The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-09 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS ,

Tin recent garden-party at Marlborough House
was, a;. usual, a brilliant affair. The number of
uests was very large, and amongst them were the
epresentatives of the different Embassies. The
princess of Wales wore a black and white striped
Okirt, with one deep kilt in front and two kilts at the
back, with a tunic and bodice of rich black silk, and a
'small black bonnet; her three daughters were all
'dressed alike in small black and white chequered
dresses, made with one deep kilt and tunic, with
black ribbon bows, small white straw hats trimmed
with black velvet and white lace. As the evening
grew more chilly the two younger princesses put on
light grey Newmarkets. The Crown Princess of
Germany had on a handsome costume of black em-
bossed velvet and silk, and a straw bonnet trimmed
,with velvet and flowers; her three daughters were
dressed alike in white dresses, with black ribbons, and
:white turned-down straw hats; Princess Christian was
all in black, and her two daughters in white. The
dresses worn by many of the guests were tasteful and
:effective. The prettiest white dresses were worn by
i two sisters; the skirts were plain white brocade,
: with a broad band of white feather trimming,
' white cashmere bodices and draperies, with bands of
, the same trimmings, and small crimson velvet Tam
o' Shanter hats. Cream muslins were very general,
with small lace capotes to match; they were trimmed
with long loops of ribbon of every shade, and a great
many Tam o' Shanter hats were worn of velvet or
plush. The hair was in nearly all instances arranged
in masses of plaits, nearly covering the back of the
head; not many wore their hair turned up to the
top of the head. There were some national dresses,
the Chinese Ambassador and the Marquise Tseng
being in Chinese dress, the ambassadress wearing a
blue dress, richly embroidered in colours, and a black
underclress also covered with embroidered flowers.
The Ambassador also wore a grand costume. There
were two ladies in Indian dress; but, graceful as it
is, it looked cold and fragile for our climate. The
greater number of the guests appeared in colours,
owing to the very considerate notice sent out with
the invitations as to its not being necessary for those
not in family mourning to come in black.

THE Paris Correspondent of the Queen tells us that
the dresses for mourning wear at the various
chateaux are simple. Many .have white waistcoats,
fastening with metal buttons; and the white piqué
costumes have all full plastrons of coloured silk. For
seaside dresses, the favourite materials are woollens
and mohair of light weight that do not cockle when
moistened. The variety in summer silks is enormous.
White corduroy and white Cheviot tailor-made cos-
tumes are in vogue, made with velvet-cuffs and collar
of some bright colour; and for short purses there are
white flannel dresses. If plain mohair is selected, it
is either grey or mushroom; but the shot moliairs
are newer, and show vivid contrasts, such as blue and
red, brown and blue, and even green and red.
Veiling continues to be worn by young people, and
the white ones, with narrow borderings along the
selvedge, are capital summer dresses. Many red and
blue veilings are made with accordeon skirt, the
bodice being studded with tapestry designs of griffins
or birds, or else covered with Oriental palms and
arabesques.

, -
§ Two favourite games at the seaside are lawn tennis
and Badminton, and jerseys seem quite an uniform
among the elegantes for both these games, white
jerseys trimmed with gold braid, over skirts of white
etathine, looking decidedly well. At Dieppe, striped
woollens—a light stripe on a dark ground—are
popular; red on grey, old-gold on navy-blue, white on
black. These skirts are made ala paysanne— that is
to say, quite plain, merely bordered with a wide red,
blue, or grey band, something, in fact, that salt water
does not spoil. For fishing or shrimp catching, a
large linen blouse is worn over the skirt, and a rush
hat trimmed with a square of gay foulard.

Tirn newest cambric handkerchiefs have a wide
border, either blue or pale red, with a crescent or
horseshoe inclosing the owner's monogram in the
same colour in one corner. A gay parasol is Dart of
the seaside costume, and the shot silk ones are pre-
ferred to the satin ones of last year. But crepe,
moire, and velvet covers are seen when driving in the
afternoon, while for the sands there are large red
cotton covers and checked silk ones, which can be
worn with almost every costume.

