The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-11-27 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

Tun Queen has the following: As yet, nothing
striking in the way of dress has appeared. Lowinners
have hardly settled down to winter ways. The shops
are full of people getting clothes of all kinds, and the
streets are gay with carriages and pedestrians. Autumn
jackets arid mantles, hats and gowns, still linger, as if
loth to take their departure. The recent wet weather
has no doubt a good deal to say to this state of
things, and if some bright, clear, " seasonable " days
were to come, then fashions and materials would
appear in all their novelty. Plush, either black or
dark brown, is the mantle material par excellence for
the winter, and smart short mantles, trimmed with
jet and fur, are more fashionable than the long ones.
The long mantles and cloaks are of fancy woollen
materials, trimmed with plush or fur. The short
ones are more useful on the whole, as they serve as
afternoon and evening entertainment wraps, as well
as for day wear and for weddings. Some are pro-
fusely embroidered in jet or gold. Black fox and
skunk seem to be the popular furs, but a new shade of
silver or blue fox, with a mauve tint, and a soft,
feathery appearance, is making its way, both
as boas (very becoming to the complexion)
and as mantle trimming. Bound sable boas of con-
siderable length are also worn. Clusters of fur balls
are made up for putting in hats and bonnets, and can
be had in chinchilla and light and dark brown fur, to
match that on the mantle. Some of the jaunty-look-
ing hats of black plush have the brims of black
Astrakan, with a cluster of small Astrakan balls in
front, intermixed with bows of grey check plush
ribbon or red wings. Notwithstanding the great oppo-
sition, birds' wings are most freely and profusely used,
especially white ones, as many as eight being fre-
Auently arranged among velvet and plush folds,
placed upright, but inclining slightly towards the
front. The natural sized wing is divided into two or
three sections, and put close together, and behind
each other. Most of them are white duck wings.
Bands of duck and pheasant feathers are arranged up
the sides of some bqpnets, especially the flat-crowned,
plush-covered ones, eut up high at the back; a smart,
high bow of harmonising ribbon is placed quite in the

zossEssoßs of gauze fans are renovating them by
zranging delicate lace of about three iwzhes as a eat,
cade along the top, carrying it down the outer stick
(if possible), and finishing off with two bows of ribbon,
placed at the top and at the base of tb/ side cascade.
The lace and bow end where the mounts begin. In
black and white this is equally done, and sometimes
•the lace is a fancy tinsel one, and if anything very
chic is desired, diamond ornaments are added on the
loops. Many a well-worn fan may be successfully
renovated for a winter campaign in this way. Gauze
and crepe de Chine fans are still the most popular,
and some new ones of painted silk, with fairylike gauze
stretched over them, in the style of photograph frames
of last season, are novel. Pale pink fans, with pale
pink imitation coral mounts (stained ivory), are to be
fashionable for young girls. One favourite design for
a black gauze fan is a
,large spider's web in silver,
with flies of varied kind and size and coloured tinted
paints entangled in it; and another is a flight of sprites
in pale shades of silver and neutral tints the fore
most one carrying a lighted lantern, from which
emanate golden and red rays.

FOR day wear, amethysts are being worn on dark
growns, and silken pockethandkerchiefs of the same
shade as the mauve glints or lights of the stone, are
pushed into the front of the bodice, to form a
crumpled-looking waistcoat. Carbuncles are also
popular, and handkerchiefs corresponding in the same
manner as the above. Buttons in the form of jockey
caps, with the crowns in mother o' pearl, and the
peaks in gold, are to be seen in two sizes. Fancy
buttons of all kinds appear to be as popular as last
season. Clear amber beads out in facets, and
mounted on gold hairpins and as combs are novel.
For bridesmaids' presents and really good souvenirs,
the moonstone set with small brilliants is one of the
fashions of the day. The facsimile of the signature
of a friend is now reduced to a suitable size, and
engraved across a band ring or bangle, and sometimes
carried out in very small diamonds. For an engage-
ment ring this is often done. It is carrying out in
the jeweller's art what has been so popular in fancy
work during the past season. I allude to the en-
larged signatures traced on to the backs of blotters
and albums, also across the corners of rugs and quilts,
and worked in raised silks. Two guarded pins in
gold, with initial letter of the Christian name on one
and that of the surname on the other, in pearls, are
worn to one side a the dress collar, placed one above
the other.

PLEATED coloured satin is a good deal worn in dress
bodices instead of linen collars and cuffs. Sets are
sold in various colours. Only a small piece is shown,
and the pleating is very close. A plain length of satin
is sometimes seen above a not very high white linen
collar, finished off in a dainty little bow in front,
peeping out from between the turned-back corners.
Coloured satin, ending in a bow, is also put into even-
ing sleeves and bo&ces, instead of any frilling or
tucker. A bright colour in a black dress enlivens it
considerably. It is quite the exception now to see
anything wore round the throat it the evening.
Sometimes a string of pearls or a jewelled necklet,
but, as a rule, the neck is left unadorned. Smart
velvet bows are occasionally worn in the hair; or a
spray of real maidenhair, secured by a diamond fly,
beetle, or butterfly.

•
THE fashionable flower of the day is at present the
white chrysanthemum. It is worn as a buttonhole,
massed as a bouquet, and nestled among moss for
table decoration, lightly veiled with maidenhair fern.
Tinted ivy leaves very often form a background for it.
On tables clusters of chrysanthemums of various
coloars and kinds are to be seen, rich and beautiful in
their individual tints. For room decoration wild
growths are now sold in the streets by itinerant
vendors, which even last year would have been thrown
aside as rubbish. For instance, clusters of the brown,
dried-up looking "combs and brushes "or " teasers "
from ditches bunches of red hips and haws, the black
berries of the privet, brown grasses from marshlands
are placed with the still favourite bullrushes and
feathery pampas grass. The glistening white
" honesty" is now seen towering aloft in vases, mixed
with pampas and black-berried privet. The trailing
stag-horn moss from Scotch moorlands is arranged on
dinner tables, laid flat, in and out of floaer recep-
tacles and china bonbon plates; and lycopodium
moss, studded with flowers, is also utilised in the same
way. The Crotons with their richly tinted leaves are
very popular for dinner table decoration.