The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-04-30 00:00:00

GOSSIPI ON DRESS:I

Mconn tartan plaids have again (says the &won)
made their appearance among the variety of new
materials for the forthcoming season, and seem likely
to have considerable influence on 4ammer fashions
in stuffs as well as ribbons, the size of the pattern
varying from large clan tartans to innumerable small
and pretty checks.
* *

Mom, as well moire Frangaise as nyiire antique,
and Pekin moire—that is,,largely-watbred moire with
satin stripes—will most likely be greatly in demand
for trimming summer dresses.

GOLD lace is greatly liked for trimming the tiny
bonnets now worn, which are mostly without strings,
and more like a little head-dress than a bonnet. The
gold lace is either gathered or pleated into a ruching
inside the diadem-shaped turned-up brim, which is
surmounted with a bunch of bright flowers and a
gauze ribbon bow.

WAISTCOATS and plastrons of the most brilliant
colours are the latest fashion as trimming for dark,
tight-fitting spring paletots for young ladies.

BLACK and white, one of the favourite colour-
combinations of the day, be itin large plaid cr merely
striped material, is now as a special novelty made up
in two different sorts of stuff for one toilette. An
original combination consists of white voile with black
velvet back-breadth and short panier-drapery, with
which the waistcoat-like fronts of • the long jacket-
bodice agreeably harmonise. Black velvet bows for
the hair, sleeves, and shoulders are an indispensable
finish to this toilette.

NOT only does fashion seem most partial to the
diagonal bodice fastening, but she also places one
revers at the top, another below, or both on the right
or left side as caprice dictates—a whim which must
be accompanied with the warning word—Caution.

AMONG the • latest novelties in spring hats, those
made of openwork rush-straw deserve especial notice,
on account of the use made of the crochet-needle,
They are distinguished by their lightness, and, as the;
are made in every colour, they can be worn with
every toilette.

FEW things are more convenient than the so-called
theatre-bodices, which can be worn to any skirt and
changed about at will. Charming fancy velvets are
manufactured for the purpose. To advert to two
models. One has waist, with basque rounded in
front and square at the back, and is very graceful.
It is worn over a chemisette made of cream-coloured,
pink, or blue silk-muslin. The sleeves attached to
this are trimmed with bows and bands of velvet. A
second bodice is rather more capricious, and probably
on that account entitled " Numa Roumestan," after
the heroine of Daudet's novel of that name. Only
one of the fronts has a basque and crosses over a
large chemieette. The back has a regular postilion-
jacket shape.

IN addition to small carriage parasols and sun-
shades come the entoutcas, often in exaggerated size,
all the same whether they bear the flatlklikado shape,
or the round-vaulted form of the lace parasol.
* * *

BLACK velvet and silk dresses are not unfrequently
entirely strewn over with bugles or coloured iridescent
steel beads. The black kid gloves worn with such
toilettes have an edge of costly fur.
• • o

TnE newest waistcoat trimmings consist of crochet
work executed with very fine silk in guipure patterns,
and placed over a coloured silk foundation.
* * *

FANCY handkerchiefs, intended for ornament, not
use, are coquettishly stuck into the front, or in the
waistcoat pocket of the paletot, something in the
manner of a flower. The tiny squares are made of
batiste, foulard, slush, or even tulle and silk gauze
edged with lace or plissé, or a coloured surah border
to a plain middle, or the reverse, the middle flowered
and surrounded by a plain edge or coloured button-
hole stitching.
* * *

COUNTRY ladies who take an active part in fox-
huntin g, on such occasions frequently wear red jackets,
the same colour as the gentleman's hunting coats. The
skirt of ladies' riding habits is still made short enough
to show the tip of the foot.

Giur and other woven fancy trimmings keep
coming more and more into the foreground, either
alone or enriched with beads of various sorts; some-
times in the shape of broad braid for trimming dress
skirts, or made up into bodice and sleeve trimmings,
generally consisting of fine gimp, with the pattern
going to a pint at the back, and forming epaulettes
on the shoulders. Dame Fashion also introduces
fancy halt-belts, beads, or ribbon, which are set in at
the side-seams and cover the lower part of the bodice,
or the place where the drapery is sewn on to the
skirt, and have long ends loosely slung together in
front.

FEW things bestow on a simple toilette a more
dainty and becoming finish than pretty bows. They
can be made of tastefully-arranged loops, ends of
ribbon gimped out, or of the very narrowest ribbon
arranged in rosettes. According to the latest whim
of fashion, and probably in regard to the present
style of dressing the hair high on the head, bows are
worn at the back of the neck, as fastenings for jabots,
high collars, and the like.

