The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-03-12 00:00:00

OSWON-]

it.ie is usual at this season, the leading menu-
•factareis have introduced a number of fresh materials,
more especially in woollen goods. .Some of these are
old and valued friends under new names, others with
more pretensions to novelty, but all reasonable in
price, warm, yet light in texture and artistic in colour-
ing. Our own British firms are ably represented in
all-wool fabrics, to which they are, and wisely, paying
more attention every year, most of their materials
being designed in thoroughly good taste. The
"Eclipse" is a very pretty soft checked woollen ma-
terial in pretty shades of tan, leaden and other greys,
and browns. An all-wool beige—the " Invicta" by
name—is a small check, the fabric remarkably light
and soft, and the colouring delightful. For tailor-
made gowns the "Aldershot" is especially adapted, it
being a fine Saxony wool cloth; other makes worth
naming are the "Argyle," the "Malvern," the
"Adelaide," and the "Ascot ; " the greys in the last-
mentioned tare wonderfully soft looking. The British
Imperial cashmeres, Crown cashmeres, and Royal
merinos are improvements, as far as regards finish,
on these well-known stuffs, the serviceability of which
will always keep them well patronised. A new kind
of llama just brought out is very light in weight, and,
.therefore, suimble for tennis players, for whose
benefit it has been specially prepared; in it the
newest colours are admirably blended, grey and
yellow, grey and cream, electric and red, blue and
mouse, and indigo blue and mordere. Scouring cloth
will be greatly affected, and indeed all loose makes in
woollens.

To go further afield, there is drap Bernaise an
armure design, with an over-stripe; Drap Francaise,
which has a fancy ground, striped all over, stripes
still appearing in many of the new materials. The
Carreau clothe, in large checks and taffetas, are more
singular and aggressive-looking than belutiful. Hima-
layan cashmere promises to be in considerable request
as the season advances. In Paris, costumes of this
material are already to be seen, and the Roubaix
manufacturers have in preparation for early autumn
a great variety of designs in short-haired Himalayan
wools. A very stylish dress recently sent out is of
hand-woven camel's hair, in indigo blue and mordore
colouring, the lines of the latter colour being so sub-
dued as to be only just apparent. The dress is cut
polonaise-fashion, with a blue velvet yoke, a fichu
vest, and velvet cuffs.. The fichu is drawn in at the
waist by a band of velvet, fastening on one side with
handsome clasps and ends the large sailor collar
being held in place at each side by three large buttons
on the shoulders, the long full skirt draperies falling
over a pet.icoat of the same cloth. In richer and
more costly materials there are several departures,
the rap!) pompadour and the quille pompadours being
good specimens of the admixture of chenille and
velvet, with wool in the form of stripes on worsted
grounds. -Velvet checks on twilled grounds are male
up with plain stuffs to match, or intermixed with
velours Victoria and velours plupetiss, the last, as its
name implies, having a feathery appearance, which is
most effective. The rapidly increasing popularity of
siik was commented on last month; it promises to
supersede satin entirely. Some of the Court costumes
prepared for the approaching Drawing Rooms in silk
and velvet, silk and plush, and all silk are very hand-
some.

THE brocades are especially magnificent this year;
one in a lovely soft shade of grey has an Oriental
design outlined in silver thread. Among other pleas-
ing novelties is a tulip design in yellow on a cream
ground. The moires, too, are beautiful, a striped
material; rich white silk and grey moire are unique ;
another having a steel grey ground, with canary grey
and pink stripes on it is quaintly pretty. Velvet in
the new shade of pink, known as vernis de Japon, has
a raised design in pale erey.frise, lined with grey silk,
and worn over a soft grey silk lace-covered petticoat.
A splendid Court costume is in magnificent silver
brocade, the groundwork of which is Imperial blue
and tulle worked in silver, the bodice and long full
square-cut train of the brocade further enriched with
tufts of silver feathers, and the drapings of tulle, in
the case of the petticoat, over a soft white silk founda-
tion. A white silk. brocade, and a gold brocade
trimmed with rich gold embroidery and golden
aigrettes, are equally handsome. In lighter materials,
suitable for draping the petticoats and bodices, silver
and gold-embroidered gauze, tulle interwoven with
silver, perle, or sparkling with tiny crystals, jet, or
gold beads, are all used; as also white silk gauze,
mousseline de soie, crepe de Chine, crepe lisse, tarla-
tan, which has been again received into favour after
having been for some time banished, and now presents
a richer appearance than formerly, being either
worked over with pearls, or embroidered in gold, which
last is more fashionable than ever in Paris, and ,s
seen on most decorative materials. On bonnets and
hats, gold embroidery, tulle, and gauze are largely
employed in trimming, gold butterflies' wings, golden
wheat ears, cocks' combs of gold lace and golden in-
sertion being also used for this purpose.

