The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-02-07 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESK

Tim Queen has the following notes on the present
fashions: At the recently-opened winter exhibitions
of pictures at Burlington House and the Grosvenor,
there were a good number of smart people. At
present there is but little stir in the world of ribbons
And laces, silks and satins; and most people are
engaged in buying up at the sales all the oddments
and remnants, past season's goods, and slightly-
injured dresses at reduced prices, to tide over the
intervening weeks, till the spring sun and society's
claims bring out the novelties. The remnants of
plush and velvet are being turned to good account for
the little mantlets so much worn just now. From
four yards to five yards will make one, short at the
back, and with rather long ends in front; a lining of
quilted satin is added, and the whole finished off with
a bordering of fur or marabout (also remnants), and
voila, the wearer in 'the height of fashion. In the
rough-surfaced, red lambswool cloth, without trim-
ming, but lined with velvet or velveteen, with a high,
straight collar, these lile wraps look smart, and
are becoming, especially if worn with a flat-crowned
bonnet or a toque, covered in the same, and trimmed
with red or black velvet. Fancy materials are also
made up in this way, and trimmed with elaborate
bead passementerie. One mantelet, recently seen,
was in black velvet, with a trimming of gold beads
and black lace round the throat and edge, and a
butterfly worked in gold and coloured threads on the
left shoulder blade. Another original ides( was carried
out in a black cloth close-fitting jacket, which was
laced across each seam with gold braid, looking some-
what as if the jacket was too small for the wearer,
and had split up the seams, and been joined hastily
with the only available material at hand. The fashion
of having very stiff high collars to evening cloaks
seems to be gaining favour, and at several places of
entertainment of late, the collars reached almost to
the top of the ears, the wearers looking as if they had
donned the old-fashioned martial cloak, and been
particularly told not to turn their heads. Gold
embroidery is to be seen on some of these collars, but
velvet is the usual material. The hair of the wearer
is turned up high, out of the way of the collar.

POSSESSORS of handsome clasps may now display
their treasures, for as many as three can be worn on
a rich cloak, or down the front of a dress. If those
at the throat and waist match, all the better, and the in-
termediate ones can be quite a contrast. On evening
bodices, one can be placed on the shoulder and
another near the top of the deep Swiss band, with a
few loops of ribbon grouped around. Silver bag
mounts are now to be seen, at one side of a satin,
velvet, or tulle skirt, with the fulness gathered beneath
it, and a dainty bow placed just above. The silver-
mounted velvet bags are again worn, with a velvet bow
fastened just above the clasp. They are occasionally
seen hanging on the arm, attached to a rather broad
ribbon; but this is a questionable practice as to safety
in more senses than one. Bees, with large bodies and
extended wings are now beginning to settle on bonnet
strings. In onyx, catseyes, and pink coral, with
diamond wings, they are very quaint. Horeshoes of
large size are also fashionable; but, as a rule, the
delicate small brooches are more worn. Gentlemen's
scarf pins are occasionally utilised for keeping a lady's
bonnet string bows back in their place, or securing a
a fancy handkerchief tucked into the front of the
bodice, the more uncommon the design the better.

BUSY hands are much occupied at present in braid-
ing simulated waistcoats for the fronts of plain cloth
gowns, with cuffs to match. Silver braid on black,
gold on dark red or green, and red braid on brown,
are all popular. The design is traced on a piece of
the material, and when the work is finished, the
edges are turned in close to the braiding. Hooks are
placed at distances (which correzpond with eyes
placed on the bodice), and the whole is neatly fitted
on. The cuffs are managed in the same way. The
plain dark gown is thus varied in trimming, at small
trouble. Sometimes the waistcoat is buttoned into
the bodice, with a row of buttons down each side.

