caps, and muffs. Seal
buttons and seal fringes are also to be seen.
High shouldered effects are given to all the seal
garments, and there lo a tendency to make the jackets
close-fitting about the waist, and fuller below the
waist line, as fashion now decrees in other materials.

SEALSKIN capes are shaped precisely like the broch4
velvet ones worn during the autumn. Sometimes they
are points() or shawl•shaped at the back and front,
and sometimes round. They have a high:standing
collar ard are lined with either crimson or old•gold
satin. The seal redingotes are often trimmed either
with sea otter, long black fox fleece, or plucked beaver.
Many of the seal visites are most graceful in shape.
They are warm, 4nd yet are not long enough to conceal
the dress. Usually the front is pointed, the sides high on
the shoulders, and the short back is box•plaited, so as
to make it bouffant over the tournure. The Alaska
seal is found to be the most durable, and the Shetland
seal is prized for the depth of its fleece, In making up
a jacket, &c., the pile is turned up; and the wearer
should stroke the fur upwards, instead of flattening it
downwards.