The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-17 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.
Trim Queen, in giving an account of Londott
eashions, says: A New Year has dawned on the
world, the old one has vanished into space. Who
shall say what its lessons have taught us in so far as
~ur modes are concerned? A few of its fashions
,etnain, but the efforts made to dress more simply
nave met with but scanty success. For example, the
Cashion of wearing plain skirts has neither been last-
ing nor firm. We are not quite certain, but shrewdly
can guess where the fault of this circumstance lies.
Economy, practised at home, does not foster the
views of the dressmakers, who are urged by the
iiianufacturers, regardless of cost, to buy the most
exquisite stuffs that their silk-laden looms can pro-
luce ; so that they, in their turn, must persuade
.heir customers that such fabrics are de rigueur. The
fact is, we are not allowed to dress just as we please,
as of yore, and really it may be that Fashion is •wise
in her changeful and tyrannous moods. "Men must
work, and women must weep ;' so it suits us, perhaps,
to complain. However, all must live, so we pause
in our censorious haste, and try to be contentwith the
knowledge that what we lose may be counted as
somebody's gain, that we must struggle, strive, and
pinch to live and dress with the times.

Revenant, a nos moutons. The reAmd skirts we men-
tioned just now are still very widely adopted, but can-
not be styled as well worn, they are made in long
gathered folds from the waist, and wholly divested of
tunic or scarf to relieve the curved lines at the hips.
For some they are much too severe, for others too
obviously plain; it is only the beauty of "fresh-bud-
ding youth" they invest with a charm quite their own.
The fancy for street gowns of self-coloured stuffs has
for some reason quickly died out, and stripes, spots,
or patterns of various kinds are employed for the
smartest costumes. The skirt when so made is not
further adorned, but hangs plain and straight all its
length. Then why is its cost not greatly reduced in
proportion to quantity used? The question is easily
answered, for while it is true that the measure ab-
sorbed is neither excessive nor great, the expense of
the fabric so sparingly used has slowly but surely in-
creased. Economy, therefore, is not to be named as
pertaining to " simple " costumes, except in the case
of a dress made at home, when the price of the work
does not count. Garments so fashioned do, sometimes.
appear as if turned out by a professional hand, thanks
to the great care bestowed on the fit, the sewing, the
finish, and style. Those who have studied the art of
self-measurement, and are further provided with one
of the dummy dress stands, arew-ell on the road to
success. Such need not fear that their gowns will
proclaim their " homely " creation abroad.

TIISMiI are two kinds of skirts seen for walking
costumes, both of which are now equally worn; first
the folds falling loose on the jupon beneath, then the.
tunic and underskirt joined. The former, perhaps, is
most easily made, and in woollen stuffs hangs with
much grace; but the latter is chosen for figured
material, terry-stamped velvet, or plush. The bro-
cades form the front of the skirts and the sides to the-
width of three breadths; while the back is of woollen
or silk, plain, or else striped with finest hair lines, so
small they can scarce be discerned. The handsome
material is smoothly attached to the lining foundation
it covers, with merely a hem at the edge of the skirt,
and a box-plaited frill placed below. At the back
there are several widths of plain silk, or of soft
woollen stuff if preferred; and these form either
broad plaits or close-gathered folds from the waist-
band the length of the skirt. The effect of a dress,
now so greatly depends on the drapery viewed from
behind, that this portion alone gives the true coup de
nviitre, or, when ill-devised, quite the reverse.
The sides of these breadths are also sewn to the
lining foundation beneath, and they may bo trimmed
with revers of brocade, running panel-wise down from
the waist. For instance, a plain front of velvet bro-
cade, nut-brown figured with gold, has very wide back
breadth of fawn-coloured silk, striped with satin lines
shaded in tones. At the sides of the skirt are long
narrow revers, the inner edee cut in sharp points, sach
finished with tassels of broivia and gold beads, mixed
with small covered balls of silk thread. The bodice
is velvet, with full-plaited vest and pouf of fawn silk
round the basque ; it is joined at the waist by a brown
velvet band with a buckle of brown and gold beads.
The upper part of the vest is crossed by festoons. of
silk balls and tassels of leads, and the sleeves, which
are cut up the front of the arm, are fastened with
cordons to match. This description will best point
the fashionable mode of employing these beautiful
stuffs, though, of course, there are many ways equally
good, which can all of them claim to be new.

