The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-11-28 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

TnE winter toilettes, says that premier fashion
journal Le Follet, for out-door wear especially, are of
materials that will not only keep their wearers warm,
but cause them to look so; an appearance that im-
parts a sensation of comfort to on-lookers as well.
The coarse woollens, rough surfaces, of curled_ bril-
liant wool; little tufts of bright colour, raised stripes,
plain or frises, broches with raised designs, all give a
decided appearance of warmth and comfort. These
are used in combination with other materials, among
which velveteen, not only for its rich effect, but
its wonderfully enduring qualities, is "facile prin-
ceps."
ONE of the greatest novelties in Paris, in the way
of woollens, is a thick material, with long stiff hairs
of the same or different colour: resembling prickles;
this is called " sanglier"—wild boar. It is an eccen-
tricity for which we do not predict great favour.
"Oursine" is another, and is a remarkable thick
flannel with hairy surface. The most original, how-
ever, is a thick and plushy woollen, with a myriad
colours woven in, which render it quite chameleon-
like in the movement of the folds. _

PEEINS are more fashionable than ever, and there is
apparently no limit to their variety; velvet stripes on
silk or satin plush on similar grounds, satin or moire
on silk grounds, alternate stripes of watered silk and
velvet, ad infinitum. These are generally employed
as plain skirts, guilles, or other ornaments combined
with the plain material represented 15y one of the
stripes. In ordmary striped materials, such as
limousine, woollens or mixtures Af silk and wool, the
reverse arrangement is more fashionable; that is, the
plain material is used for the under-skirt, the striped
for the polonaise.

SOME of our leading dressmakers, however, make
the two styles indifferently, employing the stripes
either for the upper or lower purtion of the dress, ac-
cording to their individual taste or the figure of the
wearer. Wide stripes, large checks, or any very de-
cided patterns, should be strictly avoided by anyone
at all inclined to embonpoint, as the size of the figure
appears to increase as the eye wanders from line to
line. There are so many attractive materials of fancy
designs, if these aro preferred—pointilles of bright
silk on wool, broken lines and groups cf threads—that
there is really no necessity to wear patterns only suit-
able for slight figures. The woollen materials, with
small crisp curls of silky wool on a plain foundation,
are much in favour, and require but little trimming,
handsome woollen braids being the most suitable for
the purpose. For plain woollens, ribbon velvet, or
crossway bands of velvet or velveteen, are in great
favour as trimmings.

SOME we have seen lately have graduated blais of vt
veteen round the plain skirt, an open tunic with banG
of velvet all round and up the opening, and a bodice
with velvet waistcoat or plastron fastened outside.
Canvases, worn over a contrasting colour, obtained so
much success this year that the fashion has been car-
ried into the winter toilettes ; that is to say, a similar
effect is produced by a species of canvas with semi-
transparent designs, the back of the material itself
being woven of a different colour—dark blue or moss-
green, over red, are the favourites; and this material,
though quite inexpensive, makes very ladylike
toilettes for indoor afternoon wear, with a deuassant
of silk the colour of the underground, and a plastron,
gilet, or Figaro veste of silk to match. For outdoor
wear this material is unsuitable, as an apparently
transparent fabric is not suggestive of winter walking,
though admissil.ble by the filt:eside. *

GREAT attention is paid by the leading dressmakers
to the fabrication of elegant woollen toilettes, and
some of the trimmings employed for these are rich
and naturally expensive; among those, embroidery
on plush, silk braids embroidered with garlands,
raised embroideries on the material itself, chenille
embroideries, and fringes. Many of the skirts of
these dresses are in wide pleats, with embroidered
panels, or have long open tunics, trimmed round and
up the openings, showing fan pleats on the under
skirt; the sous jape is often edged with several rows
of silk plissés. The bodices of these costumes have
either waistcoats or plastrons, more generally the
latter; sometimes a handsome passementerie orna-
ment is added at the waist, or towards one shoulder;
the greatest novelty in this way, however, is a bunch
of b!ackberries, walnuts, chestnuts, or some other
autumn or winter fruit, imitated in plush or velvet.

Fon more ceremonious toilettes satin and rich silks
are again much used; velvet also. These are com-
bined with rich broches, pekins of velvet and watered
silk, velvet and satin, and a new velvet, very fashion-
able and elegant, in shaded stripes of the same colour.
The "pentes "—broad pieces of material different
from the skirt, and hanging from the waist—are
much admired; they have one advantage over the
panels, which are made on the skirt—namely, that
they can be worn with more than one dress. We
have lately seen a dress thus trimmed—a black gros
grain; at one side wa, a long pente, with pointed
end ; this was of black satin, trimmed round with
lace, and hand-painted with a design of Virginian
creeper, in autumn shades; the other side of the
skirt had three pentes of graduated sizes, hanging one
over the other; the corsage was of black silk, trimmed
with full lace, over a waistcoat of satin, with a spray
of Virginian creeper leaves in velvet, at the right side
of the throat and at the waist. The satin pentes were
intended also for wear with a black lace dress, with
low lining and open high bodice of lace, with trail of
velvet leaves half hidden in the folds of lace round
the opening.

PLAIN trains are fashionably worn for evening
dresses of all kinds; they are very rarely cut with
the skirt, but are added to it in one of the various
ways we have already described. The whole train is
lined with muslin, between the material and the silk
lining, to keep it in shape, and prevent it clinging to
the feet. With dancing dresses, a strap of ribbon
underneath the hem of the train enables this to be
caught up in one hand when required. The " Prin-
cess " train cut with the bodice, and worn over a
round skirt of different material, is exceptionally
elegant, and is made in the richest brocades, over,
satin, or silk, or lace, or in plain rich material, such
as velvet, satin, moire, over brocaded under-skirt.
The front of these trains—princesses—sometimes
form paniers.

OTHER varieties of the tnanteau de cour over-dress
have the train gathered to the back point of the
bodice; with these sometimes a scarf of lace or silken
material surrounds the hips, and ties in handsome
loops, and ends over the top of the train. When the
trains are of plain material and trimmed, the garni-
ture is generally different on the two sides; for in-
stance, a reverse of rich brocade or vdvet on one, and
a cascade of lace on the other.