The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-17 00:00:00

Tijli STOURRUIDGE OBSERVER.

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GOSSIP ON DRESS.
THE "private views" by which the West-end picture
exhibitions are inaugurated are attended by many
whose artistic tastes have little or nothing to do with
the paintings on the walls, but are displayed to great
advantage in the costumes which in variety and
colour vie with the most charming productions of the
easel. Describing one of these gatherings, a London
daily paper says: A lady in golden brown cashmere,
lightly trimmed with blush of precisely the same tint,
made one of the suCcesses. Another, in grey cash-
mere, opening over a satin skirt, also of grey, and
laced down the opening with grey cord, completed a
pretty costume by wearing a grey bonnet the crown
of which was covered with cashmere like the dress,
and trimmed with rows of silver braid and a large
bunch of silver thistles. A lady appeared in a
polonaise of greyish blue Ottoman, the skirt of
which opened over a petticoat of the richest possible
brocade, the ground of which was blue, while the
flowers were in a tint of pale and creamy gold. The
bonnet matched the costume, as is now again the in
evitable law, and was so raised and cut away at the
back as to display almost the whole of the coiffure,
dragged high towards the crown, and held by tortoise-
shell crescents slightly deeper in tint than the hair
itself. Some curious contrasts could occasionally be
observed. A highly elaborate toilet of mushroom
coloured satin and velvet, with bonnet to match, in
which a bunch of king-cups offered relief from the
pale fawn tints, jostled a Burne-Jonesian girl in a
long, dark red silk mantle and nightcap to match.

VERY little blue was to be seen. It is too early for
pale blue, and Englishwomen are beginning to dis-
cover that the intermediate shades between indigo and
sky blue are extremely trying. Nor did the new gipsy
red make its appearance—a soft, yet very vivid tint
which is likely to be in much demand this season.
But of the deeper redg there was abundance. A black
velvet costume with bonnet to match owed its sole re-
lief to a bunch of red flowers in the latter. Another
bonnet was made entirely of red velvet, with a
group of lilies of the valley for trimming. A
third of the new shape, narrow and high, was
signed Louise, and consisted apparently of
spiders' webs. These, when closely examined, proved
to 130- the- work or numan-fingersTantr not an insect's
tail. The webs are wrought in silver on a scarcely
visible light network of net or tulle in a soft shade
of blueish gray. The spiders are worked in mouse-
colour with the white lines on the body, as seen in the
natural creature. This marvellous embroidery formed
the crown; while the brim consisted"of a roll of dark-
grey velvet, round which a cord of oxydized silver
formed a kind of network. The strings were of grey
terry. and a large bow of the same, placed at one side
of the bonnet formed the only trimming.

Moss-coLouttED straw is in great favour for bonnets,
and one seen at a private view had a large wreath of
tea-roses tucked under the brim. The prettiest are
those which jerk up quite suddenly just a little over
the left eyebrow, the " jerk " being fdlea in with a
daintily-tied little bow of folded ribbon, or a rose or
jonquil with velvet leaves. One and all the new
bonnets and hats are so cut away at the back as
freely to display the hair, and, as a consequence,
false Oaits are again in demand. There are scanty
growtha which yield but little of the where-
withal to make a plait or roll to crown the sum-
mit of the capillary edifice, and these must be
supplemented, or the effht will be meagre
indeed. In the case of hats, the brim, wide enough
in front, gradually narrows toward the back until its
dimensions are reduced to the width of two or three
rows of straw. A hat of this kind was to be seen in
company with a mushroom-coloured dress turned up
with terra-cotta-tinted satin. The straw of the hat
matched the "mushroom" of the dress, and some
carnations whi:.th formed the trimming had been made
to assume for the nonce the tint of terra-cotta. The
effect of the whole was undeniably good, being
assisted by the clear, soft tones of an: unimpeachable
complexion.

