The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-05 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE first weeks of the new year are fraught with
family parties, balls, and other festive gatherings in
which the young are privileged to bear a prominent
part. At this season, therefore, the leading modutes
are engaged in designing costumes for young ladies'
evening wear. The writer of the article on " London
Fashions" in the Queen gives a description of the pro-
duction of a noted establishment who are making a
number of maidens' dresses with fashionable ballet
skirts of net or tulle and plain pointed bodices of silk
or satin, which, while eminently fresh•looking, are
simple, pretty, and appropriate.—We make the fol-
lowing extracts :—Another new and slightly aesthetic
style consists of a skirt of narrow plaited perpendicular
folds of China silk or fine nun's cloth, with gathered
chemisette high to the throat, long plain sleeves to the
wrists, and corselet of dark-coloured velvet, military
collar, and small revers of the same velvet at the cuffs,
which gave distinctive points of colour to a quiet and
lady-like toilette. The short tunic was folded and
crossed in front in artistic fashion, and formed
a full puffed drapery on the back of the skirt.
A mandarin silk, with corselets and trimmings of
smoke-grey velvet; a shrimp-pink nun's veiling, with
chattdron velvet; and a white, with claret or black
velvet facings, were noticeable as effective examples
of this particular make. A box-plaited skirt of pale
blue silk had a short tunic of blue gauze, with tiny
stripes and spots of silk of the same colour, and
gathered back drapery. The pointed bodice was laced
in front, and the neck, which was cut low all round,
was trimmed with a full flounce of falling lace. This
model looked equally well in palest pink silk, with
overdress of chenille spotted gauze. Exceedingly
pretty was a lace skirt over white sateen, the gathered
bodice, scarf drapery, and puffed back breadths being
of softest white sate de Chine; the bodice had elbow
sleeves, with ruffles of lace, and the lace collar was
surmounted by a row of daisies, a spray of the same
simple blossoms being fastened among the draperies at
the side of the skirt; s. bracelet of daisies was a dainty
addition to this really elegant frock.

A SECOND " floral " dress, intended for a young girl's
wear, was of white voile, over a skirt of narrow lace
flounces. The pointed drapery fell in folds at one
side, and was fastened to the skirt with a round
wreath of forget•me•nots and loops of blue satin
ribbon; a similar garland surrounded the neck and the
wrist of one arm (the sleeves were long and plain),
and these were connected with a festoon of satin
ribbons to match; the front of the gathered bodice
was arranged as a fichn of nun's veiling, edged with
flots of lace. Skirts of ivory silk had perpendicular
puffings of ivory tulle, arranged at intervals, and
studded with single pearls; the scarf drapery /bad
waterfall back were also showered with pearl beads;
at the edge of the skirts were three rows of narrow
knife plaiting' of silk.

A ?ARTY dress for a girl of eight or ten years was of
chalk-blue nun's cloth and silk, cut in Princess form,
the skirt edged with folded plaits; the pointed shirt
front of gathered silk was laced with blue silk cords,
and the scarf drapery surrounding the hips was turned
up at one side, showing a blue silk lining. A charming
frock for a mite of four, and meant for boy or girl,
was made long-waisted, like a French blouse, of fine
white muslin plaited over cambric of a full shade of
blue; the very short petticoat had three flounces of
white lace, the full sleeves reached to the elbow, and
had lace ruffles finished with blue satin bows; a waist-
coat of lace arranged en cascade was continued to be-
low the hips, where it was met by a sash of blue satin,
which was tied in a large butterfly bow at the back.
These muslin and lace frocks over soft silk of pink or
bright yellow tones, would be very becoming to little
ladies with dark complexions and crisp, closely-curled
hair.

IN describing a collection of hats, caps, and bonnets
suitable for the present season, the same writer says:
—A new-shaped toque, named the "Czarina," the
high tapering crown, straight in front, sloping towards
the back of the head, is stylish and becoming. It is
made of dyed racoon, Persian lamb, beaver, lynx, seal,
and sable, ornamented over the forehead, in military
style, with rosettes and cords of silk passementerie.
This is, moreover, a capital shape for the hair worn
high on the top of the head, and it can at once be
removed on entering a room without in the least
disarranging the coils and curls of the coiffure.
Round travelling turbans of seal-fur, with high
crowns, had borders of beaver, otter, or 'undyed
seal; and large hats, called the "Brooklyn," made
of fine Alaska skins, were turned up at one side
and ornamented with fisher tails placed around the
crown, and curved towards the front of the flat,
wide brim. Some of ths hats were boat•shaped,
trim, and neat-looking, the brims slightly spreading
or turned up close to the crown at the sides. They
were trimmed with shaded plumage or metallic blue-
green hackle feathers. One of a shallow, saucer-like
form had the brim lined with brown satin, with an
aigrette of sable tails at ore side. All these bats were
of fine quality Pealekin, lined with quilted smtin,
warm, soft, and beautifully pliant, as was also a close-
fittirg bonnet in the latest variety of the popular
Princess form. It was trimmed with fisher fails, and
the plain round crown was cut out at the back to admit
of the fashionable hair dressing.

THE costliness of feminine adornments has from
time immemorial been a target for the shafts of satire;
and some writers seem to have a peculiar pleasure in
reiterating the charge of extravagance in dress against
the fair sex, A recent satirist gives the following
ironical description of the equipment of a lady whom
be saw dancing at a ball :—" Around her snowy brow
were set £3O in the shape of diamond flakes of light;
with the gentle undulation of her bosom rose and fell
£5OO in a necklace of brilliants. Her fairy form WAS
invested in £lO, represented by a slip of azure satin,
and this was overlaid by £3O more in two skirts of
white lace. Tastefully down each side of the latter
were laid £1 15s. worth, which so many bows of snowy
ribbon had come to. The lower margins of the £3O
skirts were edged with eleven additional, the value of
some fringe a quarter of a yard in depth. Her taper
waist, taking zone and clasp together, I calculated to
be confined by £3O. Her delicately rounded arms—
the gloves of creamy kid being added to the bracelets
which encircled her little wrists—may be said to have
been adorned with £22; and, putting the silk and
satin at the lowest figure, I should say she wore £2
upon her feet. Thus, altogether, was this thing of
light, this creature of loveliness, arrayed from top to
toe, exclusive of little sundries, in £636, or there-
abouts."