ANOTITER industry is beading thick silk or woollen
cord for evening dresses. These cords are much in
vogue for looping up folds to one side of a skirt,
and some in white are incrusted with pearls, others
in black, sparkling with jet. They are somewhat ex-
pensive to buy, and so some "happy thought" has
been brought to bear on them, and they are now con-
sidered worthy subjects for home labour. Beading
lace for the entire front, or the trimming of dresses,
is one of the fashions of the day. The lace forming
the full fronts of bodices is now powdered with little
loops of small beads, and net fichns, and scarf drapery
on ball dresses, likewise. In the mushroom-e,oloured
lace mixed gold and pearl beads seem to be used, and
on black lace red ones sparkle with brilliancy.

TULLE bonnets. ornamented in the same style, with
or without strings, are seen at waklipgs and after-
noon entertainments. Then, clever fingefs ~re paint-
ing white or very pale tinted velvet flowers, after-
wards cutting them out and joining the petals, then
placing them on the fronts of dress, where they stand
out in relief. The outline of the petals is first traced,
and the touches of colour put in afterwards, not finely,
but somewhat quickly and roughly, in oils. Wild
roses, several sizes larger than natural ones, are the
most popular design, as perhaps the easiest. White
velvet is used. The leaves and stalks are worked on
the satin foundation, in colcured chenille, arrasene,
or silks. Artificial flowers serve as models for
makingup. White velvet flowers, edged and veined
with tiny pearls and white crewel silk, are also
manufactured. The flowers are quite detached
from the material, being only fixed at the centre.
The idea has been taken from some very costly
tabliers and designs for court trains, brought over
from Paris by leading dressmakers. A. spray, in
these, runs up the aide of the train, narrowing con-
siderably as it ascends; across the front of the
tablier, springing from one side, or up the centre of
panels, for the sides of skirts. Amateurs can study
the composition of an artificial flower; pull off a
petal, lay it on the velvet and trace round.

CURRANTS in detached bunches, in red or gold beads
or pearls, are also worked on net or satin, with
painted or embroidered silk leaves. A design of
painted leaves, with silk-worked flowers or butterflies,
is another industry. And yet one more, and that is
the making of the plush bags now so fashionable for
shopping, carriage, and home use. The size depends
on individual fancy, but 14in. to 15 in. in length, and
10in. to 13in. in width, are the average dimensions.
The lining of the top is always a decided contrast to
the bag.

THE increased fulness of skirts is clearly discernible,
especially in the evening, when the ball skirts are kept
well out by several full balayeuses inside, placed close
over each other, or by a full ruche or plaiting outside,
on which the drapery rests. Two and three-quarters
to three yards round is the extent, except when one
deep flounce forms the skirt, when it is considerably
fuller. A steel is sometimes run round a walking
skirt, at the top of the hem. A great many people
prefer to have no steels at all in their skirts, but wear
a well-shaped crinolette, almost the same length, and
attached to the skirt by strings. Others wear no
steels..of any kind, but an eiderdown petticoat, which
gives a full appearance, or else only a pad ‘tt the
waist.

WIIITII dresses are much worn in every material.
Many of the white brocades have the front, or one
side, arranged with tinted lace, which has a very soft
look. The ivyy bodices are often cut round to show
the contour of the shoulders, and the unbecoming
strap across the shoulders, doing duty as the sleeve,
is gradually giving way to short arrangements of
falling lace, bead trellis work, and diamonds of lace
insertion or bead net inserted into the dress material.
An under dress of colour, including the low, rou -Idea
bodice, with an over one of lace, is much 1 ked for
evening wear.
•

Tnn fashionable real flowers of the day are lilies of
the valley nestling in their own leaves, the red petals
of the poinsettia half veiled in maidenhair, and white
Roman hyacinths, mixed with a few violets, backed
by tinted ivy. The last is used by itself in sprays,
and attached to the dress by jewelled pinsor brooches.
It is no more the long buttonhole that is fashionable,
spreading across an evening bodice, but short, full
bunches, with the stalks cut short, and of equal length.
The floral fans have a similar but larger bunch on
them, with the novel addition of a stuffed humming-
bird fixed near the edge of the palm leaf, looking to-
wards the flowers. A novelty is a long pin, witha few
violets or a rosebud fixed at the head, which is nut
into the bonnet strings or dress bodice.