The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-09-18 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE style of draping dresses will be even more
simple this autumn than during the summer, elaborate
trimmings, frillings, and what our grandmothers
termed Furbelows, being relegated to the limbo of the
past. Long, square, p-lain-falling tabliers or tunics,
almost covering the skirt beneath, are the most pre-
vailing fashion, and these will still continue, only the
fulness in the draperies will be lessened considerably,
or, where a certain amplitude of material is allowed,
it will be permitted to fall in its own natural lines
without being tortured into impossible and unmeaning
folds, this very naturalness of effect being achieved, in
reality, by that artfulness which conceals art. For a
graceful well-formed figure such studied simplicity is
far more becoming than any more elaborate style, as
not hiding any of its perfections. while to a wearer
less favoured by Nature no attention to personal defect
is drawn by senseless ornamentation. In the newest
gowns little or no skirt is visible, except where the
overskirt is raised high on one side or divided in
panel fashion, the dress beneath being then arranged
in wide or narrow pleats, which is more novel
looking than the introduction of a totally diffe-
rent material in one flat piece. Just now there
is a tendency to fuller sleeves and looser vests; but
this is merely for the immediate present, for as colder
weather asserts itself the plain tight-fitting habit
bodices—the cut which suits a tailor-made gown above
all others—will again be de rigueur, even waistcoats
and vests of all shapes being abandoned. These have
had a very long reign, which is drawing to a close;
they are dressy, convenient, and economical, but have
now bece.me so very general, not to say common, that
the decree against them has gone forth, except for
costumes for special occasions, such as boating, yacht-
ing, and the more manly pursuits of shoot:ng amid
fishing. Neither is this a cause for regret, as the
waistcoat craze is quite overdone. As with vests in
the make, so Niith stripes in the material for dresses,
these too have had their day, and a long-lived one;
checked and cross-barred fabrics are to take their
place, chiefly in two colours harmonising with the
ground, so that there is nothing startling in their
appearance, their colouring being subdued rather than
bright. Plaided woollens will be also used, and large
checks, these last requiring the most careful handling
to avoid their looking vulgar, and being only suited to
figures of above the average height.

HO3fEqI'UNS and tweeds are well adapted to such a
remarkably changeablo climate as the English,
because, while of sufficient substance to resist damp
and cold, they are yet so light of texture as not to
be inconveniently oppressive during the hot days oc-
casionally experienced even late in autumn. Under
good bands they drape admirably, lend themselves to
simple arrangement, and are always stylish as well
as lady-like; a pretty model is in fine Scotch tweed,
a plaid in which a variety of subdued colours are
ingeniously blended, the pattern being small and not
aggressive. The skirt is slightly pleated, and has a
long pointed drapery in front, the pleats of which are
raised high on each hip, while the bodice, pointed
also, is made perfectly plain and fastened in front
with tiny bone buttons.

AN entirely new material is Berandine, so called
from the name of the discoverer, Berand, who has
found out a method of extracting from the outer
covering of a peculiar kind of peat a taxtile which has
most valuable properties. The articles manutactered
from this fibre resemble some woollens, bill, can be
produced at a far cheaper rate, are very strong and
serviceable, and keep their colour well; mixed with
wool the result is very satisfactory. As yet, however,
the manufacture is quite in its infancy, but those
learned in such matters consider that Berandine has a
future before it, and we may expect to see it utilised
in this country before long. The discoverer comes
from Maastricht.

