The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-29 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE present season is the period in which the ball-
room claims, perhaps, more attention than any other
scene of fashionable gaiety; and, consequently the
authorities on dress and is accessories are engaged in
the pleasant task of devising suitable novelties for
those who are included in the conventional phrase,
"Votaries of Terpsichore. The Daily News in a recent
issue devoted a special article to the subject of
" Dresses for Dances," from which we make the fol-
lowing extracts :
The coming weeks will see many a dainty picture of
girlhood, bright-eyed and expectant, attired in
shimmer of satin and glimmer of pearl, or in tho=e
lighter textures which are so well suited to the flying
feet that "chase fbr glowing hours." There is no doubt
that faint-hued satin is one of the ideal fabrics for the
settiug forth of woman's b-auty. There is a sun-Thinly,
softness about it that fascinates the artist's eye end in-
spires the poet's pen. Its gleaming surface seems to
irradiate the term it envelopes, and the shifting folds
produce an effect of light and shade in which any
less glossy material must fail. Nor is the mode of
to-ray calca!ated in any way to lessen the excel-
lence of the fabric as adapted to ball-dresses. The
too abbreviated skirts of some three years ago have
disappeared, together with that superlative tightness
which made the dancer look as though her knees were
in dar ger of mining through her dress. The length of
the skirt is now regulated by the convenience of the
dancer, not by the beauty or otherwise of the feet and
ankles that a short dress displays and a long one hides.
The rule at present is, that the front and sides of the
evening dress shall clear the floor by some two inches,
while the back just rests upon it. In the gentle swing
of the dance this portion also sways upwards from the
floor, and on a graceful ralseuse (the waltz is now
scarcely known by its fcrmer name, but has become
the valse 1) there is no more becoming length.

ON the whole, the evening dress of to-day (or rather
to-night) is graceful and convenient, modest and be-
coming. An excellent instance of this may be found
in a frock just designed by one of our leading Court
milliners. The materials are satin and laoe. The
former is in a shade of bright golden yellow, and is en-
tirely covered by light draperies of brown Spani,h
lace. The edge of the skirt is fretted into ripples of
shining golden yellow, just appearing beneath the
filmy brown of the lace. The bodice and paniers are
in a similar style, the latter consisting solely of the
lace, which is draped towards the back in grace ul
folis. Knots of yellow satin ribbon serve, as it were,
to bring out the veiled gold of the satin, while the
folds of lace, where they fall together, form the con-
trasting deep tones of the composition, This lovely
dress is artistic, yet simple. There is no elaborate
manipulation of material, the arrangement lending
itself rather to the idea that the draperies are formed
by the lines of the figure of the wearer.

AMONG the new fabrics for ball dresses is an English
crape, snow white in colour, and dotted with pearls.
The crinkled surface is effective over the serene
smoothness of white satin. In these small contrasts
do our modistes find their beet effects. The pearls have
affinities with the satin, while the crape presents
opposite qualities. The three combined form a perfect
union, free from monotony or any suspicion of insipi-
dity. The trimming of pale blue or pink with coffee-
coloured lace is still in vogue, and is successful in pro-
portion as the lace is arranged in mrose3, and not
thinly spread in meagre lines, as fashion once
directed.

Bv far the most beautiful trimmings of dresses for
dances conkist of the exquisitely-made flowers and
leaves that are turned out by the skilful fingers of the
artificial fkrists. Velvet leaves, in tints of warm
crimson, golden brown, and liveliest yellow, leok well
upon almost any colour. Tulle skirts are idealised by
such ornaments as these. One, in corn colour, has a
long garland of bramble leaves, in russet brown and
red, hung across the flounces which trim the front of
the skirt. The badice is of plush in precisely the tkit
of crimson of some of the leaves. An evening dress of
black net has the front breadth covered with a rich
embroidery, also of the tint of ripe corn, representing
wheat in full ear. The black net is held back by
ribbons of corn colour.

A BEAUTIFUL ball-dress is in brocaded gauze of the
colour know as Imperial yellow, one 8) bright ad
glowinv that one c-Jmprehends easily why the cnild. en
of the Flowery Land have called it "the daughter of
light." The bodice is edged round the shoulders with
large yello (4 beads. Paniers and drapery are of yellow
tulle, spotted with leaves of the same colour. This
dress, without presenting any loud or inharmonious
features oould not permit its wearer to ba unseen or
unnoticed in any ball-room. It would need some
grace of carriage and an air of distinction in addi.
Lion to beauty for any lady to appear in such a dress
without becoming subservient to it. An insignificant
woman must he extinguished by it. A shy ene
would be overwhelmed. Only a brilliant one would
feel at ease in it.

BEFORE leaving the subject of dresses for dances, it
may not be out of place to observe that an
incli-
nation is observable towards a looser and more graceful
style of coiffure than that which piles the hair upon
the summit of the head. The art of the skilled friseur
is called upon to impart that wavy richness indicative
of abundance to our occasionally rather lank English
chevelures. This done, the hair is drawn back from
the temples and made to fall, in a graceful and ap-
parently careless sweep, towards the neck. Such a
style is much less trying to the ordinary type of face
and form of jive than either the pseudo•classic or the
Regency coiffure.

