The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-10-20 00:00:00


GOSSIP ON DRESS.

ONDON contemporary says :—The Empress of 1
Austria nas been hunting in Styria, and two riding
bs,bits, or hunting costumes, she has worn deserve to
reci.rtlei. One is a dark my rtle•green cloth, fitting
th Ftgure, and roundi, g ff from the front to facke
flaps behind. The high collar is half military style,
w:ivi the cuffs down to the wrist are gam:Met-shaped
The jacket is embroidered in gold in a ffiral device ;
a Tyrulean hat of green felt is worn with this, the
stiff feathers being fastened with two filigree gold
hale. The other habit is of a delicati blne-grey, with
the bodice close-fitting, but made blouse fashion, close
sleeves nearly to the wrist, and a high close collar.
The trimming is of cord braid a bright silky grey,
with silver thread thickly intermixed in the weaving,
and thus giving a softer effect than the braid entirely
of silver. This braid which was made expressly, is
laid in serpentine rows, and the cuffs are -formed of
the same, turned back lengthwise about five inches.
Buttons of which the centre ate diamonds, are the
fa4eners, placed from the left shoulder to the
right side of the waist. A j .okey cap, with somewhat
prominent peak, and with five of the buttons fixed
round the front, is the headgear to match.

UNDER the head of "London Fashions l 5 the Queen
remarks :—A striking feature of the fashions of to-day
is the introduction of the waistcoat into all costumes
for morning and street wear. Vests of broche silk,
velvet, or figured plush are just now replacing those of
white, ecru, and coloured linen, which have been so
universally worn during the past summer; and these,
later on, will be exchanged for waistcoats of sealskin,
beaver, or astrakan, which last fur will, in addition, be
much used as trimmings for the jackets and polonaises
of tador•made go gm. All smart dresses for visiting
or afternoon wear are made either of three
materials, three colours, or of three varieties of
the same shade. For instance, a gown of
golden brown satin, brown brocbe, and brick-red
satin. The ikirt is of the last-named, edged with
a narrow gathered flounce, and having a perpendicu-
lar plaiting at the aides from the waist down-
wards. The overskirt is in two separate pieces. The
front of brown broch6, the pattern clusters of feathers
of a dark chocolate colour; the back a square cut
drapery of plain satin with a group of folded plaits in
the centre. A plain satin bodice, with short coat tails,
finished with a row of handsome buttons, and a deep
Afar of ecru muslin embroidery at the throat.
An.ither dress is of myrtle-green Sicilienne, spotted
with brown and red, nut-brown velvet, and brown
Stoilienne. The brown velvet skirt is edged with
plaitings of plain Sicilienne ; the spotted bodice has a
" blouse " waistcoat of brown silk, with turn-down
collar and long lappets of brown velvet. The polonaisa
is also of spotted Sicilienne' arranged in pointed dra-
peries at the sides and at the back.

BROCADES for evening wear are in every variety of
beautitul design and colouring, one of the newest
being a pattern of yellow leaves on a ground of the
same colour, shot with bright pink. A sec ind has a
" pine " pattern of large and small daisies in all
shades of pink and crimson mixei with green leaves
and sprays of lilies of the valley, on a ground of palest
jambe de vymphe satin; while a third of a quaint
mauve-pink tint, has bouquets of yellow daisies scattered
in profusion over its surface. Darker satins and thick-
ribbed ottomans are brocaded with single blossoms,
minus stalks or leaves, dahlias, roses, or mammoth
daisies, and "Muscovite" stripes of ottoman and
plain satin have large bunches of grapes, chestnuts,
pomegranates, and other fruits. A deep brown satin
had armure stripes of navy blue, divided by fine lines
of pale blue silk, and at distances on this line were
placed single violets with a few leaves, in exquisite
shades of golden brown.

FIcHVS, small capes, and plastrons of muslin, or silk
gauze, with gathered frillings of lace ornamented with
loops of velvet, and rosettes or knots, of bebe ribbon,
are much worn, and impart a decidedly " dressy "
appearance to the close. fitting bodices of plain velvet
or satin which now invariably form part of alt costumes
with any pretension to fashion. Gowns, too, which
hive bit their freshness are completely renovated by
the addition of i,retty lingerie, which is also useful to
travellers and others when time is short, and circum•
stances demand a hurried change of toilette.