BRAID for trimming woollens is likely to return into
favour, at all events abroad, if not with us. Vienna,
a great braiding centre, is suffering from depression
in the trimming trade, consequent on the non-employ-
ment of braids on the dresses and jackets now worn.
This having been represented to the Crown Princess,
she has, in reply to the petition presented to her
stating bow many hundreds of workpeople were out
of employment from this cause, ordered her dress-
maker in future to use braiding on the costumes made
for her, and also expressed a wish that her example,
in this particular, may be followed by the ladies of the
Court and the upper classes generally. Several new
designs in braid have been introduced with us; in some
fine cord and braid are used in conjunction; in others
the galon has a straight braid each side of it, the
middle having a floral or other design carried out
in fine silk cord; while another broad braid has
devices printed on it, not woven, as is usual.
Leather trimmiegs are somewhat of a no-
velty ; not the material bound with the
leather, but it is laid on it in narrow strips, which
are stitched to the cloth of dress or jacket, the leather
used being generally light in colour, either blending
or contrasting with the material it is used to orna-
ment. A useful gown is in chestnut angola, braided
round the skirt in a novel-looking design in chestnut
and white braid, the collar and cuffs of the smart little
tight-fitting coat worn with it being treated in the
same manner, the hat being a sailor-shaped straw in
the same shade of colour, with loops of corded white
ribbon in front. Another simple but elegant costume
is of plain coffeeberry-coloured cloth and brown and
cream checked silk; the skirt of the latter is made
very plain, and the cloth overdress forms a long
square drapery on the right side. On the left it is
looped up high, the habit-shaped bode crossing in
front and having on the left side a revers of cream
velvet, of which the high collar and deep cuffs are
also made, short loops of the same being introduced
beneath the basque at the back. Another skirt of
fine cream flannel or cloth is sent out with this cos-
tume, with which the overdress can also be worn,
making a pleasing change.

No one colour can at this moment be said to rule
supreme, browns and greys, blues, greens, and reds,
and mixtures of two, three, or more of these colours
will all be well worn this autumn, if one may judge
from the materials brought out by the best houses.
The freshest browns are mascatte, a golden-brown
chestnut, a low tone of a somewhat duller chestnut
without the gold lights, coffee-berry and snuff browns,
olive wood and new leather tints, and ecorce, which
is a brownish-grey with, really speaking, more grey
in it than brown ; greys, steel, and silver, in all
shades are popular, as also ash grey and dove, the
last with gleams of pink in the high lights; bleu de
France, Royal and Navy blue are the best patronised;
in greens the duller shades of blue and grey greens,
and in reds, that know as InOian, the new deep shade
of poppy and copper red. The materials in best re-
quest for evening dresses will be poult-de-soie, mer-
veilleux satinr, silk canvas, Arabian crêpe, crêpe de
Chine, toile d'arraigne, fancy tulles of all kinds, em-
broidered and plain tussurs, surab, Spanish and other
brocades, moire Sicilienne, foulard, faille, and ben-
galine, the lighter fabrics for young girls' wear, and
as drapings over richer materials.

BONNETS are to be worn lower on the head, the
trimming less high in front, and not arranged in such
pointed forms; torquets will also become fashionable,
those with turned-up brims approaching the bolero in
character, only not so round. Felt and velvet crowned
chapeaux are already on view, and, one is sorry to
note, ornamented again with little dead birds, not
artificial make-believes, but the real winged denizens
of our woods and fields. It is, perhaps, too much to
expect that women should, in this particular, exercise
their common sense, and refuses to be fashion
led, For some bonnets felt is divided into strips
and two or more shades of colour are sewn or
plaited together just as the straws would be;
in browns, fawns, and greys the effect is remark-
ably good. With many of the fancy straws the
trimming is velvet, and autumnal fruits and flowers
are liberally used. A stylish bonnet is of nut-
brown straw, with a cluster of hedge nuts in various
degrees of ripeness, while another has filberts. Ash
berries, both for hats and bonnets, are in great favnur
again, as is ivy—the flowering ivy—oak apples, with
shaded oak leaves in all tints of green and brown,
and blackberries with bramble leaves. Of hats, the
most novel French shapes are the Roland, with a
round turned-up brim; the Auvent, resembling a
peasant's hat, a revival of the Louis XVI,, in lace
straw with a wide brim turned up abruptly at the
back where the trimming of ostrich plumes is
arranged; and the Chapeau Paysanne, which is made
in fancy straw of various colours blended in one plait.
It shades the face, and is usually trimmed with black
velvet bows in front and at the back, and a profusion
of field flowers and grasses.