The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-20 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

THE most fashionable neck ornament for a young
girl, (writes a correspondent of The Qucm), is a row
of pearls. Very few people are, I e xpect, pre p %red to
pay the number of pounds which a row of real pearls
are worth ; but there is a excellent imitation 802,
which almost defies detection by an expert. Every
bead is a faithful copy of a real pearl. There are
several kinds. The hest has the effigy of a gold coin
in paper attached to the strings; the next, one in
silver; and the third, a green one; but all are far
above the average of ordinary ornamental pearls.
Paste is coming much to the fore again, and
requires to be good. Paste buttons are so well cut
and mounted it is difficult often to tell them from
brilliants; so, also, the paste snaps, paste buckles for
waistbands and shoes; but to be worth anything they
should be veritable copies from the antique.
• •

JETTED girdles are secured to tea gowns as well as
rich silk reception gown 3, and, disposed with skill,
they give much style to a dress. Those I have seen
lately were all crocheted and covered with large cut
beads. The handsomest were red silk, with cut ruby
beads, often accompanied by plush galons, covered
with bead drops to match; but the most beautiful
girdles are those worn on full-dress gowns, made of
pearls to supplement the trimmings on the dress.
Some of the pearl appliquo trimmings are beyond all
praise from an artistic point of view. They are em-
ployed on the front o the dress, that is, the one side
starts in the exact middle, so that the handsomest
part of the panel is at the side, not in front, and they
are generally edged with a drooping fringe, which at
the feet falls over a pleating. The next in magma-
cence is a cashmerienne-toned appliqu6 in gold and
beads; the newest, heliotrope shot with gold.

FOR hats, large balls of smooth cut are being used,
uncut ostrich balls, raised on an ostrich stem. These
in red on a white stem are charming; two balls at the
base, three standing high up. • They give a great deal
of style to dross. These same aigrettes are worn in
the hair by young girls in the evening. Peacock and
other feathers are made up into sheath-like trimming,
which stand up well in front of bats and bonnets.
Grey or white are most worn; especially the seagull
plumage.

SOME of the newest fans are most exquisitely painted
on gauie by artists of recognised merit, others have
the initials carried out in brilliants, while others dis-
play an appliqué of Valenciennes lace, or birds and
butterflies, which, being of some solid material on the
gauze, stand out in bold relief. The last new bridal
fan has orange blossoms painted on it. Spang!ei fans
in all colourings are worn; glitter is an important
feature in present modes. A curious button takes
the form of a palette, with the colours represented by
gems.

Somn new items in millinery are pins in the form
of mushrooms for securing the bows on beaver felt
hats, with large upstanding hairs, and bonnets which
rejoice in the name of Robinson Crusoe, and are
principally composed of the wings and heads of some
particular bird, such as a fancy duck or an owl. The
wings are set up so that the points meet above the face;
hence the fancied resemblance tn the enforced dweller
at Juan Fernandez. Dark blue velvet, embroidered
in the brilliant blue steel beads and facets, are much
employed now for the best bonnets, and are to be re-
commended for wearing at a five o'clock tea party
this season, for, by artiflcial light, they sparkle almost
like diamonds. There is a charming new tint between
terracotta and apricot, which looks also well by
candle light. It has more life in it than the fashion-
able tones, which are dyed to match the furs with
which they are to be trimmed. Velvet is treated in
various ways in millinery, but perhaps the most
fashionable revival is the drawn velvet, and well it
looks. Moreover, the purchasers may be quite sure
that the material is good, for the pile of a poor velvet
would open, and not show oil at all to advantage thus
treated.

I WAS much pleased with a nut brown drawn velvet
bonnet, trimmed with the chestnut and flower. The
perforated felts made up over velvet are sold by ircod
milliners. The feather brims to the hats are exceed-
ingly becoming; they throw just the necessary sLade
on the face; of course, the feather is ostrich. The
Frivoli hat is new; it is made of coarse plailed straw
of mixed colouring, with a shorn feather brim, alter-
nating with stripes of velvet, carried down the crown
to the brim. Bonnets are to be had made of cocks'
feathers, tightly covering the shapes in two or three
colourings, with a shorn feather brim. These will
stand all weathers. Beaded felts are new, and felt
cloth not blocked, but laid on the shape.

