The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-12-18 00:00:00

GUBSIY ON DRESS.

TnE Queen has the following article on "Fashions
of the Day" season of the county balls and
festivities is rapidly arProaching, and a great deal of
attention is being paid at present to evening toilettes,
as well as to smart and yet neat day suits. A great
many of the latter are tailor-made, but to the arrange-
ment of the former the highest art of the dressmaker
is devoted—the blendirg of colours, the mixing of
materials, and the adjustment of the skirts being the
test of her skill. Lovely shades of heliotrope are
being mingled for evening wear, the whole being
often softened by a veil of palest hue, powdered with
the same coloured glass • dewdrop" beads. The
skirts of some ball gowns have the front of gauze or
net, striped perpendicularly with bands of coloured
beads from one to two inches wide, drawn back in
easy folds to the side, where meet pleated panels and
back of tulle, powdered with single beads or loops of
very small ones; while over the fulness a wide sash
of plain tulle, in the same colour, falls from the
pointed basque of the low bodice. This arrangement
can be carried out in several ways, and in black, in
white, or in colour, with equal effect. The low
bodice has a berthe of the beaded tulle, and the
sleeves are very short. The heliotrope of to-day is a
lovely shade, and becoming to most people. In
plush it is popular for smart evening wraps,
lined with a paler shade of satin; in dress
trimming it is to be seen it two shades of velvet
or silk ribbon, twisted loosely into each other; as
feathers and flowers it figures in hats, bonnets, and
fnlly- dressed coiffures; and in tulle and gause, as
veils, vests, and scarves. Trimmings for ball gowns
are often veiled in the same tulle as that composing
the skirt, or in the colour of the trimming, and the
aigrette for the hair corresponds. For instancs,
braces of mauve lilac, fixed on the shoulders by bows
of ribbon, would be lightly veiled in mauve tulle, and
the headdress would consist of a rosette of tulle, witl-
mauve osprey and small tuft of the same flowers.
These braces are fashionable for ball gowns. They
are only worn up the front of the bodice, and are
fastened at the point of the basque, and on each
shoulder. Ribbon and velvet are arranged in the
same way. Applique designs of velvet on satin,
neatly buttonholed rounkthe edges to prevent fray-
ing, and then edged with small beads, are worked a
great deal by women for the panels of reception and
tea gowns, one favourite design is sprays of cherries
and leaves in black velvet, edged and veined with steel
beads, on a background of white or grey satin. Panels,
beaded entirely in either gold or steel beads, are worn
at one side of velvet or plush skirts, with cuffs, collar,
or vest to correspond. Beaded lace and gimp, as well
as passementerie, in novel designs and great variety,
are being profusely used in dress and mantua
making.

VERY neat-looking striped and plain material
polonaises are being worn with the winter skirts of
rough fabrics. Some have a plain yoke of one colour,
with the rest of striped, and all have a tolerably broad
band, fastening with a cut steel or fancy buckle, gene-
rally towards one side. Although in the shirt style,
with pleats, they are intended to fit closely to the
figure, and are becoming to most people, as they show
off to advantage a good figure, and give fulness to a
thin one. Black, red, and navy blue, with very
narrow white stripes, are the most popular. They
are sold in boxes at all the principal shops. The
rough-faced material, a cross between canvas and
serge, in black or navy blue, with quite narrow white
or red lines, is much worn with tight-fitting bodices
and outer coats of plain black or blue. The crown
of the bat or bonnet is frequently composed of the
same, with brim aad strings of velvet. Bonnets for
travelling, of the same material and colour as the
ulster, are also fashionable, and the muff is often
made to correspond.

Ittrees of plush are particularly popular, and some
look as if they were cut down the centre and turned
back with revers of silk. A black plush muff, turned
back and lined with rich cream silk, is fashionable.
If fur is placed on a muff, it is only carried down one
side, the other being covered with the long loops of a
bow, placed at the top. Bows of silk and ribbon
velvet are placed upright in the same style as the
bonnet trimmings. Two or three very large jetted
balls, hanging loosely from jet strings, are arranged
on black velvet and plush muffs rather to one side,
while the other has a drapery like a small curtain
drawn back, with a little valance of festooned plush at
the top. Others are tied half .way down with ribbon,
falling in very long ends. Clusters of fur Lalls are
placed on some. The long ones are quite as popular
as ever. Some new and costly ones are made of the
soft undyed feathers stripped from the quills of
ostrich plumes, and strung so clostly together as to
form a thick round boa. Coloured chenille
boas are also worn, in hack, dark red,
and grey. A neck wrap, called "The Alert," re-
sembles a little furry animal coil'ed round, with the
bead resting on the tail, which falls down the front
of the coat. nese are to be had in several varieties,
are very warm, but are more quaint perhaps than
pretty. Gloves of coloured Astrakan cloth are novel,
with the fingers and parfn of leather. They are in-
tended for winter driving. Others, entitled sleighing
gloves, are of soft tea dogskin, with gauntlets; but
with an elastic at the inside of the wrist, instead of
buttons; they fit closely, and are drawn off and on in
a moment. The long gloves for evenihg *ear MO
often finished off with a length of wide ribhon tied
round the arm, ending in a bow. If the gloves are
not to be taken off, the ribbon is merely tied on for
the evening; but if they are, it is sewn on with an
elastic band to keep it tightly up. This is instead of
bracelets, and has a good effect.

