The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-02-27 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE following is from the Queen: Although early,
indications of coming spring fashions are noticeable.
The era of "selling off" is over, and new colours and
materials are showing themselves. The weather has
been against much alteration in dress; the warm
woollen tailor-made gowns and the fur-trimmed wraps
are too comfortable to be discarded, even for after-
noon entertainments and weddings. Weddings have
been rife this winter, and the majority of them in the
afternoon. People look better, feel better, and are
generally more sociably disposed after luncheon than
before, so that these afternoon festivities are in
favour. They usually commence about half-past two,
and end between five and six, thus agreeably passing
away the best part of the afternoon. White tor
bridesmaids' costumes has been very general. White
handkerchief silk, fine canvas, soft crêpe do Chine
profusely trimmed with silk, and striped satin and
ottoman silks kave all been worn; and now, for spring
weddings, comes point d'esprit, or the revived washing
spotted net of many years back, over satin, youthful-
looking and fresh. The costume, arranged with a
plaited front, divided down the centre, gracefully
draped back, and prettily finished off with long loops
of either white and yellow or pale pink and cream
pearl-edged ribbon, placed at one side. With these
dresses feather aigrettes of the colour and long tulle
veils are almost invariably worn, with bouquets of
flowers in season, very often entirely white, tied with
long wide ribbon to match the costume.

IF the dresses are all white, the bouquets arc often,
tied with the bride's favourite colour, or sometimes
each bridesmaid has a different colour. Yellow is to
be one of the leading colours by-and-bye, and' the
bouquets will be of daffodils, yellow tulips, laburnum
(a novelty), primroses, and roses, according to the
months. At a recent wedding the bridesmaids wore
lace skirts over yellow Surah, with tight-fitting
bodices of pale 3 allow plush, trimmed with lace,
Greek caps of the same, with gimp embroidery, and
they carried large bouquets of the mimosa with its
feathery yellow bloom. Some bridesmaids' dresses,
just completed, have the skirts plaited all round, and
are composed of alternate stripes of pale biscuit
moire ribbon, vandyked down one side, and fine
piece-lace of a deeper shade, The bodices, of alter-
nate moire and lace, are pointed in front and at the
back, are very short at the sides, and have wide
sashes of moire, arranged to fall as a panel down one
side, and as a long loop at the other. The basques,
sleeves, and high collars are edged with small silk
balls, in the two shades, and handsome gold clasps
(the bridegroom's gift) fasten the collars and the
loose lace blouse fronts. The head-pieces are dainty-
looking caps of lace, with smart high bows of ribbon,
and the bouquets are to be of red tulips, massed
within a circle of dark-tinted ivy leaves, and finished
off with a biscuit-coloured moire and deep red velvet
ribbon in long streamers.

IN the country large soft felt hats are worn, the
brim turned up either at the side, the back, or almost
in front, according as it suits the face of the wearer,
the trimming being plush or velvet,. Some becoming
brown plush hats have a sable tail at one side, tied
and secured to the front by upright loops of brown,
red, and gold coloured ribbon. The fashion of tall
bonnets (though not of hats) has probably reached its
height, for we hear rumours that the new ones for
the approaching season will be small again and com-
pact, though cut up at the back to allow of the coils
of turned-up hair, or the elaborate plaits. Some of
the abormally high bonnets are positively grotesque
from a back point of view. They are a red, or gold,
or black velvet copy of a paper bag perched on the
top of the head, and drawn up in folds to its full
height, with the addition of sundry wings and tails of
feathered fowl. Strings are often dispensed with,
especially when the full long bows are worn, so that
the strange structure is mainly dependent for security
on the menacing-looking weapon which pierces and
steadies it.

THE pretty fashion of little girls' long curls is
coming in again. Some are allowed to hang down
unconfined, with the front hair cut on the forehead,
while in other cases the hair is drawn away from the
forehead, and the two front curls tied together on the
top of the head with a bow. Little boys' locks are
sometimes tied with a caloured bow at one side of
the head. There is but little novelty in hairdressing,
though a Modified form of chignon is likely to become
fashionable. For full dress, the hair is arranged
high, and the aigrette or ornament is placed well up
at one side. Flowers, matching those on the ball
gown, if small, are mounted on pins and studded over
the hair, or fancy-headed pins of all descriptions are
placed at advantageous points. Displays of hair-dress-
ing may be seen from time to time at the Jepanese
Settlement at Knightsbridge, which are watched with
interest by the visitors, but the fashion there is not
likely to find many admirers or followers here, for
the process of drawing up the hair from the roots so
tightly must be painful to the fair one operated upon,
though it is to last her for a lengthened space of time,
as hairdressing is a luxury, and only a well to-do
woman can afford it some few times a month. The
brushing. combing. curling, frizzing, and shampooing
which a European belle undergoes so stoically is at
present unknown to her darker-skinned sister, whose
clxvalure is of the roughest kind, and whose only
rest at night is obtained by leaning the base of the
tired head on a little block of wood.

