The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-06-04 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

DIAMONDS and pearls in unsophisticated rows are,
says a lady correspondent in Paris of a daily con-
temporary, the only really fashionable jewels. It is
only very exceptionally that fancy jewellery is now
worn by the Parisian who peaks herself as being in
the van of fashion. Is she the proud possessor of
diamonds she wears them well and good, or she
clasps her throat with chaplets of pearls; otherwise,
a fl wer or a ribbon takes the place of the absent
trinkets. Nevertheless, small brooches, or pins, as.
they are generally called now, may be inserted on the
shoulders, to secure a knot of ribbon, a fold of lace,
or a spray of flowers, or else at the back of the low
laced bodice. They must have, as it were, some
reason for their presence, some duty imposed upon
them, and be not merely decorative, but also useful.
It is now some time since all heavy gold jewellery
was voted absolutely out of place for full dress, and
even for demi-toilette.

BRACELETS are not worn over the long gloves, and
as there is no reason for having them on underneath,
they are left at home' or the handsomest are trals-
formed into coronets for the hair or dog collars for
the neck. Elegance of the as plus ultra order also
reduces the number of rings to one or two, worn on
one finger of one hand only; and, naturally enough,
they must be handsome ones. Of course the jewellers
would be very glad to change all this, it being more
profitable for them to sell half-a-dozen small things
than one more expensive. They are trying to tempt
gentlemen into wearing watch-chains hi full dress by
exhibiting them fine as a hair—an unobstrueive thread
of gold to hang across the waistcoat, black or white:
The masculine code of the season here lays down this
rule anent waistcoats; black ones for dinner parties
and small dances, concerts, and the less formal
theatres; white for balls, full dress, and the opera
house proper.

ALL this may seem of secondary importance, and
yet it is often the last touch that does or undoes the
effect of a toilette. One of the best modiste's chefs-
d'avvre may be entirely marred by the careless addi-
tion of incongruous ornaments. The choice of a fan
is not without its significance. The beautiful ostrich
feather fan mounted on tortoiseshell, brune or blonde,
is the cbmplement of a handsome evening toilette
only; while the dainty painted fan of the last cen-
tury may be carried equally well with a high dress
as with a low one. The same may be said of most
Japanese and Chinese fans. Modern fans of a fan-
ciful description ought to be chosen to suit the colour
of the gown with which they are worn—they should
have the appearance of having been chosen speci-
ally for it. One hears of fair Parisians who get a toilette
to match their fan' which sounds like placing the
coach before the horses. Yet it is sound economy,
nevertheless. It is a great point never to allow an
article to be put on one side, but to make good use
of everything, and sometimes a guide of some sort
will be found useful in fixing uncertain choice in such
matters. After all, it often does not signify whether
the new dress is one or another of the three or four
fashionable colours, and if the purchase of a fan en
suite can be avoided, the guinea or more saved is so
much to the good, even if, Richard Carstonelike, it is
immediately laid out on something else.
FANS have held a very important place in the
feminine get-up since bouquets were out of the run-
ning. These have not been carried for years past in
fashionable drawing-rooms, as everyone knows. They
kept their places longer at the opera than elsewhere.
Now, only actresses and others who figure in the boxes
at charity fetes have flowers placed there by attend-
ant squires. Parisian brides and bridesmaids do not
take with them to church the lovely bunch of white
flowers which tradition requires the bridegroom and
his best man to supply; but it is inherent on the
former to heap lovely blossoms in the brougham that
shall convey him and his newly-made wife back to the
house of her parents after the ceremony. This is a
very pretty fashion and deserves to be kept up.
Much more beautiful than the circular and formally-
arranged- bouquets that used to be presented by the
fiancé or the cavalier servant anxious to get into the
good graces of his innamorata are the rustic baskets of
reeds filled with growing flowers decorated with bows
of ribbon carefully chosen as to colour. Long after
the poor roses or what not, subjected to the process of
wiring, have faded and gone, the plants flourish—a
pleasant feast for the eyes and a charming decoration
for the drawing-room.
• • •

