The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-08 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

No one particular style prevails in the make and
fashion of this season's ball costumes; all for young
ladies' wear, at least, are very simply made, and of
the lightest, softest materials, looking as if they had
been carelessly thrown together, so elegant is the
draping. In light materials, point d'esprit promises
to be largely utilised, as it drapes well, it is net as
fine as Brussels, dotted all over with tiny spots, is in-
expensive, very wide, and can be had in all the
fashionable light colours so much affected for ball
dresres ; in cream it is remarkably elegant, as also
in pale maize, pink, or blue, delicate shades of helio-
trope, and plain black or white. This material washes
well, if care be taken, looking, after the process,
when well got up, almost as fresh as new, and it
takes a good dye; thus it is an economical as
well as a pretty fabric, a fact which should re-
commend it to young ladies who have their
0711 allowances to dress on, and mothers who
find it difficult to provide constant new dresses for a
family and daughters who go much into society. A
very successful Ball Dress in this material is smoke
coloured and trimmed with narrow flounces of the net
pinked out, a large bunch of coral gauze ribbon
securing the net draping on the left side, chrysanthe-
mums of the same colour being mixed with the
ribbons; the bodice is low, but cut up somewhat high
on the shoulders, and ornamented with ribbon and
flowers in the same style as the skirt; beneath the
point d'esprit is a skirt of plain smoke coloured net,
and the foundation is of surah silk, a pink coral comb
in the hair, one string of coral beads to match round
the throat, grey shoes and stockings, grey Suede
gloves, and grey gauze fan with painted branch of
coral. Crepe de Chine is very fashionable, generally
combined with striped gauze. Talk perte is another
charmingly light material, and makes up admirably,
as do the various beaded tulles; gold, silver, and
coloured beads of all kinds being u ed for this pur-
pose. A simple but stylish model is in silver beaded
tulle; the beads are minute,and set so closely together
as to give the effect of a shower of silvery rain drops.
The foundation skirt of this dress is of soft silvery
grey surah ; over it is a plain net skirt of the palest
tone of grey, and above that the silver-beaded tulle.
The two upper skirts are set in full pleats behind,
which fall very gracefully, the tulle being draped in
folds in front and secured at the side by silver grey
satin ribbon, arranged in long loops, caught together
half way down by a rosette of the same. The Bean
bodice, the same shade of grey as the foundation skirt,
is cut V-shaped, the material being draped berths
fashion across it, and fastened on the left shoulder
and right side of the bodice, just below the waist, by
rosettes and loops of the narrow ribbon; in the hair
a silver aigrette in the form of a filagree peacock with
spread tail can be worn, but no other ornament of any
kind. Neither neck ornaments nor bracelets are now
worn by young ladies, the only throatlet admissible
being one, or at most two, strings of small pearls.
Other tulles have the beads set on in stripes, but
these are not so light looking as those in wiaich they
are sprinkled over the whole surface. Striped
gauzes are greatly worn; here is an example—
s maize-coloured tulle skirt with 'a brown and
maize gauze draped over it; the narrow stripes being
across instead of lengthwise on the material; the
foundation skirt being of soft maize silk, and the
bodice of brown satin, matching the stripes, but almost
hidden by the crossway draping of the gauze, which
is cavght up high on the shoulders under crescent-
formed tortoiseshell ornaments; the crossway folds
from the left shoulder are confined on the right side
below the waist by a larger sized crescent, under which
they are drawn, to expand out over tae skirt and be
draped up again on the left side beneath a large bow
of satin ribbon with tagged ends; at the back the
gauze dra eries are very full; tortoiseshell high comb
in the hair, or pins with crescent-shaped heads, and
fan, with sticks to match._