VALENTINE'S DAY has passed, and many were the
souvenirs prepared to do it honour. Valentines, as
most people know them and remember them, are
somewhat out of fashion. But instead we send gifts,
rich and rare—jewelled, floral, or ornamental—laid
out temptingly to catch the brave who wish to please
the fair. Fans are always acceptable, and the newest
are the gauze ones, black or white, painted with
scenes from the popular play of the day, Faust. There
are four scenes, representing Margaret spinning, look-
ing at her box of jewels, walking with Faust in the
garden, and, lastly, standing with him outside the
cathedral. Then there are the new ostrich-feather
fans, with two colours blended alternately—such as
pink and cream, grey and white, and so on—instead
of being all in one colonr ; and the silk ones, exqui-
sitely painted with birds and bordered with marabout.
Some new black gauze ones have tinsel-worked
butterflies on the surface; and a few (for the Primrose
dames) are in pale yellow satin, with the flowers
painted on, either up-springing from the mount, as if
the fan had fallen into a bed of them; or else in a
wreath near the top half encircling it. Satin
stretched over the Japanese or palm-leaf fans, then
painted, and finished off with a large yellow bow, are
also suitable offerings. Boxes of bonbons in satin
bags, with some designs painted on; square boxes,
with fow flaps opening from the centre, like the
corners of an embroidered handkerchief; sachets for
gloves or handkerchiefs—a large envelope in satin,
painted to represent a posted letter, which, when
opened, disclosed a fancy lace handkerchief, or case
containing a jewelled ornament, or some pairs of
folded gloves, &c. ; bonnet pins, bangles, frames,
cases of fancy note paper, purses, quaint scent bottles,
and many other things too numerous even to think of,
came under the category of "suitable valentines"
advertised in the shop windows. Then the floral
offerings were innumerable, from a dainty buttonhole
nestling in cotton wool to a small wheelbarrow or
round pot of woven rushes filled with the choicest cut
flowers.

IN artificial flowers, the mimosa is the newest, and
the human hand has produced it very true to nature.
Violets (from light to dark shades), daffodils, and
primroses, brighten up the shop windows preparatory
to enliven hats and bonnets, ball gowns, and Court
costumes. Then in ribbons, the pearl-edged one has
come to the front again, and is to be seen freely in
millinery. Bows of coloured ribbon are sometimes
tied near the end of the long fur boas, and 3 third
one fastening it beneath the chin. The colour corre-
sponds with that in the hat or bonnet. These boas in
white are sometimes seen at evening concerts and Et
the theatres, and they are also to be had in an iron-
grey natural fur. Amber is said to be coming into
fashion, and bonnet brooches of it may already be
seen. Very small "merry-thoughts" in diamonds
are worn on bonnet strings, and among other new
designs is a gold crutch stick in frosted gold thrust
through a tiny pearl horseshoe; a diamoLd mouse on
a bar; a folded note, in white enamel, depending
from a diamond pigeon; a bar of music in gold in the
treble cleft,and notes in diamonds; and a good-sized
horseshoe in sapphires or rubies and diamonds with
a jewelled-headed stick passed through it, as a pin
for running through lace. The last novelty in ball
programmes is one in the rough-surfaced " olde
Englishe " paper, with the dances inscribed inside, in
the old writing, in red, and on the outside " For
myself and partners," in larger characters. The pencil
is in the form of a beautiful little quill pen attached
to a cord, fixed to a card by a large red seal. Menus
and guest cards are got up now in much the same
style.

TULIPS are the fashionable real flowers of the day,
put into receptacles, with as long stalks and as much
leaf as possible. The yellow and pale pink are per-
haps the favourites. In tall vases the stately arum
lily raises its head among sprays of evergreens, while
low on the table nestles the snowdrop in soft green
moss or maiden-hair fern.