THERE will be more than the usual exhibition of
artificial blooms this season at big out-door gatherings.
With few exceptions the trimming of the bonnets is
entirely floral, and some of the newest models are
merely borders of straw on which to mount garlands
of flowers, with no strings, and, what is more, no
crown. The hair twisted on the top of the head, and
the comb or pins which fix it in its place, are thus left
visible, while the absence of strings is made up for, to
a certain extent, by the tulle veil, gathered at the top ,
so as not to press the hair down closely on the fore-
head. Hats, too, are oftener decorated with flowers
and bows of ribbon than with feathers, though it is
quits possible that plumes will crop up as a novelty at
the big meet, which is the boundary line between early
summer, which has still a touch of spring in it, and
late summer with rich promise of autumn. So far,
there has been little enough of summer in every way.
The lune rousse, that captious moon of the month of
May, surprises us fighting against winds that remind
us of March, and showers that ought to have been
confined to April. So there has been a return to warm
wraps. Comfortable cloth costumes still keep a check
upon the inroad of foulard and zephyr cloths. Mantles,
the more fantastic in their shape and composition the
better, are the order of the afternoon for dressy occa-
sions. In some cases the fronts of these mantles are
continued down in two longpans, almost to the bottom
of the skirt. Composed of alternate bands of velvet
and beaded lace or passementerie, they are applicable
to the presatt time and will still look fresh and
fashionable in the cooler autumn days to come. Some-
times they are edged with beaded fringe, but it is al-
most preferable to border the outer velvet band with
a row of large beads. They may be finished off at the
throat, either by a dog-collar covered with straight
rows of beads, or by one of velvet open in front and
widening out towards the top, in the Marie Stuart
style.

JACKETS ate the complement of all the more simple
dresses, and a general effect of homogeneity is given
to the entire costume by its being chosen of the same
colour, though not necessarily of the same material, as
the skirt. The most effective are worn with natty
little waistcoats, though often the bodice of the gown
is made to do duty for one. Checked or plaid woollen
tunics or bodices combined, with plain silk skirts, will
have cloth jackets to match the latter; and a small
portion of the bodice, visible between the lappels of
the jacket, plays the part of waistcoat very Bati3fae-
torily. For this purpose the jacket is best made
double-breasted, and fastened below the lappets with
a row of handsome buttons placed very much on one
side. It falls straight in front, there being no darts,
otherwise it is tight-fitting, the side and back seams
curved to the exact form.

WIIEN a regular waistcoat is worn, the jacket is only
fastened at the throat—where it is finished with a
turned-down collar, and cut away sharply from thence
so as to show as much as possible of the waistcoat—
and very pretty things in waistcoats are to be had
just now in white cloth braided with gold, in grey
casimir embroidered with silver or steel thread and
round grey cord. Also, exceptionally, in brocade,
with rather long basques and pockets. Sometimes in
crimson velvet or poppy-coloured faille; sometimes
double—the outer one in white cloth or jean, the
inner in velvet to match the skirt or the trimming
then-of. Or, again, the waistcoat may be cut like the
front of a bodice, and covered with a plastron of
beaded passenienterie, of guipure—white or ecru—
of embroidery, or of black lace worked with jet or gold
tinsel. There is plenty of room for ingenuity in the
trimmirg of this part;cular earment ; remnants of silk
and velv, t will find easy application; and they may
be wonderfully improved by the addition of needle-
work in the shape of braiding, embroidery, and bead-
ing. Moreover, a costume may be supplied with a
couple or more of waistcoats, which w.ll give variety
at a small expense. The same costume worn with a
crimson velvtt vest hardly looks the same when com-
bined with gold-embroidered white cloth. The former
will be best suited to a grey day, and when the sun
shincs out will come the latter, brilliant in its metallic
lustre.

ANOTHER, and a very different kind of wai,tcoat,
exhibits folds of some soft silky fabric, crossed over
the bosom and coafined at the waist by a belt, made
of horizontal folds of the same tissue. In appearance
it is a fichu similar to those worn in the peasant cos-
tumes of many, of the French provinces; but, in
reality, i is a dluble-breasted bodice, on which the
folds are sewn fichu-wise, it being well to leave nothing
to chance. Our modern maid or matron prefers to
have her dressmaking done for her, and not to have
to pleat and pin her clothes afresh every time she puts
them on. White, ecru, tan, crimson all shades of
yellow, from pale primrose to deep saffron, and a
very light tint of absinth or willow-green, are the
hues generally chosen for this kind of gilet-fichu, as
the French dressmaker calls it. The materials are satin-
striped gauze and grenadine, crape—lise; not gauffred
canvas, and 6:ally. It is generally finished on round
the neck with a folded band of the same, but ribbon
may be substituted, and a pointed velvet belt worn
instead of the scarf. A short Figaro jacket suits it
almost better than the ordinary one with lappets and
basques, and bell sleeves—cut off at the elbow, with
additional loose ones below—than the usual coat
sleeves. A still more fanciful arrangement consists of
a fichu-waistcoat of crepe lisse, a velvet or faille jacket
with long pointed ba.ques in front, over which is
placed a second jacket of the Figaro order, made of
embroidery, of thick guipure lace, or of passementerie,
with epAulfts of the same covering the top of the
bell-shaped sleeves.

WIIY is it that you treat me with such disdain?
asked a young society beau of a married lady.—As
long as you are not on good terms with my husband,
I cau not.possibly treat you kindly.—This is a horrible
dilemma, responded the gilded -ninth; if you show
me.any atteption, your husband -refuses to speak to
me, and unless he is friendly, you give me-the cola
shoulder.' I never was in such a -hideous EU in my
life.