IN the January number of Sylvia' s Home Journal
the prevailing styles of dress are, goi usual, profusely
illustrated ; and from an interesting article on
"London Fashions" we make the subj•Aned extracts:
—With the prospect of an old-fashioned winter before
us, plenty of furs and warm garments are to be seen.
As usual at this time of the year, mantles and
paletots are the most important articles of clothing,
and very large and handsome they are. Sal paletots
reaching to the hem of the dress, velvet ones of the
same length, bordered with deep flounces of sable
tail, and pelisses of stamped velvet or Ottoman
brocade lined with quilted coloured satins, are to be
seen on every side ; while nearly all the cloth
jackets are trimmed heavily with fur, making out-
door costumes look very rich and warm. Otter,
beaver, and astrakan are used for the latter chiefly,
but sable is quite the most fashionable for this year;
and the large capes still so much worn are made of it,
with often deep cuffs, muffs, and dress trimmings to
match; many people doing without a mantle when
wearing this set, the capes being larger than ever,
and cut well to fit over the shoulders with eituer an
elastic under the arms or a string to tie them in at the
waist.

AMONGST dress mantles some of the prettiest are o
brcche Ottoman, and I quote one of a rich 13,-own with
deep pointed sleeve and square side•pieces opening at
the back, trimmed with two rows of handsome
chenille fringe. Another much thorter one, much the
same shape, was trimmed at the back with parse.
mer,terie and bordered with beaded fringe, while
another short one, also of Ottoman, a rich deep claret,
had a large, full sleeve drawn in slightly at the wrist,
and was trimmed with marabout.

ULSTERS are anything but despised garments, only
t he been on wet days this year. Tbey are elaborate,
and very often elegant, garments. Some are of heather
mixture tweed, and a great mall, of checked cloth ;
the sleeves are drawn into the waist behind with passe.
menterie ornaments or cord and tassels, and the back
is either draped or a full waterfall, One rf the prettiest
I have seen was of thick, scft cloth, checked two shades
of brown, finely drawn down the centre of the bock to
about ax inches below the ves..ist, where it expanded in
broad plea's over the crinolet-e. The sleeves tabbed
cut and fa tmed back with handsome cord and tassels
li-A over the drawn part, and the front doub'e
brea.ted, fastening with metal buttons. For children
these ulstera make pretty and useful garments, and an
immense number are made for them, ages varying
from five to twelve, of light fawn or grey cloth, with
small t( qaes of the same cloth with either a buckle to
fasten the folds or an upright wing for ornament,
forming a costume which is warm and comfortable,
and not to be spoilt by rain or snow.

ON the whole, with the exception of the pretty little
Princess shape (than the which it is difficult to find
anything much more becomint.) the bonnet i are rather
stiff-looking this season; those of kid, with high
crowns, kid bows, and wings being particularly so.
A prettier kind of kid bonnet is made with it plaited
with gold, and ornamented with ribbon bows. Very few
flowers are worn, except for evening dress ; when a
profusion are used, for feathers reign supreme, plush
and velvet serviug for the rest of the trimming. Both
brown, red, and grey bonnets are fashionable, the
former being often more becoming to elderly people
than black ones, while the red ones look well with so
many costumes that they are very useful, the grey
ones being chiefly worn with black. Soft felt bats
with brims slightly turned up at the edge, and bound
like a man's, with bands of plush and plumes in front,
are a good deal worn; and so are beaver ones with
fluffy brims, and some made entirely of very silky
plush, which only need ostrich feathers for ornament.

AN EARLY BOOK CATALOGUE —The earliest cata-
logue of books printed in this country contains "A
list of all the books printed in England since the
dreanful fire, 1166, to the end of Trinity term, 1680."
'1 he statistical summary of this catalogue of the pro-
ducti-ns of the press for 14 years comes to thi4 :—The
whole number of publications was 3,550, of which
947 were in divinity, 42C law, and 153 physic, 397 we'e
school•isooks, and 253 on subjects of geolzrapty and
navigatien, including maps. About one-half of these
books were single sermons and tractates. Deducting
the reprints, single sermons, pamphlets, and maps,
upon the average about one hundred new books were
produced in each year.
NOVEL TORCH-BEARERS IN ABYSSINIA. —ln the
south of Abyssinia, upon the testimony of the late Sir
Gardiner Wilkinson, monkeys are still taught several
useful accomplishments. One of these is that of
officiating as torcl.-bearers at a supper.party. Seated
in a row, on a raised bench, they hold the lights until
the guests have departed, patiently awaiting their own
supper as a reward for their cervices. Occasionally
an obstreperous animal will interrupt the festivities by
throwing his lighted torch among the guests, but he is
promptly caned into submission.

THE SAME MAN, PERHATS.—A Nevada man, who
was carried half a mile by a snow avalanche, amused
himself during the journey by calculating the amount
of pressure per t (pare inch to which he was subjected.
He must have been some relation to the man whose
wife in a moment of conjugal frenzy pelted him with
the contents of the coal scuttle. As he neither re-
sisted nor spoke she became all the more exasperated,
and finally, in a climax of passion, exclaimed: ' Well,
why don't you say something ? " "Because, my dear,"
he replied calmly, "I was busy thinking whether
'hose coals si,g't broken up finely enough to be used in
toe kitchen"