Luxumous trimmings (says the Season) distinguish
mantles and outdoor wraps for this summer; they
are composed for the most part of plain or beaded
passeinenterie, and chenille, silk mantles being almost
covered with a network formed of beads of different
sizes, or beads and chenille.

THE visite is still worn, yet takes an inferior place
beside mantilla or fichu shapes, with long straight,
pointed or square ends in front and made short at
the back. Pelerine mantelets with sling sleeves are
very becoming for young ladies and young matrons;
the forms going by this name are however extremely
varied, some being similar to a dolman at the back,
and with long stole ends before, or like a pelerine and
visite together. These mantelets are splendidly
trimmed; a plastron of out beads and small bugles
finished with double rows of pendants falling one
over the other, reaches far down the back, on the
shoulders are beaded epaulettes, and the front is
ornamented with beaded bands and tassel pendslits,

Ficiin mantillas of coloured silk are extremely
elegant, the fashionable hues are sappire blue, chest-
nut, and seal-brown, and bronze. The ornamentation
consists of beaded motifs and chenille fringe, or rows
of beaded fringe which cover the whole front, the
pointed ends being trimmed with large scintillating
drops. Fringes either of single or double rows of
different sized cut beads and pendants form some of
the handsomest finishes at present, and the effect is
very beautiful, for at each movement ef the wearer,
they sparkle and glitter with a thousand hues. These
magnificent fringes are called in Paris " pluies de
perles " as they look like rain drops after a shower.
THESE models are also made of black lace, put on a
foundation of a silk, gauze, coarse net, or tulle, and
trimmed with the same and beads: various other
ornamentations may also be observed, yet in all beads
and glittering finishes predominate.

VARIOUS stuffs are employed for one mantle, and
these consist of lace, Bilk, transparent beige, silk
barege, gauze grenadine, Sto. Ottoman pekin, or
corded silk may compose the mantle part, while the
sleeves are of the openwork tissue; sometimes the
fronts and backs are of different textures, with
sleeve epaulettes and a yoke to match, the latter
being of exquisitely worked raised passementerie, and
the high neckband generally agrees with the yoke and
shoulder trimming.

PRETTY serviceable outdoor vetements have come
out for young girls. The long single or double
breasted redingote, made of thin fancy cloth 13
trimmed with velvet tabs and buttons. Short jackets
of chequered cioth in two shades of beige, fastened
with a single row of large metal buttons and orna-
mented at the edge with a band of brown velvet or
corded silk, will be much worn. There are also taste-
fully made tight-fitting jackets of diagonal-striped
rough textures trimmed with grey velvet, all the
edges being marked by brown velvet pipings. The
'memento and pockets on the basques are of grey
velvet, bound as well as the upright collar and revers
with brown striped silk.

LOVELY small pelerines will be great favourites with
girls of fourteen or fifteen, they are made of the new
plain and striped materials for summer, with bands
of velvet or plush down the back ending in pleats
below the waist. Sometimes the trimmings are very
varied and costly, consisting of epaulette bands of
beaded braid with slings of braid and beads falling
from the shoulders; fringes of bead balls, or small
bugles with chenille have also an extremely good
effect. On shapes with sling sleeves the front is often
trimmed with two rows of' handsome, engraved buttons,
or narrow bands of a beaded relief design and the
high collar caught together with a hanging silver or-
nament..

Two friends were talking over their troubles one day.
Said one, who was sued on all sides, I'm just smothered
in law, and it's killing me.—Ah, unfortunate fellow.
sufferer, replied the other; it's mother-in-law that's
killing me, too. And they shook sympathy hands,
and went into a tavern for meditation with a piece of
lemon in it.
IT being agreed among a party of twelve that a
disputed question should be settled by the opinion of
the majority, the six ladies expressed themselves op-
posed to the six gentlemen, and claimed the victory.
A gentleman objected to this, as the number of votes
were equal, saying, They are half and half.— True,
replied a witty fair one; but we are the better
halves.
AN Irishman accosted a gentleman in the street
late at night, with a request for the time. The gen-
tleman, suspecting that Pat wished to snatch his
watch, gave him a stinging rap on the nose, with
the remark, It has just struck one.—Be jabers, re-
torted Pat, I'm werry glad I didn't ax yer an hour
ago I