*s * -
TEA jackets are more bought now than tea gowns;
they are less expensive, and various skirts can be worn
with them. Some are made of plush, some of woollen
piece lace, and a skirt can, if desired, be had of this
same fabric, the upper portion with quite a loose
front; it is very inexpensive. The woollen piece lace
is to be had in cream, pink, and blue. .

* *
A NEW dress improver hails from Paris. It is cf a
brilliant red colour, somewhat larger than the old
mattress, well stuffed, but very light, and, in the
French capital, it supersedes steels. For a loose
dress for an invalid, nothing could possibly be lighter
or more comfortable than the eider wool, which has a
soft fluffy surface, is no weight, and is principally
made on a grey tone, and cut Cu princesse.
• • •

THE stuffs employed are so diverse in dressmaking,
and some of the more costly are of such short lengths,
that I notice many dresses are made in plain stuff,
with just a breadth of the fancy material on the back
and front, and into the vest; or sometimes the figured
fabric only appears on the skirt as side panels. Very
often the fancy ma.erial is let into the front and the
back, in a V-shape, and this is becoming to short
waists. Many stout people introduce a striped mate-
rial on the basque.
*'

IF you happen to be looking about for a new
material, let me bring to your notice the serges with
a satin finish. Serge is much in favour, though it is
often introduced by a new name, but some of the
handsomest dresses have serge grounds, worked with
bold upstanding satin cord in the way of stripes.
Trim the satin serge if you like with Albert cloth of
the exact tone. it is closely allied to Astrakan, and
is useful also for jackets; it is thick, warm, and light,
and is really strongly recommended for children's
outdoor garments. Even for these little folks, the
lining are a most important part of the garment,
and red and gaily-coloured plaid satins are largely
employed. For children's party frocks, I have seen
delightful combinations of plush and foulard in new
as well as in old favourite tones; nothing is, how-
ever, so suitable as cream. But there is another
material far newer and most commendable; I mean
white corduroy. In Paris it is used both for adults
and children, trimmed with Valenciennes and other
laces, and bands of curled ostrich. Crepe de Chine,
is the acme of fashion, and no wonder, seeing that
no other fabric drapes Eo well.
* •

THOUGH the more costly outdoor coverings are
mantles, short and long, short jackets are sold in far
greater quantities, mostly simply made with a row of
buttons down the front, and often covered all over
with a little unobtrusive pattern in satin stitch em-
broidery. The large range of brown tones are
trimmed with the fur that best matches them in colour.
Those who live in the country, and want extra
warmth, should select the new blanket cloth, to be
had in light tones only. It came into fashion when
the Princess of Wales wore it at Cowes. It is not
suitable to our smoke-laden metropolis. Woollen
corduroy is also employed for jackets and mantles,
and is warm and serviceable. Bands of leather well
stitched on, adorn some of the newest tailor-made
dresses as well as jackets.

ONE would imagine, (realarks the Parisian fashion
writer in the Whitehall Ileview) that concerts were
invented for the purpose "to set .off" hats. It is
enough to turn one's head to see the unabridged
varieties. Round faces and bright eyes wear the
bolero, which is generally in felt, tr!mmed with
ribbon, plumes, and pompons. The mousque-
take hat has sometimes a whole nest of swallows
buried in the bouquet of ribbons that orna-
ment its side. Du rcstc, natural history in its fiercest
specimens adds its spoils to fancy. For town bonnets
adorable ruby capotes composed of red-birds seeming
to dance, open-winged, a saraband. Squirrels climb
on velvet capotes, as they do on the artificial bushes
vnder the glass cases of the museum. And the
panther capots in black plush, framed with a mina-
tore skin of the beast !—we need not add, not the
panther's hide, but an admirable. trompe-l' ceil tissue.
In short, in the wanderings of the velvet knots, al-
ways assorted according to the trophy of the wild
beast, real claws mounted in real gold peep out within
an inch from the brow.

I MUST not forget the Swedish bonnet in light cloth
dechiquete, with cretes mixed with ostrich plumes, and
the directoire capote, for visits of ceremony, heaped
with feathers and laces. Then there is still the beguin,
which every one knows is the nun's austere headdress.
This &pin is composed of three pieces of velvet, and
as special arrangements can be made with heaven—so
the French say—the bcptin soon loses its original
character, and only the first idea exists. For the even-
ing yellow and rose are the favourite colours; gold
and black velvet with bows of jonquils; jet crescent
or pearl shells in thy. ribbons of velvet, in the shade
of May blossoms