The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-03-19 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.
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ELI AMC DE MARS; the well-informed and gifted corre.
epondent in Paris of the Queen, writes thus concerning
some recent notable dresses seen in the Gay City:
The Comtesse Hessler gave, a few evenings ago, a
lan.° dinner party, followed by a reception, when the
pavane was danced most successfully. The hostess
tvas elegantly dressed in rich Pompadour brocade on a
pale blue ground, draped over a skirt of Brissels lace,
and clusters of shaded roses; powdered hair, with
pink and blue feathers at the side sparkling with
diamonds; blue shoes, pink stockings, both open-
worked and embroidered; fan of shaded blue feathers,
mounted on sixteen pale tortoiseshell sticks encrusted
with diamonds. Mlle. d'Eza wore a heliotrope Surah
dress, trimmed with ecru lace and many bows of mauve
ribbon: feathers in the hair to match the dress; the
fan wcts a feather screen; pink silk stockings,
embroidered in pearls, and pink satin shoes. There
were many toilettes composed of moire and tulle in
vieux rose and pale blue, the talle being studded with
crystal beads. White dresses, embroidered in gold,
with garlands of flowers on one side of the skirt, wer
also popular.

THE most notable wedding of the season, so far as
wealth tv:d elegance played their parts, was incon-
testably that of Mlle. Schneider (daughter of the
director of Creusot) with the Comte de Chaponay.
The ceremony was celebrated at Creusot five days
after the contract had been signed. I was present at
the latter function, and although several papers have
given the details of the marriage, none has published
particulars of the contract ceremony—always an im-
portant one at French weddings. The bride-elect
wore on the occasion a pale pink silk dress. The
skirt was bordered with a thick ruche, and its front
was kilted pink gauze, studded with silver spots. The
low silk bodice was continued at each side of the
skirt in long panels, and a novel and becoming fichu
of pink gauze, simply hemmed at the edge, was
crossed over the chest, disappearing beneath the
bodice. Natural white hyacinths in the hair. Mme.
Schneider, the bride's step-mother, wore a white satin
dress. The low bodice had tulle folds spotted with
gold; the skirt had a Court train.

THE Comtesse Chaponay, the bridegroom's mother,
wore yellow moire trimmed with Brussers lace, and
velvet convolvuli of various shades. A gwlanci of
these flowers was carried from the left shoulder across
the bodice to the right hip, and then down the skirt,
superb diamonds being intermixed with the leaves;
other diamonds sparkled in the headdress. Ticomtesse
de Chaponay, nee de Monticourt, sister-in-law, of the
bridegroom, wore a low pale pink satin dress, dia-
mond necklace with pendeloques; natural roses, and
diamond sprays on the bodice and in her hair. Mar-
quis de Chaponay, the bridegroom's aunt, was in pale
yellow satin made with a long train covered with crepe.
embroidered in silk to match; the bodice was fastened
with diamond buttons, and there was a tuft of Mare-
dial Niel roses on the shoulder, and in the powdered
hair there was a large rose in diamonds; similar gems
on the yellow satin shoes. The costume might have
been worn in the last century; but it was eminently
superb. Viscomtesse de Puysegur wore red tulle and
satin, trimmed with red flowers. The Duchess° de
Bisaccia, was in pale grey satin, made with long train
and low bodicA ; the latter trimmed with tulle folds;
necklet and coronet of magnificent pearls.

Comtesse de Lambertye, in jonquil damask; the
tablier ruched with lace, a diamond crescent in her
fair hair; a superb manteau de sortie in yellow
velvet and damask trimmed with a border of yellow
feathers. The Duchesse de Trevise, in dark helio-
trope velvet, with low bodice trimmed with old
Mechlin lace; necklet of diamonds and pearls. Her
daughter, Mdmlle. de Trevise, was in white gauze;
kilted skirt, low satin bodice with gauze fichu, of the
style known as "coin de Mouchoir," so called from the
form it assumes at the back, and from its border,
which is a simple wide hem.

Mdme. Fould was in white satin, trimmed with
white china crêpe, which was gracefully draped;
magnificent diamond and pearl ornaments. Comtesse
Ainiery de la Rochefoucauld was in grey satin; the
low bodice was trimmed with tulle folds, draped with
diamond aiguilettes ; a large diamond star in the hair.
Mdme. de la Grange, in white brocade, opening over
a white satin skirt, trimmed with Alencon lace;
square-cut bodice, with coquille of similar lace round
the top; for headdress, an aigrette of plumes, sur-
rounded with a small Ceres crown of diamond
wheat ears; a dog-collar necklet of laige diamonds,
mounted on claret velvet. Vicomtesse de Janze, in
rich red velvet, trimmed with exquisite beaded
passementerie to match; a large diamond feather in
the hair, and a necklet of brilliants; diamond agraffes
were arranged as epaulettes. In fact, during the
entire winter, I have never seen so many family
diamonds worn as at this wedding.

Tun corbeille, which was on view on the same even-
ing, contained all that money could purchase, and
more. As for the precious stones, they were in-
describable—there was an enormous ruby surrounded
with large diamonds, a trefoil formed of three pearls
of uncommon size, ruby, sapphire, and pearl rings of
great beauty and value, fans innumerable, one
painted in ivory was priceless. Opera glasses, with
long handles as are now fashionable), with the
monogram in diamonds, laces for dress trimmings—
Chantilly, Brussels, Alencon, &c. Magnificent silver
Gobelins tapestry, a large Louis XVI. bureau in rose
wood, &c. But the most remarkable gift was that
offered by the workmen at Creusot ; it was a surtout
de table in glass and silver in Louis XV. style, and
four large chased silver shells for holding bonbons
at dessert. This style of surtotit is becoming fashion.
able ; it is covered with statuettes of old Dresden
china, which reflect in the glass, and it altogether
forms a beautiful ornament at large dinners. On the
day the Schneider contract of marriage was signed,
the surtout was ornamented in the centre with a
superb volume artistically bound, containing the
I signatures of 10,000 of the Creuzot work-people,
with a gracefully worded preface. Both th 3 civil
and religious marriage took place at Creuzot, where
five large balls were given in honour of the event. At
the ball opened by the bride and bridegroom, more
than 3000 people were present,
_

Amorra the novelties for the coming season will be
(according to "Miranda," of the Lady's Pictorial)
many beautiful dress fabrics having raised flowers,
fruits, and leaves upon them. These will not merely
be worked on the surface after the manner of the
chenille spots in vogue some time since; but will be
woven oa the material itself, irrespective of e.ny
ribbed or other effects. