The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-15 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE arrival of cold weather renders it necessary that
dress should not only be fashionable in style, but seas na-
able in material. Hence we find that authorities on
fashion make a considerable distinction between cos-
tumes for indoor and outdoor wear. A writer in the
Queen says that among the house party at Sandring-
ham during the recent festivities some pretty toilettes
were worn. The Duchess of Edinburgh had an espe-
cially successful one of brown velvet trimmed with
fur, and the Princess of Wales in the daytime wore
nothing but exquisitely fitting tailor-made costumes.
All the smartness would seem to be lavished on
tea-growns, which are universally worn. These are
made in rich brocades, soft silks, and every variety of
colouring. White marabout and natural-tinted mara-
bout are used on cream silk, and red of a ruby tone is
much worn, often trimmed with red lace. A cream-
brocaded satin, trimmed with two white robings of
cream-grounded satin, on which a velvet brocade of
small flowers is thrown in natural tones, is one of
many much admired tea gowns worn of late, also a
pale satin-grounded brocade, with pink for the pre-
vailing tone, and a loose blouse front from the throat
to the hem, of moss green, veiled in lace; also a white
brocaded velvet, with sable, or other good examples.

TM. same writer, in describing the wedding dress in
a trousseau provided by a London modiste for a very
young bride, mentions that it was composed of rich
white satin made with a long train; the under skirt
of the same material had a tablier front worked in
pearls, and on each side broad panel plaitings covered
with fine old Brussels lace. The bodice had a collar
of pearl embroidery. The travelling dress was of the
softest grey cashmere, trimmed with marabout of the
same shade; the bodice made with short tabs at the
back, and revers of grey velvet at the neck and
sleeves. The jacket of the $612313 had a lining of
pale pink moird ; the muff and the bonnet re-
lieved by a bow of pink ribbon. Among the even-
ing dresses was a pale blue ottoman silk, the tunic
of which was trimmed with very narrow bouillons of
pale blue ; the bodice, a low square with short
basque. A Pompadour moir6 with chin 6 flowers on a
white ground, had a narrow frill at the edge of the
bodice falling over the puffed tunic, caught up high at
the back, and falling in a long train over a white satin
skirt covered with narrow flounces of Valenciennes
lace, relieved by a knot of bright cerise ribbon. The
bridesmaids' dresses were novel in make and material;
the skirts, of white plush, were kilted to the waist in
wide plaits; tunics and drapery of white mousseline
de sole. The bodices had high Medicis collars in
plush, were cut square, and then filled in with soft
lisse plaited fichus, beneath which were stomachers of
plush to the waist. A tea gown of pale blue cashmere
des Index opened over a petticoat of rose-coloured
silk, which was veiled with lace falling from the throat
to the edge of the skirt.

TEE Paris Correspondent of the same journal says
that short walking costumes are now to be seen in the
Bois. They are either a combination of wool and
silk, or entirely of silk—an amalgamation of shot and
figured silk—or they are of plain velvet. There is no
doubt but that self-coloured Lyons velvet is now re-
garded as the msterial par excellence for all beet
dresses, and In dark green and the new dark grey it
is specially in favour. Except in mourning dresses of
one fabrics are rarely seen ; even those of the richest
stuffs have a tablier or revers of a completely different
material.

ALLUDING to the important subject of trimmings
this correspondent says :—Chenille is abundantly used
this winter on both dresses and mantles. I see skirts
covered with black chenille fringe-, and worn with
black velvet bodices made with full plastrons (or
Molike vests, as they areocalled) of embroidered black
net. There ere chenille flowers, chenille embroideries,
and chenille bonnets. Another fashion I note is 'that
of notched cloth trimmings. Some skirts consist of
strips of cloth cut in either points, scallops, or battle-
ments, and stitched on so as to overlap each other or
to fall over kiltinge. A new machine has been in-
vented for mounting skirts in what the Americans call
"knife plaits," the kilts standing upright. The in-
vention is likely to achieve a great success. On cold
days some of our ilegantes are to be met wearing short
plain skirts made of sealskin, and over them polo-
naises of rich repped brown silk. Mantelets made of
sealskin, short at the back and long in front, and
edged with seal pompons, are also to be seen. For
driving the velvet mantelets are much ornamented
with gold appliqués, gold cord, and gold beads,

EVENING dresses, with low bodices, for dinners and
receptions, are made in plain velvet, also in royal repped
velvet, and in velvet brocade; the trains are of great
width, have a pouf on the tournure, and fall thence in
straight lines to the edge, which is either rounded or
square, and sometimes cut out in leaf scallops that
rest on a plaiting. The front breadth, or tablier may
be either lace or embroidery on net, or the new
Oriental broch6 velvet with design outlined in heads;
tufts or feathers and aigrettes, or of thistles powdered
in either gold or silver, drapa the lace tabliers. Low
bodices have rarely any sleeves save an inch wide
velvet band or satin studded with precious stones; the
under part of the shoulder socket being concealed with
tulle the colour of the dress. Costly fur occasionally
borders the long heavy trains of evening robes, and
sometimes they are embroidered, but the feeling is for
plain, simple trains. Feather fans on light tortoise-
shell sticks still obtain for evening use, so do very long
Subde gloves. The popular colour for evening dresses
is chaudron or reddish•brown copper; but fancy is fast
veering to golden yellow, always popular among the
Viennesa women.

THE writer last quoted, in the course of an article
on "Feels Fashions," gives the following detailed des-
oription of the toilettes worn at the marriage of
Vioomte de la Grange with Mlle. de Corey :—The
bride's dress was a combination of white satin and
embossed velvet. The skirt was of alternate satin
bouillonn•Ss and velvet bands; the bodice and train
were velvet, so were the Medecis collar and epau-
lettes ; the Henri 111. sleeves were bouffant' of satin
confined with velvet bands ; Brussels lace veil; pearl
butt )ns on the bodice; and earrings of Oriental
pearls ; a few sprays of orange blossoms on
the tablier, and a tiny wreath on the hair
beneath the veil. The corbeille was superb,
and contained a profusion of old Aleneon and
old Venetian point. One dinner dress was of pale
blue satin and nalturtium•eolonred velvet, the same
flowers being hand-painted on the satin; velvet train,
and Medici collar of gold lace. The ornaments for
this dress were of the Renaissance period—precious
stones skilfully introduced among enamels; Another
velvet dress was black, and embroidered with roses
of every shade ; the low and square bodice had a
waistcoat of red satin, the shade known as "role du
rot." Another evening dress was white satin, trimmed
with Russian sables, the long plain train bordered
with this magnificent fur.

THI calling or visiting dress was dark green velvet
and eicilienne ; the bonnet to match trimmed with
marabouts, powdered with gold; the travelling dress
WAR a combination of grey cloth and grey plush; the
hat, with soft crown, was grey felt, ornamented with
two large birds, looking as though they were sleeping
there. The sortie du hal, or opera cloak, was white
plush, with embroidery of coloured beads at the back,
and high on the shoulders; beaded fringe and striped
satin lining. There were fur peliame and Indian
cashmere shawls made into mantles, several trimmed
with fringes combining the Eastern colouring. The
fans were superb old ones, painted with delicacy and
grace, and modern ones in feathers and rich mount.
infra. One of the latter had ebony and gold etieke,
with the monogram and arms chased in gold. Another
large flat screen fan was covered with the feathers of
humming birds.

THE wedding outfit in connection with this anspi-
dons event is thus desciibed :—Among other items in
the corbeille were several rare pieces of old silver, for
which there is now a furore; one piece was a silver
needle case. There was a quantity of jewels, one
bracelet consisted of three rivieres, a ruby one between
two others in diamonds. There was a long watch chain
(as the fashion of wearing the watch at the side has
again oonie in), It consisted of beads of lapis separated
with pearls, and the watch matched. Sprays of forget-
me-nots in diamonds formed a pretty coronet ; In fact,
the diamonds were mostly set as flowers. Among the
presents there were several brooches in gold and
enamel, representing animals, among them a pretty
white dog with a sonar of rubies and emeralds. A
novel parte bonheur bracelet was composed of seven
thin gold bangles, each with a different stone in the
centre, the initial of the name of the stone forming the
name of the bride.

As this wedding outfit made a sensetion from its
extreme richness, I must cite a few items in the
trousseau. The chemises, of Flanders linen, were
trimmed with embroidery and old guipure worked
together; a breakfast gown was in white velvet, lined
with white plush, and trimmed with a thiek lace and
white satin ribbon. There were two pretty dressing
gowns—one in pale pink cashmere, with embroidered
bands of rosebude, and lined with striped pink satin;
the other of shot blue and orange silk, trimmed with
smell bows of reversible ribbon in the two colcurs.
The silk stockings were either open•worked or em-
broidered, and some had silver or gold threads Intro
duoed ; those for the bridal dress were embroidered in
orange blossom.. Every dress had its shoes and boots
tc match—a somewhat costly luxury.