Tun haling Paris couturieres are making Spring
toilettes in the Directoire and Restauration styles,
that is with clinging skirts, with little or no drapery,
but embroidery and trimmings round the bottom of
the skirt, and wide sashes of crepe fringed out at the
ends. The following are pretty, simple, ails' fresh-
looking models for making up Spring fabrics from.
The first is made in two materials, 13,y a figured
cloth and one of a light soft texture. The tightly.
fitting habit bodioe and petticoat are of the figured
cloth, the over drapery, bretelles, and cuffs of the
thinner cloth, which is of a darker shade; the skirt
is plain in front and rather full behind, the front
drapery taking the form of a long square tablier, not
joining the back drapery, which is gathered into the
waist behind in full pleats, but having a simulated
panel of the figured cloth on the left side. The
tresses, two on each side, pass over the shoulders
and join in points both in front and behind. A
second dress is in velvet and plain striped or
checked cloth, the tight plain bodice of velvet
with revers shaped plastron of the cloth buttoned
back with a large velvet button on each side,
the cloth being pleated finely in the centre.
The overskirt of cloth, is draped with a little
fulness in front and turned back with a revers at the
bottom, buttoned back, to correspond with the bodice,
as far as the side panel, which consists of one large
centre pleat of the cloth and two smaller pleats on
each side of it; the back drapery is caught up in poufs
over the velvet skirt. This in plain and fancy cloth
would look well, or in the entire dress of one material,
the revers being outlined with silk cord, and having
ornamental buttons to match. A third model is in
Venetian cloth and whip corduroy. Here the drapery
is chiefly in front, and caught up at the sides over the
petticoat, which is also of cloth, but has wide panels
on each side and at the back of corduroy, the ca3h-
mere falling over it behind in long sash loops and
ends; the bodice has two graduated bands of cordu-
roy on the left side, with the material of the body
showing between them. A neat tight-fitting single-
breasted corduroy coat, perfectly plain and devoid of
trimming, is worn with this gown, and a hat of tbe
same coloured felt, with plain band or else a toque of
the corduroy.

SOME of the new Cheviot cloths are pleasingly
coloured; one in electric grey has just a suspicion of
salmon introduced in very narrow lines. An ulster
of quite a new shape is made up in this, and lined
throughout with salmon-coloured satin; it has a cape
at the back, fastened only at the shoulders and falling
epaulette-fashion over the upper portion of the arm ;
it, too, is lined with salmon, a glimpse of which is
caught when the arms are raised. This ulster is
double-breasted, fastening across the figure with large
smoked pearl buttons. A. new make of scouring
cloth is in serviceable dark colours; a useful long
mantle made of it in dark green has a plush plastron,
over which the cloth is drawn in graceful folds; it
has cuffs, collar, and waistbelt of plush, and the cloth
is gathered in full pleats behind, which gives it the
fulness necessary. A short coat is made of the same
cloth, only in a pretty shade of blown. It has deep
cuffs, high collar, and revers faced back with cream-
coloured cloth, fastened through with large tortoise-
shell buttons. The coat is single-breasted, fastening
in the centre. The felt hat corresponds with the
brown cloth in colour, and has loops of cream and
brown corded ribbon, with single wing feathers set
upright amidst the loops. A finely-ribbed new black
cloth is specially adapted for coat-making. A pretty
and well-cut coat made of it has the collar, cuffs, and
diamond-shaped piece let into the front, as well as
the epaulettes, embroidered with mohair braid in an
effective design. The "buttons here used match the
braiding.

IT is rather too early at present to say decidedly
what will be the prevailing colours and fabrics for
spring gowns, although we may get a glimpse of the
coming season's styles from the shops, now that the
winter sales are all over. Heliotrope and pure white
will bold the most prominent place as the spring
advances, and fresh tints of green, delicate half-tints
of yellow, And soft-tinted greys, are certainly coming
in again. Ribbed silks, bengalines, and failles will
be covered with small floral designs. Silks and
brocades are seen with large floral designs as well as
with the small vblets, ro=es, and forget-me-nots.
Cashmeres will also have silken designs—pansies on
heliotrope, forget.me-nots on blue, yellow jasmine on
yellow, etc. Later on in the
.spring, soft c!oth in light
tints will be used for reception gowns. Pale mauve
and rose-coloured cloth are new; also new shades of
China blue, of Suede roseda sage, and a pale
shade of terra-cots a. Speckled woollens resembling
tweeds make very pretty tailor-made gowns; those
with a navy-b!ue grouud having tiny white lines and
stripes are very effective, made with vests of white
drill. Carmelite woollens with large spots are a
novelty for morning wear.— Ladies' Gazelle of Fashion.

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