A WRITEX in the Queen says: A few hints culled
from many visits to leading dressmakers will give
some of the features of the newest fashions. Deep
orange is a tone which now and during the winter is
likely to find its way into nearly all the best dresses
and bonnets ; small velvet lobsters in reds, greens,
and other varieties bf colour are fastened on the left
side of low bodices with diftmond pins. Bonnets
composed entirely of marabout are fashionable, espe-
cially in light colours Dresses of printed net, which
at the distance look like mousseline de soie, are quite
new, and several were prepared for Goodwood; they
are made up over silk. Tea-gowns are made of black
lace over coloured silks, and cut in the Princesse
form.
A rnomornsr 'London house, visited by the writer
from whom we quote, has a large selection of
novelties illustrative of the best fashions of the day.
Among them a shot silk skirt covered with a deep-
plaiting of black lace, caught up with large bows of
orange velvet; there were paniers, and a black lace
bib. The parasol was made to match and covered
with lace, having a bird for handle with plumage in
harmony; the bonnet gold, covered with black lace,
a large aigrette of the two colours on the front.
There was a large choice in black lace dresses, the
most useful fashion that has come in for some time;
one of these was arranged with lace sufficiently wide
to cover the whole depth of the skirt. It had lace
paniers and straight close-set rows of black jet
passementerie down the front, from which hung many
heavy balls of jet, the bodice was pointed back and
front. Some of these black lace dresses are made of
figured piece lace over satin, and are caught up with
large ropes of jet beads on the side of the skirt and
large velvet bows. Many of the bodices are made
with high jetted collars, turning down from the
back and tapering to the front of the bodice; rows of
beads, too, are carried across the sleeves in festoons,
and heavy jetted plastrons complete these really
beautiful dresses.

A COARSE strong make of cream bunting was used
for a particularly new kind of dress, trimmed with
cream woollen lace of a guipure pattern, which is a
novel garniture; looped bows of red velvet formed a
good contrast; it was made with a plaited skirt and
draped tunic. A white satin gown was elaborately
trimmed with Irish guipuie, which, on its own merits,
is working its way into fashionable favour. A tailor-
made useful travelling dress is, as everything seems
now to be, shot, but of woollen stuff, covered with a
slight stripe. The bodice is made loose with plaits
back and front, the skirt tucked. Dust cloaks become
more important portions of dress each season. The
newest now are made in brocaded fawn fancy cloths,
and are cut to the figure back and front; they have
long cape-like sleeves, and quite cover the dress.

ANOTIIER West-end firm have a large selection of
beautiful dresses. An original ball gown had a plain
low black velvet bodice bordered with blue steel
beads, having no tucker whatever, but cut low back
and front, the skirt being black tulle, veiled with a
blue jet spangled tulle, draped with a large butterfly.
The following stylish toilettes will illustrate what
have been worn at Goodwood. A black satin train
and bodice, with a cream lace petticoat, the black
satin trimmed with pearls; a French cotton of a
mushroom shade, embroidered in China blue, a
canvas dress of the same shade, with a design of
walnuts embroidered on it; a biscuit silk shot with
electric grey, and trimmed with the new beige lace
caught up at intervals with heavy bead ornaments
in shaded blue, ending in large bead balls; a bright
coquelicot satin, the sides embroidered with red beads.

Two charming evening dresses are worthy to be
recorded. One white satin worked in seed pearls,
caught up wherever the drapery permitted with mara-
bout feathers, and a salmon-pink ottoman trimmed
with brown tulle draperies, and pink and brown
feathers. A very charming old English costume for
dinner wear has a grass-green satin skirt, and a
biscuit-coloured brocade with pink roses for bodice,
and square train; the bodice has a stomacher of the
satin, is laced at the back, with points back and
front, and is cut in vandykes at the top of the
bodice.

Tim same authority gives the following description
of a particularly attractive trousseau in hand: The
bridal dress is notable for its graceful simplicity, a
white satin trimmed with lace and orange flowers, and
made with a long train. A peach-coloured Mer-
veilleux was one of many handsome dinner gowns,
trimmed with cream lace, the ,bodice low, the skirt
long, for long skirts are worn for all but dances;
white flowers and plume enhanced the delicacy of the
colour, which is new and already much in favour.
For the travelling dress, a soft brown woollen
material had been chosen, trimmed with brown
velvet. For an every day dinner gown a blue cash-
mere was made with a kilt plaiting half a yard deep,
left to flow at the edge, and trimmed with yard deep
embroidered net of a cream shade, draped on the
front of the skirt. A novelty was a brocaded black
coat, close fitting, fastened on one side of the bodice
with huge horn and silver buttons, and having a large
quadruple plait at the back. The fastening and
arrangement of the bodice were the novelty here.

An Australian shepherd, writing home to his
mother, says: "Good fat mutton is very plentiful
here. I often wish I had a fork long enough so that
I might stick a piece on the end for your dinner."
A teacher said to a little girl in school, " If a
naughty girl should hurt you, like a good girl you
would forgive her wouldn't you?" "Yes, marm,"
she responded, "if I couldn't catch her."
"The man who can govern a woman can govern a
nation." The woman who governs a man wastes her
time... -

Mr. Dobbliday says that he has one of the most
obedient boys in the world. He tells him to do as he
please& and he does it without a murmur

aiSMMita