The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-02 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE return of "Society" to the metropolis, cone&
quent upon the opening of Parliament, will have an
enlivening effect upon the course of fashion; and, no
doubt, encouraged by the present mildness of the
season, the modistes will shortly be prepared with
various novelties anticipatory of spring. In the
meantime, however, there is little change to record.
The Paris Correspondent of the Queen says that
woollen remains the favourite material for walking
costumes as well as for house wear. For the former,
poil•de-bison and camelot, both plain and figured, are
used, and for the latter chuddah, camel's hair, i iii
cashmere, trimmed with plain velvet, which also com-
poses the collar and cuffs. Dark red, golden brown,
bronze, and blue are the colours in vogue, and grey,
in combination with orange and all shades of yellom,
is fashionably worn, For negligi and ordinary
costumes, plaids are once more appearing for skirs,
the casaquins being of plain nut brown or begs cloth.
Afternoon calling toilettes are made with a round
skirt, bordered either with chenille, velvet, or
plaitings ; the bodice is pointed in front, and the
overskirt, which commences at the hips, is gathered at
the back, and is always of some rich material—em-
bossed velvet, satin damask, plain velvet, or velvet
brochd with large designs. A sudden fancy has sprung
up for epaulettes, and they are to be seen in passe-
menterie, in chenille, and in lace, with clusters of
falling ribbon loops.

TFIE trinkets and bUouterie which are now so preva-
fent for purposes of ornamentation admit of the display
of every variety of taste, and the water already quoted
says that a great novelty in ornaments are flowers,
whether real or artificial, to which gold settings and
mountings are adapted, and the hearts and dewdrops
represented by precious stones, particularly diamonds-.
Ttiese flowers are worn on bonnets, on bodices, on
skirts, and even on shoes. Roses, forget-me-nots,
pansies, lilacs, &c., are arranged in this manner, and
some are made specially for fastening bonnet strirgs.
Theatre bonnets are often made of light velvet, covered
with tulle to match; the strings are narrow, and tied
below the ear, being fastened with a fantastic pin or
brooch of costly gems. The various devices for these
borraet string ornaments are legion, the most eccentric)
Gnding the greatest favour. Gold embroidery and gold
lace are occasionally seen on white tulle dresses; but,
unless they are used sparingly, they look tawdry.
Rows of gilt brald on the tulle flounces are now super-
seded by gold coloured velvet, as the combination of
white and yellow is very popular.

OTHER accessories of dress are noticed in the columns
of tt e Queen, under the head of "Fashions of The
Day." We make the following extracts :—Quilted
satin capes, with the :inserted, raised shoulder pieces,
bordered with feather trimming, are to be seen, and
are intended principally for entertainment wraps,
with a muff to match. The muff has a flap at tile
back, which when raised discovers a pocket, into
which can be relegated gloves, opera-glasses, or hanker.
chief. Capes of ribbed corduroy, with bright red or
gold braid tun in between the stripes, are new and
pretty; also cloth capes and jackets composed of
layers of coloured cloth stamped out and laid one over
the other, having the appearance of fishes scales.
They have a full ruche of cloth round the throat.
Coloured marabout feather capes are soft-looking and
warm. Neckties of coloured lace or gauze, spotted
with chenille, are much worn, matching the dress.
With a hat they are tied in a bow under the chin ; but
with a lx.nnet loosely knotted to one side and fastened
with a fancy pin or brooch. Two pieces of tolerably
wide edging lace, sewn together, make the regulate
width.

LACE cascirles and loose fronts of cream or black
lace, gathered at the throat, and reaching to the
waint, are useful for smartening up dark dresses. A
pretty way of arranging them is with a narrow band
of black velvet round the throat, and two revers of
black velvet down the sides of the cascade, giving the
appearance of the crearo lace emerging from a velvet
waistcoat. Another new way is to cross two muslin
eLds, finely plaited and edged with lace, over each
other, and fasten them with a horse•shoe pin. 'liaise
ends are sewn on to a band, which goes inside the
drees collar, showing a plaiting of lace above. Then
a small square of fine book or silk muilin is edged
with deep lace like a handkerchief, and tied loosely in
a knot, with the ends hanging down in points. This
is usually put on rather to one side, with one end
pinned up higher than the other with a bee or little
cock brooch. Two coloured velvet ribbon or silk
rosettes, connected by double ends, are placed the one
on the left shoolder and the other on the throat, with
the ende loosely resting on the bodice.

BLACK lace rosettes, connected with black satin
ribbon, are suitable for dresses. Running a double
row of black or cream lace down the front of a bodice,
from inside and turning each one back from the
centre with large fancy buttons, or beaded berry balls,
is a pretty becoming fashion for evening and smart
morning wesr. With jet it is much affected by elderly
ladies. Good old lace can be displayed in this way,
and often the ornaments fastening it back are
diamonds, or roccc) jewellery of various designs,
fastened in at some distances. The most dainty capes
of lace, with raised shoulders, are sometimes seen
over the Euro shoulders of wearers of low evening
dresses. They are usually made at home, and match
to some extent the lace on the dress, A narrow
padded baud is put at the shoulder puffs to raise them,
Black lace martillas, first lined with a colour to show
through, “ther red or yellow, and then again with
plush, with the right side outwards, have been u-ed
as light wraps for concerts and entertainments during
the mild winter. They are gathered up at the bend
of the arm, trimmed with a full, high ruche round
the throat, and finished off
,witba fancy clasp or loops
of plush ribbon.

LARGE black lace aprons are much patronised for
afternoon rem, The bib is either composed of several
rows of narrcw gathered lace, or of one square of Vece
lace, puckered into the waistband. One pocket is at
ae side (optional) and a coloured pockethandkerchief
peeps out f it. The Turkish and Bulgarian embroi-
derks. recently eo fashionable on chair backs, are now
used for aprons. They are put over old gold, red, or
dark peacock satin, or surat, folded in half, fixed into
the lo .rtd, and drawn away to the sides, one end is
rather longer than the other. There is some scope for
variety of arrangement, and the effect is very good.
Yellow satin aprons cut out in battlements, with a
frill of black lace underneath, and pockets and bibs of
frills of narrower lace, are fashionable. Some ladies
are very fastidious about the appointments of their tea
table?, and varotheir personal lace and ribbons to
correspond with those of their tea•cloth and cosey.
The coloured Roman satin tea-cloths look well with
their fall of deep c,ffee or cream lace. Black lace
muffs, with hanging jet balls on various lengths of
ribbon, are more general for elderly ladies than any
other kind; but others, composed of feathers of birds.
of coloured marabout, and of puckered velvet and
sable tails, are also pcpnlar. Young ladies' muffs are
often of scraps of their costumes, ornamented with a
large clustet of velvet or satin loops, or anything they
like to put, the more uncommon the better.