The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-14 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

Tins following, according to the Queen, is a general
resume:of the principal materials and styles at the lead-
ing metropolitan fashion houses: Black is likely to be
much warn in spring, accentuated by a touch of
colour. A black tulle gown was made rather longer
than a rage terre, sightly pointed in the centre of the
back, which had three small goffered flounces, but
beyond this, all round the skirt was a narrow plaiting
of ruby velvet 011 the cross. The --bodice was plain
and pointed with broad galons of jet down the seams,
while round the neck inside was a bias fold of the red
velvet. The front of the skirt deserves special notice;
half of it was of tucked tulle, with rows of jet inser-
tion; over the other half fell a drapery of richly
jetted net, the same fabric forming pointed draperies
from the waist and glimmered at the side from
beneath clear tulle. On the other side of the skirt
the tulle formed wide plaits, divided by panels of
black velvet.

CANVAS cloth in many varieties will be, without
doubt, the material of the season. A light brown was
intermixed with brown and blue striped velvet, the
full vest having bands of the same velvet a la Breton
at. the neck and waist. Malines is a name given to a
fancy canvas closely woven, having the appearance of
being inter-plaited. The skirt of this material is silk,
and considerably wider than they have been worn—
viz., from two and a half to three yards. The can-
vas is draped loosely over it; at the back of the waist
it forms a butterfly bow, with pointed ends, and this
bow hooks on to the bodice. Half the drapery falls
like a simple train, while across the other bands of
velvet are carried; like tucks, and the front draperies
of the tunic are cut so that they pass through a puff
at the side. The bodice has a full bib of ecru at the
front, and silk, of the same colour as the dress, forms
close-set folds to the waist, so that no fastening is
seen. There is a velvet collar, standing up in two
paints on either side.

BAMBULO is, again, another variety of the canvas
cloth, closely woven, slightly transparent, and shot.
A good model in this was red and brown shot, made
with a softly falling train piece; revers at the side,
lined with red silk; broad plaits on the other, caught
up with a red bow, and puirings at the side. The
bodice to all appearance was of red silk, over which
the bambulo was so draped that the red showed well
at the neck and armholes, and a pointed piece down
the centre of the back. There were no plaits to the
bodice in front; the square back basque had a series
of outstanding goffered plaits, lined with red. A
black stuff and velvet g6wn was made with a black
velvet Moorish jacket, having rows of narrow gold
braid round, and under the jacket, which only
reached to the waist, there was a wide red sash of
soft silk.

MANTLES this season will be short, and allow the
dress to be seen. One, in a nut-brown satin, fell in a
couple of points in front, was tolerably straight at
the back, and had short sleeves which turned up just
inside the arm, showing a lining of a lighter satin.
Round the neck there was ribbon of the two shades,
falling in loops and ends in front, a narrow plaiting
lined with the darker shade going down the front. A
black mantelet was made of woven jet, pointed at
the back like a fichu, and cut much on the same
principle, bordered all round with wide black French
lace.

A NEW material for mantles and other purposes has
been brought out; it is a thin black fabric interwoven
all over with a floral pattern in the finest beads, which
glisten and sparkle, the pattern and the colouring
having been borrowed from Gobelin tapestry. It
will be used a great deal for the most costly evening
dresses.

THREE bonnets, quite original and different from
anything yet worn, merit description. One was of
vivid poppy red, the back of the bonnet formed of
narrow pinked-out, finely plaited, poppy cit3e, a jet
coronet, and on one side a bunch of poppies, almost
buds, with four of five standing up boldly. A cobra-
coloured bonnet, the new tinge, a greenish brownish
gold, had velvet bows mixed with gold, and a large
spray of gold wheat on one side, a black straw for
foundation at the back, and ic this straw a row of
gold pins like fancy hairpins. The third had the back
formed of broad fancy straw and gold, a wreath of
close-set tiny hyacinth blooms of a violet shade
round the brim, above some bell-shaped wild flowers
of the same colour intermixed with black velvet bows.
Moires will be worn. One of the novelties are
watered silks of two shades in broad stripes, such as
red and stone, brown and pink.

THE writers. of the Parisian fashion notes in the
Ladg's Pictorial thus describes the amazing variety
of dress in France: A very pretty theatre dress,
especially for any one with nice arms, is of soft black
silk, with jetted tablier and corsage of jetted tulle
over silk. It may either be montarat, or high-necked,
or decollete, but it has no silk sleeves, only long and
slightly full ones of the bead-embroidered tulle, fas-
tened at the wrists with ribbon bracelets, the white-
ness of the arms showing off the jet pattern effec-
tively.
AMONG the pretty evening dresses, of which our
ateliers are full, not because they are worn at this
moment, but because they will be required after
Easter, I saw the other day adelicious dressfor a dark
young matron. It was entirely of maize tulle, made
with quantities of material in it, so that it looked
cloudy and vaporous. The draperies were looped up
with wreaths of mimosa, and the décolleté corsage was
maize satin with a large bouquet of mimosa on the
left shoulder. The petticoat to wear with it was of
soft maize silk, trained and slightly wired at the back
and trimmed with two or three rows of white
mauresque lace.

ANOTHER beautiful toilette, prepared for a princess
of a certain age, was a rose-coloured and gold
brocade, with a train of rose velours epingle. The
peculiarity of the dress was this train, which fell from
the waist in two large, heavy pleats side by side.
Between these was let in some pearl grey satin, ex-
quisitely adorned with pampilles, and the effect was
charming. I have seen two or three beautiful dinner
dresses made in different colours of pompadour bro-
cade, but all have the corsage known to dressmakers as
the Duchesse de Maine, cut en eceur, and showing a
chemisette of white crepe worked with pearls. This
is the most modest, yet the most becoming style that
has ever been invented.

HERE is a pretty girlish dress which is being pre-
pared for a bride whose wedding will take place
early in April. It is of burg noisette, with a plain
full skirt cut in vandykes over a jupe of paon velvet.
The tight-fitting jacket bodice is of the bure noisette,
with cords and knots in front over a plastron of the
velvet, and the back draperies are of a thicker
noisette cloth trimmed with souci galons. To match
it there is a rather large souci felt hat trimmed with a
bow of white ribbon or silk, an aigrette de plume, and
the head of a faisan

Le dernier mot de Elegance is a plain robe uni of
velours epingle or Genoa velvet, caught up one side in
a single massive fold, and displaying underneath a
satin petticoat of the same colour, but several shades
lighter.

Now that with the exception of receptions—opefas
and concerts are our sole distraction, we see some very
splendid sorties de bat, which invariably have
capuchons to match, both in material and the fur
wherewith they are trimmed, and in many cases lined.
At the Opera, the Comtesse Wiergenska was wrapped
up in one of rose and gold brocade bordered with
otter. The Vicomtesse de la Ballue wore one of
mauve Genoa velvet trimmed with silver fox, and
Baroness Reille had on one in emerald green and gold
brocade trimmed with very light sable. All had
deliciously warm capuchons to match. All these
sorties de bat are made with immense pelerines, which
cover the bare or thinly-covered arms. They have
finely-chiselled antique clasps at the throat and waist,
and good-sized pockets inside in which to put the fans,
which are costly articles and easily lost.

THE trimmings of spring indoor toilette; will to a
great extent consist of silk or woollen laces, in which
the flowers are outlined in coloured silks, and dresses
will be composed of a kind of piece lace similarly
treated and made up over coloured silks. This is a
very fair outline of present and coming fashions.