THE newest pock ethandkerchiefs in fine cambric
have croFsed lines of colour, as if a needle had been
employed to darn the thread in and ()tit; others have
tiny herseshoes all ever them. White silk °nese with
rather broad borders of dark coloured silk, powdered
with small white sots, are used for putting into day
gown bodices. Smile handkerchiefs of the most deli-
cate muslin, for evening use, have vandyked borders
and a row of embroidery, in white and a pale colour,
matching the costume, quite lovely to behold. Black
satin slippers for evening wear have small stars of jet
beads studded over the instep. Co:oured ones have
pearls, or steel or gold beads. Dames of the Prim-
rose League have small single primeosts worked ore
High flaps up the instep and bows just beloWare popu-
lar in kid house aloes, leather walking ones, or satin
weaning ones. In the walking shoes, a buckle
usually takes the place of the bow. The fashion-
able fans of the season are those composed
of exquisitely tinted and curled swan feathers
in an oval shape. They have ivory or bone mounts,
tinted to match the feathers and bows at the handles.
The bows are se, placed that when the fans are closed
they look as if on the outside stick. The feathers
Incline slightly tewarda one, and have a soft tuft of
marabout in the centre. Others, in atraight SW£lll
feathers, are pinked at the edges. In heliotrope,
grey, pink, blue, &c., these fans can be had. Another
style of fan has coloured mounts, a band of gauze
surmounting them, with a half wreath of flowers
painted on, and, aboire that, upright cocks' feathers,
ornamented with a painted flight of gold birds or but-
terflies. The effect is beautiful. Gauze fans, With
Japanese aginets, or lovely ethereal beauties 113 ing
through the air, or resting on a large crescent moon,
are fashionable.

THERE are always novelties appearing in jowellery,
and for this season, when presents are f"eely given, a
great variety nee offered. Perhaps the newest orna-
ments are the pretty little brooches with artificial
coffee beans ir, a brown stone, closely resembling the
real thing, peeping out singly or in a group from
golden leaver. They are the inventions of a leading
jeweller, and are fitted into brown canvas cases, with
tasselled corners, having " Moka " Written on the
covet` in black letters. Another fashionable gift of
the dsy is a case containing a pair of light-coloured
tortcheshell pins for the hair or bonnet, with gold or
rore diamor.d tops. A shepherd's crook, a crutch, ot
a sword are popular designs. Jet and oxidised silver
swords for piercing the crowns of tall hats or propping
up bonnets are greatly worn; and also little combs,
like naints.ture Spanish ones, in light tortoiseshell,
studded with small brilliants, ot in sparkling French
jet. .ks souvenirs, or as bridesmaid's pmente,
gold guarded pin brooches, with an initial
letters in pearls, are particularly suitable.
To the amateur violin players of the day
—and vcry numerous they are—there are exquisite
little golt violin brooches in two or three sizes, also
mandoliaes, guitars, and banjos. Sickle brooches for
faster.ing a buttonhole, or placing in bonnet strings,
are royal, with silver blades, and gold and jewelled
handhs liar brooches of amethysts, with the stones
set at a little distance from each other, in a gold
settina, are popular; and so are sword brooches, with
the hilt, incrusted in pearls, and a gold snake coiled
round the blade. Sets of studs for gentlemen, con-
sisting r three minute foxes' heads in diamonds, or
little CRCs holding four pins with pearl heads and
two with miniature diamond horseshoes are useful.
Among other quaint designs is that of a cherub's head
in gold, with two little wings, and thebreath proceed-
ing frot t its mouth In diamonds.

!Nis lair is still dressed high on the head, and it
SOTTO CEVOcI is divided down the back, and the two
strkatis taken and twisted up to the top, first one and
theu the other. Where the twist of the last straud
is t.itztr, upwards over the other, a comb is placed per-
peuainlarly. Small combs are much in vogue,
placei !,nywhere that the owner pleases. Feather
aigrettN and small chaplets of flowers, daintily
arranged, are sometimes placed quite on the top of
the head. Where this style of coiffure does not snit
the fare, the hair is plaited or coiled round and
round close to the head, to look as flat as possible. To
mit some of the bonnets, which are much cut up at
the bark, the hair is arranged in two puffs, drawn
well up, and kept close to the head; in fact, anyone
may dl their hair as they please now, and the more
ancom-non, and like an old picture, the better.

. -

JOINT-STOCK Sour.—A young housewife wishes
to know whether the conversion of paid-up shares
into stock is not an example of what is meout by
cooking accounts.
HEN RY GEORGE contends that Moses bold the same
opinions that he holds with respect to land and
labour. We bad supposed that all the mistakes of
Moses had been pointed out by Col. Ingerz )1] ; but
Mr. George has discovered some more—if he is not
mistaken as to the facts.