The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-08-11 00:00:00

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THE changes of fashion for the present month are
very few, and refer principally to costumes suitable
for travelling, the sea-side, or the country. Alluding
to the latter, the writer of an article on "French
Fashions" in the Queen says :—Dress in the French
ct.âeaux is, as a rule, simple; 4cru, batiste. cr toile de
Joy, with immense flowers on white, pink, blue and
pale chamois grounds, form the morning costume.
The high bodices are either gathered in front, or made
with three wide plaits; and the small, straight collar
is piped with white. The round waistband is fastened
with a buckle—motLer•o'-pearl, niello, or old enamel,
sometimes costing large sums. The skirts are simply
draped, either è labonne femme, or d la payeanne. The
stockings always match them in colour, and the shoes
—the latest novelty in these is that they match also.
And to meet this latest freak, not only are coloured
kid shoes made, but several shades of the same colour.
As the present is decidedly a rainy season, thick shoes
are worn for walking; they are black kid, laced in
front, and half high. Waterproof cloaks are univer-
sally worn, and they have ceased to he ugly, as they
are made in such soft colouringi as grey, stone, fawn,
and brown. They are exceedingly light in weight,
although they are very long, and have large sleeves.

THE same correspondent, in noticing the appropriate
styles in hats and bonnet, says :—For morning
strolls in parks drawn batiste bonnets are adopted ;
they are in plain colours, and trimmed with field
flowers or cherries ; for carriage wear rou,.d straw
hats, with magnificent feathers; and for excursions
felt hats, with wings. The dinner dresses are most
elegant—mousseline de soie or nun's veiling skirts,
with plain velvet or brocatelle bodices. Fichus of
silk linon, tied d /a paysanne, and fastpne'l with
natural flowers, are. worn over the light checked or
striped silk dresses affected by young ladies.

PARASOLS are particularly pretty this servion ; they
are painted with large flowers, birds, insects, Stc. But
at the seaside, where these paintings would be soon
destroyed, they are replaced by embroidered parasols,
on which lobsters, crabs, shrimps, and silvery fish
disport themselves on a red ground. Chatelaines
holding opera glasses, scissors, knife, thimble, Sze.,
suspended from long chains, are in great favour, and
some are exquisite specimen's of the silversmith's art.
The chatelAine bag is once again poputar ; with the
present style of skirt it is more convenient than the
pocket, and offers an excuse for one more elegant
accessory, provided it is not too large.

AT a fashionable French watering-place, we are told
many of the visitors change their costumes four times
every day. In the early morning for going to the
etablissement, a self•coloured cotton, either trimmed
with lace, or studded with large flowers without
foliage ; a basket hat with fruit or flowers. At twelve
o'clock a nun's veiling costume, often blue, stitched
with red, blo,lse bodice, and waistband with paste
buckle, Louis XI. hat of feathers and velvet. On the
beach, lace skirts with flowered batiste bodices:
Duchess de Berri hats, trimmed with velvet. For
evauings ivory Sorah dresses, trimmed with lace, are
very generally worn. Bulgarian scarves are exten-
sively used. The Oriental flowers and leaves are cut
out and applique on the richest materials, the edges
being outlined with gold thread.

THE writer of a special article on the thpic of "Paris
Fashions," in the Daiiy Telegraph, says :—Almost the
only material really unspoilable is serge cloth when
it has been properly shrunk before beinz used, and
when making choice of such a gown for real hard usage
on deck, moor, or coverside, it h beat to eschew the
fashionable grey, as damp stains it, for a time at
least, and for a skirt to appear temporarily hemmed
with black is an effect to be avoided. Navy blue is an
all enduring colour, and white, out of the way of town
smuts and griminess, runs little risk of alteration, and,
after submission to the care of a clearer, looks as
well as ever, which may not be often said of
colours. When an English yachting suit has been
included among the list of gowns, it has seen much
service of late during these nil:genial weeks.
Women who have no particular partiality for a
yachting get-up on shore may adopt the French
arrangements of these dresses, the woollen skirt, upon
which are sewn many rows of mohair braid, either
vertically or horizontally, with draped or lavreuee
tunic and tight-fitting jacket, pleated blouse or loose.
fronted bodice and vest, instead of the typical sailor
shirt with wide collar, knotted handkerchief, and
embroidered ensign. Nor need they confine their
choice of colours among the various combinations of
red, navy blue, and white. A dark blue foundation
may have graduated rows of light blue braid; one of
plum-coloured serge, grey braid; brown, 6cru braid.

Mom extensive z,aterial, truly than mohair is
velvet, but where a few yards of the one will suffice,
a whole piece of the ether is requisite. Velvet
cut on the cross and ribbon velvet are adopted im-
partially so far. Good use will be made of both for
the autumn. There is an affectation of simplicity in
bands of ribbon velvet for trimming which chimes
in with the taste of the day. The cross-cut bands
are sewn one both sides, the ribbon oily on
one. A skirt arranged in shallow pleats on
a cuirass band, and ornamented with one or
two rows of velvet, is at present fashionale:e in cream.
white serge, tan, fawn, or any other colour, and will
go on being so for some months. The accompanying
tunic may or may not have an edging of velvet, though
loops of it at the side will make it appropriate to tie
skirt. As for the bodice—a short jacket—it may be
open in front, with wide lappels of velvet, rendered
high beneath by a vest. White serge and black
velvet, tan serge ard dark blue velvet, flex blue cloth
and garnet coloured velvet, are combinations favoured
just now. This sort of gown is simple enough, a d
requires leas material than kitting, of which we
have had a great deal and are likely to have
a great deal more. Still, plain or semi-plain
skirts are making their way. They are pleated
in the manner just described, and, again, they
are kilted or pleated only at intervals, and in such a
way as to spar like double oi triple bex-pleate,
minus the thickness of material that this would occa-
sion. The plain divisions are very wide, and are
framed in on each side by several close folds that meet
and are oppes-d to those of the next division. Skirts
of this kind are also mounted on cuirass hands more or
leas long, accerding to the sort of tunic worn abo
and for travelling and other gowns, in which liberty of
movement is rtteeired, they are unlined, and tte.ere-
fore show no edging of narrow frills visible on thehe ef
a smarter description. Snfficiant taurnure is given
by two runnings of steel and a few pleatings of crino-
line at the waist, that obnoxious supernumerary, the
dress improver, being ign:rei by Frnachwornen of taste
and discretion.