AMONG the hats and bonnets are many new shapes
and styles, the hats being mostly modified or im-
proved editions of the Henri it. form, the bonnets
with eapote crowns and gathered fronts; or the more
compact and simple Princess shape, with stiff crown
and trimmings of folded velvet—a good example of the
latter variety being of pheasant-brown velvet, with a
coronet of rat's tail chenille in shades- t.f brown mixed
with traall balls of gold beads, with folded velvet
strings arranged in a bow beneath the chin. The
crown cf this bonnet is cut out in a point at the back
to allow the hair to keep its position when combed in
the fashionable way towards the top of the head.

THE Daily Telegraph devotes an article to the sub-
j,ct of "Paris Faseions," to which we are indebted
for the following r.aragraphs :—Those who are not
above following La Mode, and whose desire it is to
please themselves end others, should now lay down
their plau of action for the winter. The first thing to
be done is to reckon up the forces of which they dis-
pose. A careful examination of the contents of. the
wardrobe will reveal the state of the case. Irf" all
probability this will supply a sufficiency for uncertain
weather and all the small, unimportant occasions
of daily life. Means may also be found to rence
va+e last year's gown—the one that was the least
worn—and render it as fresh and new as if it
were just evolved out of the fancy of a fashion-
able couturier. There are many ways of doing
this, but one of the easiest is to place a coloured silk
chemisette beneath the jacket if the bodice have loose
fronts, and over it in case it be tight-fitting. Suppose
the gown to be one of navy blue--quite as fashionable
a colour this as it was last year—then the combination
of blues chosen for the shot Surah of the cheinisette
may be crimson and blue. To harmonise this bright
addition to the sombre tonality of the rest, it will be
well to do away with the pot hidings (a very few
wearinge put them hors de combat) and substitute
two bands of pinked out cloth for them, one of
crimson and the other blue. The same will
trim effectively the edge of the bodice, while a
bouillonne of the silk sewn beneath the sleeve may
serve in lieu of a lace cuff. This is all very plain
sailing indeed. Additions of macaroons of braid,
either a contrast to or in harmony with the gown,
round the jacket basques or edge of the pointed bodice,
down the back and front of the same and in guise of
panneaux on the skirt; of brandebourgs to tailor-made
jackets or shoulder knots of Passementerie with
aiguillettes pendant, and cords crossing from one to
the other; or of vests more applicable to winter gear
than those with which the spring or autumn gown
may have been provided, present likewise no difficulty
whatsoever.

THERE is also the gown, whether plain or an admix-
ture of plain and checked, the simplicity of whose
pleated bl ,use bodice pleases no loner, especially if it
is made of a figured material, when fashion has elected
that this part of the gown shall be plain for the nonce.
A tailor•tuade jacket of cloth, with little pockets, flat
edging of galloon—a masculine garment in miniature
—will not only cover the deficiency in this case, but
provide a complementary finish for another skirt of a
different yet harmonious colour, that may be pur-
chased ready made at one of the drapers'.

FOR costumes that were modelled, after a now
obsolete fashion, entirely of figurei tissue, there is
nothing to be done but to suppress a portion of it and
fill in more or less plain material in place of the old.
A wide kilting and a new jacket will transform the
gown entirely, though, to avoid waste altogether,
it is preferable to sever the under•skirt from the upper
portion, and, while freshening up the figured tunic
with a plain skirt, the one on which the pattern lies
will do duty for a new combination. In the case of
checks this may be done very easily, and will afford
two gowns sufficiently dissimilar to make a pleasant
change. Supposing the check to be cypress green and
claret—a favourite mixture—in the one case green
cloth, and in the other crimson, will so modify the
effect of the opposing colours in the check as not to
leave much likeness between the two arrangements.

CHEM, however, are only one and the least fashion-
able form of design. By far the greater number of
figured woollens—and it is with these one has most
to do at this particular period of the year—have
separate patterns interwoven in the material at
rather wide intervals, The threads used may be of
silk or wool, and the same species of design rendered
in the one or in the other will differ very widely in
effect, for whereas the wool amalgamates with the
grounds the silk ones stand out in sharp brilliant relief.
This is an Important point of consideration, especially
when so great an amount of eccentricity reigns in the
choice of the design. A material may be covered
with fruits, flowers, animals' heads wrought in wool,
and no one be the wiser; bat Posy and Fido's profile,
or that of a peach or plum, will immediately attract
the attention and perhaps the laughter of the spectator
if reproduced in bright hued silks. The purchaser has
everything to gain by choosing the former, unless
excessively careful not to transgress the limits of good
sense. Such simple designs as hoops, rings, crescents,
circles, and ovals worked in outline or relief are not
conspicuous, or likely for that reason to grow irksome
to the wearer. For tunics they are very pretty in deep
Fed
.upon. brown, green, blue, or grey, the skirt and
•Jodtce being made of a plain cloth to match.