SHOT silk skirt., pink or blue, covered with either
plain, white, or figured tulle, are a feature of one
French house, bows of the silk fastening the tulle in
place, small bows on one side and one large bow on
the other, the corsage either low or V-shaped, being
trimmed to match, and laced at the back. White
tulle over white satin or silk are still the favourite
n:aterials for debutantes, trimmed with very nairow
white satin ribbon and rosettes of the same; if
flowers are used instead of ribbon, or mixed with it,
white chrysanthemums are generally those chosen,
these being the flower of this season. As a rule,
however, flowers are slow but slightly employed,
ribbons being more used. Flounces are re-
vived for evening dresses in thin materials, as
also in lace, for which last embroidered laces
are being specially prepared. Machine-made laces
are now so beautifully finished off and look so well
that those who have no stores of old lace to draw on
need not on that accoent despair, but can easily add,
at a reasonable price, black, white, cream, and
celleo lace skirts to their wardrobe. In old lace a
happy combination is of black poult de saie and black
Chantilly, the V-shaped corsage being of black satin
trimmed with lace and jet, the skirt has pleated side
panels of silk, which are laced across with chains of
black bugles, the front and back draperies being of
the lace. Such a dress ia a very useful one to possess
as it is suitable for any occasion.

Is Paris there is an attempt to bring in adapta-
tions of the Directoire period styles. These are made
in very rich fabrics, with short waists, plain narrow
skirts, and a demi train. Such gowns are not suited
to the multitude, and where one woman will look
thoroughly well dressed in a skirt of this cut, another
will present an awkward appearance. Years ago,
when large-sleeved, short-waisted, narrow-skirted
gowns were the rule instead of the exception, this
style of dress had nothing singular about it as is the
case iIOW, when only two or three have the courage
to adopt it. A gown of this description is in scabious
faille, the skirt perfectly plain, with the waist almost
under the arms, the round body having the appear-
ance of a baby's first gown, the sleeves being very full,
and gathered into a band. The bordering of this
dress is very handsome, a design in the flowers frotu
which the colour takes ito name, worked in fine passe-
menterie. The body is ornamented round its
edge to match, and the bands into which the
full sleeves are set correspond, the large silk sash tied
behind being of a deeper shade of the same colour.
To suit the period, the hair is dressed high in a large
stiff bow on the top of the head, well-wrinkled gloves
I coMpleting the remembrance of a bye-gone age.
Another dress made much the same, only with a demi-
, train, was of pactole Lengoline and velvet. This new
yellow is a ve7y rich colour, with just a dash of apricot
in it. The gown was of the bengaline, and the den's-
train, which was too narrow to be graceful, of the
velvet lined with white satin; a little old lace was used
as a tucker. Such dresses may-be all very well for a
fancy ball, but on other occasions have too much of
the elsment of eccentricity about them to be altogether
pleasing. A pretty matronly ball dress is in helio-
trope faille and Brussels lace; the lace is arranged in
five flounces in front, narrowing towards the waist
over the faille petticoat; the demi-train of a lighter
tone of silk is brocaded with flowers—lilac blossoms—
for which several shades are used, graduating from
pearly white to the darkest tint of the ribbons em-
ployed in trimming. The train is set in all round the
waist the fulness and length being, of course, behind.
It opens in front at the point of the corsage over the
lace petticoat, and is turned back with revers of lace,
the bottom of the train being edged with it, a frill ot
silk keeping it off the ground. The sash of very soft
silk is fastened round the waist in a narrow band
below the waist-line, and secured in front by a hand-
some amethyst star buckle, the sash-ends, which are
tagged„ with ornaments to match the buckle, falling
in double loops and ends on to the flounced front;
the corsage, of the same material as the train, is
simply draped with lace, wbich takes an epaulette
from over the shoulders; amethyst aigrette in the
hair, and necklet of two rows of stones to match.
=MEN=

A SLIGHT MisArramtENsioN.—The jury brought in
a verdict of "Not Guilty."—His Honour said ad-
monishingly to the prisoner, After this, you ought to
keep away from bad company.-n Yes. your honour,
remarked the prisoner; you will not see me here again
in a hurry.