The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-05-15 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

"BUTTERFLY" writes in the Lady's Pictorial: With
the last days of Lent and the first gleams of sunshine,
which have any promise in them of th e brightness
and warmth of the summer, we naturally begin to
look for something bright and cheerful in the way of
garments generally. lam glad, therefore, to be able
to tell you this week of some pretty new things.
First then, as regards useful little gowns for after-
noon wear. A pretty plain canvas cloth in a sunny
shade of golden brown is made up very effectively
over an underskirt of broche lace canvas, with a silk
stripe in a harmonising colour. On one side the skirt
is made with a panel of velvet, long, graceful draperies
being arranged at the back. Another pretty gown is
in figured Indian canvas with a plush stripe, alter-
nately in chestnut brown and dark indigo blue.
Here the draperies are of plain blue canvas, caught
up very high on one side. Lace canvas and basket
cloths in every possible variety will still be greatly
worn this year, and they certainly make up very
prettily, either in combination with silk or with plain
canvas materials to correspond.

THE " Zarcpa " is the name which has been given
to a very becoming style of skirt, likely to be very
popular this year. The example shown to me was
wade in a fine brown stockingette cloth, with two
graduated revers of brown velvet, forming a kind of
panel on the left side. Each revers is bordered with
a row of small brown beads, and the front is arranged
in long sweeping folds, drawn round from the left,
and caught up very gracefully on the right side. The
" Vera " is another very pretty design, which may be
had either in cashmere with striped velvet and silk,
or in foule with plain velvet. It looks very effective
also in fancy canvas mixed with either silk or velvet.
I noticed particularly one of these " Vera " skirts in a
combination of several shades of grey, where the
draperies were held in place by a beautiful ornament
of glistening grey beads.

FOR a really useful and yet handsome black gown
I saw also a combination of soft black silk and cash-
mere, which was remarkably effective. An elaborate
panel, closely embroidered with black rosary beads,
formed the aide of the skirt, mixed draperies of cash-
mere and silk being arranged at the back. A certain
design of feathers upon a ground of contrasting colour
has been employed in several instances with great
success. A handsome bronze-green underskirt of
silk, for example, has scattered over it some dark
ruby feathers, the draperies and bodice being in
bronze-green cashmere to correspond. For boating
and tennis a number of pretty, fresh-looking frocks
are being prepared. Some of these are in fine nun's
cloth, with a kind of soft embroidery in wool woven
into the material itself. This is particularly success-
ful in a combination of the darkest possible crimson on
a ground of indigo or navy blue. For tiny girls also
there are some charming little seaside frocks, made on
the sailor pattern, with wide-open collars, and com-
fortable tight-fitting vests beneath. These may be
had in serge of every colour, as well as in all the
varieties of zephyrs and Galatea stripes. For such
small wearersersey costumes are equally pretty, and
some of the smartest of these are bordered with rows
of tiny beads.

I sAw two handsome evening gowns, but recently
arrived from Paris. The one was in pale turquoise
blue ottoman, with a train of velours frise in a
dainty pattern of pale blue, brocaded on a ground
of cream. A stripe of gold-coloured plush was woven
into the velours of the train, the whole of one side
panel being veiled with draperies of soft cream lace.
The corsage was arranged to correspond with a shaped
vest of velours frise. The second evening toilette was
composed chiefly of satin duchesse, in a rich, deep
shade of old gold. The train and draperi(s were made
of this old gold satin, folding back over panels of rich
brocade, in which clusters of pale-coloured roses were
scattered over a ground of delicate cream silk. The
draperies were secured in front by a handsome orna-
ment in passementerie, a mixture of tiny bzonze beads
with little plaques in mother of-pearl, and the whole
effect was remarkable picturesque.

Fon a visiting afternoon toilette is a gown well
worth describing. Draperies of sand coloured faille
francaise, opening over a panel of silk, in a paler
shade of the same colour. This panel is closely
embroidered with tiny beads in a mixture of bright
bronze and gold. The pointed bodice is made with a
vest of beaded embroidery, shut in on either side by
shaped revers of dark brown velvet. The sleeves are
made smartly short, with a folded cuff of dark brown
velvet, brightened by a small revers of bead em-
broidery.

As I told you some time since, foulards will form
quite a feature of the summer season. These are
especially pretty if they are made with wide-figured
borders, and they will be very much worn directly the
warmer weather comes. I noticed a very pretty
foulard, in fresh butter colour, with a deep border of
Indian shawl pattern, the design being marked out in
various subdued dull shades of olive and- dark red.
Soft frills of lace border the draperies, and the skirt
is further trimmed with straps of dark red velvet.
Particularly becoming is the bodice of this gown, the '
full vest in front terminating at the waist in two V-
shaped straps of dark red velvet, to correspond with
a similar velvet trimming on the neck and at the
sleeves. For an afternoon dance, a pretty gown is in
coffee-figured muslin, made very simply, and trimmed
only with long loops of reseda and pale pink ribbon 2
carried round the skirt from left to right, and then
finished off by a series of three bows on one side. For
young girls, plain full skirts of tulle are very much
worn, and a pretty design has three long straps of ,
white satin ribbon reaching downwards from the
waist and terminating in round rosettes, each one
reaching a little lower than the last. Soft corals silks
also promise to be popular, and these may be had in
every conceivable variety of shade. A dainty little
gown is made in cream corab, the draperies just
caught up carelessly here and there, but falling in the
softest folds imaginable, and bordered round the edge
of the skirt with full frills of cream Chantilly lace.

A FEW novelties in the way of hats and bonnets, and
I must bring my gossip to an end for this week. The
trimmings are arranged very high indeed in front. One
of the newest bonnets has an open-work crown, com-
posed of threads of brilliant iridEscent beads, in
which, however, the predominating shade in Parma
violet. The brim is bordered with full soft folds of
Parma violet crepe de chine, tall veldet bows of the
same shade being placed high in front, with clusters
of pale lilac berries to correspond. A pretty small
capote, all innocent of strings, has a crown of brown
coarsely-plaited straw, and is trimmed in front with
stand-up bows of pale pink pearl-edged ribbon. In
the midst of the bows you see a spray of pale pink
roses, with a few dark red rosebuds amongst them,
and a quantity of wonderfully natural pale green
foliage. Another charming bonnet is in a helmet.
shaped tuscan straw, trimmed on one side of the front
with wide folds of heliotrope velvet and on the other
with a complete network of rose-leaves and tiny buds.
Leaf-shaped heliotrope velvet bows are placed in
front, lined underneath with pale yellow silk and
brightened with a cluster of pale yellow roses.

A PRETTY hat is in tuscan straw, with rather a high
square crown and a tolerably wide brim, the latter
being bound with dark olive green velvet. Cream
silk bows are placed in front, intermingled with
bunches of small cheries of various colours and fresh
cool-looking green leaves. Loops of cream ribbon are
drawn through the crown of this hat and held in place
by small gold-headed pins. The last chapeau upon
my list is in black straw with a high crown, turned
up ever so slightly on one side and very much indeed
at the back. Plumes of ostrich feathers fall over the
crown towards the front, where a large butterfly bow
in black lace is held in place by a dagger-shaped orna-
ment in fine jet.