--
As a change to the plain untrimmed skirt (o.
should we not call it a front?) they are someti-nes
cut up in long dents at the edge, and bordered all
round with silk lace. We name one of plush of a.
dullish red brown—a rarely seen, very quaint shade—
which was treated in this way with novel effect,
trimmed with full-gathered frills of French lace.
Under the points was a satin kilting, of which tunic
and back breadths were made. The satin was
"mottled," not watered, with patterns of woven silk
thread; apale shade on darker red-brown and motifs
of colour in red, blue, and gold appeared placed in
serpentine lines. The tunic was only a short satin
scarf in diagonal folds to one side, each fold fastened
with large bead-worked buttons; it was high on the
hips at the other side, and finished with tri-coloured
bows. The drapery fell at the back in the way we
have lately described, and the edges were stitched to
the sides of the skirt, of which it thus seemed to form
part. The back of the bodice was red br3wn velvet,
the front of brocaded satin, made like a stomacher
shaped from the bust, with a sharp pointed basque at
the waist. This was framed on each side by a frilling
of lace, there was also a fraise at the throat and rows
of small buttons formed a V on the chest, where they
joined in a straight single line. The sleeves were of
velvet and silk, half and half, long and tight to the
wrist; on the outside were buttons placed closely
together; the cuffs were of lace with small bows.

MANTLES and dolmans are made of such length
that the gowns worn beneath are not seen, and here
we admit that the really plain skirt can be prudently
donned for the nonce. The velvet-worked terry or
shaded stamped plush is itself no light weight to sup-
pert, and, therefore, the comfort of freedom of limb
will doubtless be prized at its worth. We cannot but
think that the bright shades of plush are not meant
for our London dull streets; however attractive and
pretty they are, the atmosphere makes them look
soiled, and in some eases ruins the pleasing relict,
which is almost its own and sole charm. The blue-
greys especially quickly assume the smoke hue by
which they are spoiled, and green turns to brown and
ruby to red, while in all the same cause may be
traced. The eye has been sated, and even now tires
of plush mantles sported out-doors, and turns with
relief to the fine cashmere shawls, which are once
more considered la mode. Their beautiful colourings,
vivid and bright, yet blended with infinite taste, are
vastly superior to masses of red, green crimson,
blue, grey, and what not? We hear of French
women (no co hers could achieve it) who wear these
grand shawls with success, in the old-fashioned
way, loosely placed round the shoulders, the point
falling low at the back, though we fear to think
of their graceless effect when thus they are donned
over here. But as dolmans and cloaks, or the shorter
trisite, they make wraps that are really superb when
bordered with fur or curled ostrich tips and lined with
soft down-quilted silk. Long cloaks are mixed with
rich velvet, without which they cannot be planned,
for few have two shawls that are made quite alike, or,
having them, wish to cut both; this fabric is used as
a wide pointed piece at the back from the neck to the
waist, and again for the fronts, spreading out as it
falls down the length of the cloak to its edge. It is
bordered with braiding in all coloured silks, or half-
concealed, covered with gold in which are seen
threads of the bright Eastern tints that appear in the
tissue itself. A lovely one, mostly of blue, red, and
gold, was faced with deep sapphire-blue, and this was
all worked with a handsome soutache of gold braid
and silks intermixed. Another, with pattern of gold-
shaded pines on a groundwork of rich emerald-green,
was made up with velvet of dark myrtle tone and
passementerie "pines" of gold beads.

Youxa girls' ball toilettes are simple and light,
made of clouds of tulle, either sprinkled with gold, or
dotted with daisies, rosebuds, ferns or petals of
flowers sewn on the tunics of pale-coloured filmy
tulle. Skirts are be-ribboned to any extent, either
running in rows straight down from the waist or as
diagonal lines on the front. The basques of the
bodices often have loops sewn in closely placed groups
at the edge—three fixed together, the middle one
short, is a novel and stylish arrangement. This
daintiest of velvets compose the low-cut bodices, and
pale tints of the same shade as the skirt.; are at the
present moment as fashionably adopted as darker or
contrasting ones were not long ago. A ball gown of
pale turquoise tulle was embroidered with small silver
hearts. At the point of each one was a. loop of cut
beads, which produced a sparkling effect. At the
edge of the underskirt, made of soft silk, was a
ruching of silk—blue mixed with faintest rose pink.
The bodice was of turquoise velvet, the basque and
the low-cut corsage was outlined with silver hearts.
The lattice-work sleeves were of cut silver beads, cut
up to the shoulder in front, and at the left side, on a
pouf of blue tulle, was a group of pale pink Banksia
roses.

Ton short " Spanish " or " Sultana " jacket is
fashion's latest whim. Made of most gorgeous
materials—gold cloth or tinsel-stamped velvet, silver
tissue woven with coloured silks, plain or embroidered
velvet, eatin sewn with seed pearls, or covered with
gold and mixed braids—they are worn with all
evening toilettes. The lace chemisette is full at the
waist and confined by a sash of soft silk. If for after-
noon house wear, the finest muslin or China crape
may be used, and either looks well if the jacket be
velvet just bordered with metal galloon. This last
thing in vestes is an old-time idea, like many a good
one, revived, and merits the share of prestige it obtains
for reasons which tell their own tale. It can be worn
with almost any skirt--cloth or velvet, silk or satin,
crepe de Chine, muslin, or tulle. The quantity of
material required is:necessarily small; the effect when
complete is " immense ; " and, above all they incite
busy hands to attempt a new style of art-work.