The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-03-31 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS,

" MADGE," writing in Truth, says :—A very novel
and picturesque bonnet is made of black lace, the
latter being "drawn" on wire, in a manner that must
necessitate very clever manipulation on the part of
skilful fingers. A frill of the lace falls on the hair
above the brow and at the sides, and this is what
gives such a pretty, soft effect to the whole. I saw one
of these bonnets in a fashionable London house the
other day in black, with white flowers. Another was
in black lace, with green velvet and cowslips for trim-
ming. A sweet little bonnet was made of black
crinoline, unlined and semi-transparent. It was ad-
mirably simple, the sole trimming consisting of scarlet
tulle folded very softly round the edge and in a kind
of upright fence about some tall marguerites in fine
jet that rose erect above the forehead. The union of
simplicity with chic in this small bonnet was adorable.
One of the most becoming of bonnets has a miniature
Directoire brim lined with rows of fancy Tuscan
straw, and trimmed with ribbon of Tuscan colour.
Another is a graceful mingling of scarlet velvet, fine
black lace, and jet, the latter being chiefly repre-
sented by two large arrows, which almost meet at the
top of the bonnet.

Is it too cold to think of sunshades? The new
floral ones have been persistently advertised ever
since Christmas. They turn out to be not very
specially novel. A double garland of flowers sur-
rounds the ferule, and a row of blossoms trims the
edge, while the lace that depends from the latter is
scattered over with single petals. All kinds of
flowers are separately represented. The blush rose
is pretty. So are forget-me-nots and pansies. The
peony parasol is suited to vivid tastes. The founda-
tion is bright scarlet silk, and the peonies themselves
are scarlet and yellow. A parrot might fly to one of
these, mistaking it for a relative grown mature and
stout. A parasol with white azaleas was, I think, the
prettiest of those I saw at a famous West-en(j shop,
where my principal business was to choose
an en-tout-case These are made with very long sticks
this season, and moir6 silk seems to be the favourite
material for them, both in black and colours, the best
liked among the latter being bright red, cream-colour,
and grey. The newest handles are like those on a
man's stick—silver-gilt. I admired especially a
handle consisting of a round ball of gypsum, reserno
bling a greyish-white cloud solidified. Another, in
Mexican onyx, was handsome, but the gypsum was
poetic. A knob of rhinoceros horn was new, too.
Though all the en-taut-eas are long, some are more so
than others, a few being no less than forty-five
inches.

LATER on, when the parasols come out, they will be
found to have suffered from an eruption of beetles.
The most realistically leggy specimens are scattered
all over the handles of some of them. They are re-
presented as crawling towards the hand that holds
the stick, and would make some people feel decidedly
jumpy. Others have yellow monkeys on the stick.
The bamboo handles carved in Japanese style are
decidedly artistic, but these are chiefly seen in the
fancy sunshades. A revival of a byegone fashion
brings carved-ivory sticks to the front again. The
favourite design seems to be tiny fish with prominent
eyes. A smocked sunshade is a novelty: It lies quite
flat to the frame when folded, but when open the
smockings spread out to their widest extent. Inser-
tions of Valenciennes are introduced in the silk moire.

A CORRESPONDENT of The Lady writes from Paris:
"The last thing out in the way of skirts is certainly
neither pretty nor becoming. The material gathered
round the waist and flowing out round the feet in
loose plaits does not suit any figure, short or tall. It
is a style only fit for children in short frocks. Some
of the very new bodices are not much prettier, and,
with their shoulder puffs of one material, their sleeves
proper of another, and their vests of a third, they look
undeniably patchy, and suggest the dressmaker
having come to the end of her stuff too soon, and
having had recourse to the remnant-box. This
particular 'shreds and patches' style of garment is
generally seen in the thinner and less important
materials; but it is well, any way, to warn English
women against it, as they are rather too fond of ask-
ing for 'the very newest make,' which is not always
the best style. Some of the long coat-tail bodices in
black moire antique look very handsome when worn
over plain, rich black velvet skirts, and these are still
being made by some of the best houses in Paris.
Brocade polonaises are also being draped over velvet
skirts, a deep band of fur or of cut plush round the
hem being the only style of trimming permissible in
such rich material.

DURING the changeable weather of early spring,
when the heat of one day is but a bad preparation for
the cold of the next, a variety of chapeaux (remarks
that excellent authority on dress, Myra's Journal) is
as desirable as a change of mantles. A chapeau in a
light colour, or with bright ornaments of spring
flowers, cannot well be worn with the warm winter
mantle which a cold wind renders necessary. Hence,
side by side with the straw hats and bonnets that are
suitable for warm days, are velvet chapeaux that may
be worn when easterly winds prevail.

A COMBINATION of velvet and straw seems a happy
medium between the winter and spring models, and
is both stylish and fashionable. The chapeaux made
in this way have a low flat crown, covered with
velvet stretched on the frame, and a brim of fancy
black and white straw, wide and advancing in front,
but very narrow at the back. The brim is lined with
velvet matching the crown, and the strings, which
start from the back, are also of velvet. The trimming,
of bows of straw-coloured ribbon and feather tips
matching the velvet, is massed in front. This bonnet
is very pretty in black and straw-colour, a combina-
tion that is very fashionable this season.

IN bonnets the prevailing shapes are the Directoire,
with great variety in the width, pitch, and shape of
the brim, and small capotes with a sharp-pointed
opening in front. These last are ladylike in black lace,
with a group of roses on one side reaching to the top
of the point; but they are also made in many kinds of
fancy straw, and in braid embroidered with beads and
mixed with gold or silver braid. The open brim,
especially in the case of Directoire chapeaux, is filled
in with a bow or flower, and the newest ribbons are of
satin, with a band of moire in a second colour on one
side, and an edging of two or three satin cords in
straight rows.

STRAW hats ars made with high crowns, and brims
straight and wide in front, but narrow at the back.
The trimming of shot ribbon begins at the back, and
advances toward the front on one side. Quill feathers
are still much used, mingled with the long bows of
ribbon.

THE demi-saison vetements that are the forerunners
of summer mantles are either in jacket form or else
some description of pelerine mantelet, trimmed with
feather bands, or with fringe matching the dress.
Many of the jackets and mantelets are made with
hoods, and the majority are lined with coloured silk
or surah. A very pretty little mantle, with pointed
mantelet ends, sling sleeves, and plain basque at the
back, is made of velvet and broche pekin, with
beaded passementerie clasps at the neck, and pen-
dants to match on the mantelet ends.

ANOTHER small demi-saison model is in light cloth,
with embroidered designs worked on the pointed ends
in front, on the shoulders and turned under sleeves,
on the back, collar, and looped basque. The back of
the mantelet is cut with three seams to the shoulders;
the two centre parts end in a point below the waist;
the sides are much longer, and terminate in loops
falling considerably lower than the point, and em-
broidered on the upper part. Coloured mantles will
be much worn; indeed, the best models are all in
colours, velvet pekins for the most expensive, and
coloured cloth for the more every-day mantles, are the
rule.

A VERY elegant long mantle is of beige cloth, lined
with red silk, and trimmedround the neck and sleeves
with bands of peacock feathers. The only ornaments
are small green buttons, put very close together, and
joined by loops of green cord on the side seams. The
mantle is intended for carriage wear only.