UNDER the heading of "Paris Fashions," a. journal
published in that gay capital says: Lace was never
more generally worn than at present,,and perhaps
never more applied to various purposes,. Sunshades
and walking dresses are partially composed of it, to
say nothing of the many charming effects in evening
dress which it helps to produce. It is- useful, and
adaptable as few things are. A dress cf black silk
or satin, covered with black lace flouncesi or draped
with lace tunic, may suit almost any of society's
exigencies. It may serve for out-of-door, as well
as fel- evening wear. The taste for shoe silks is
on the increase, if that is possible. Some of the
speciraens almost vie with the sheen and- lustre of
nature; as seen on the wings-of certain insects, and on
the feathers of certain birds: Some costumes,partially
composed of this changing-.silk, present the eye with a
luxury of colour. Cross rays of pink and blue, or of
pink and gold, or of pink and deep red, blend exqui-
sitely and afford s.-...0pe for variety and harmony of
colour in the material composing the other- portions
of the &ess. The jupe is often made with downward
pleats. In fact, this style is particularly noticeable
at the moment, and admits of much latitude in the
iiZO of the pleat, whia. f.wom fttres
tc-Thalf an inch in width. Horizontal flounces and
perpendicular pleats may meet upon the same dress,
the front of the, skirt being pleated, and the back
trimmed with flounces. Rands and loops of ribbon
or velvet are unsparingly sprinkled upon the costume,
and it is often in this sprinkling that the couturiere
gives the artistic finishing touch to her work.

RUBY and pale pink, gold and russet brown, pearl
grey and crimson, together with every shade of
yellow, are among prevailing colours. Gold braid,
gold lace, gold beads, and a variety of yellow flowers,
from daffodils to buttercups, occupy a large place in
millinery, as does the choux, often of amber, maize,
or goldbrown velvet. Materials for summer dresses,
from baptiste percale and surah to crape and cash-
mere, mostly display figured surfaces. Sometimes
single flowers are strewn upon a plain ground, some-
times thsre is a blending of many colours and design,
giving: to, the dress a certain antique air. Parisian
ladies are showing no decided intention, of altering
the manner of wearing their hair. They continue to
display the napes of their necks to, perfection, and to
grace the crowns of their heads with a rope of hair
twisted into the form of a figure S. For evening
dress a suspicion of powder is sometimes sprinkled
upon the hair of ladies whose locks are beginning to
silver with time.

ACCORDING to a writer in the Omen, an eminent
London firm have lately supplied H.R.H. the Prin-
cess of Wales with a travelling cloak made of black
chevibt outlined with rows of stitching, and they
have also completed some pretty gowns for the Prin-
cesses Victoria and Ella of Hesse. One was a small
checked material of black and white, the skirt of two
deep killings; a very short apron and full back
drapery was braided in black and silver in an elabo-
rate design, the bodice ornamented to match, and
finished with buttons of horse-shoes in black and
silver. A second was a most elegant costume of
cream vicuna, braided with cream and gold. The
front of the skirt had three long panels, or, rather,
wide box-plaits, and the back had narrow kiltings
from the waist to the edge of the skirt. The pointed
drapery, with braided border, was caught up high on
the left hip and finished with cords of gold and
cream, and one end was fastened to the basque of the
bodice, which had narrow coat lappels in front,
showing a braided vest, with high round collar cm
suite.

WE are also told that the same firm have recently
despatched to Darmstadt some evening frocks for
the youthful daughters of the Prince and Princess of
Wales, which are charmingly simple and elegant.
These young ladies, as every one knows, are always
attired alike, and the frocks brought under our notice
were therefore in sets of three. The firrt were of
striped nun's veiling of exquisite softness, and of deli-
cate creamy white, over petticoats of silk to match,
and the trimmings were of lace of a new and un-
common design, representing the fronds of the grace-
ful maidenhair ferns; the skirts had equi-distant
groups of loose, longitudinal folds, which again were
crossed at intervals by rows of close-set gathers, and
the plain parts between the gathered folds were
cut at their lower edge in long wide points,
which were bordered with frillings of lace, while
below was a narrow flounce, kilted, and
similarly trimmed. On the upper part of the
skirts was a drapery arranged as two festoons, high
on the right side, low on the left, and very much
puffed at the back. The bodices were plainly made,
the square-cut openings merely outlined with lace,
and the long sleeves were finished at the wrists with
folds of the material and ruffles of " maidenhair "
lace. The only additions were waistbands of rich
black ribbon, with loops and ends at the side. The
second " set " of pretty and tasteful frocks were
made of black grenadine, with trimmings of fine
French lace; the skirts composed of fine narrow
kiltings, each one edged with lace, above which was a
festooned scarf, forming an apron front. At the
back the skirts were fully draped, and the square-cut
bodices, slightly gathered at the waist, had long plain
deeves to the wrist.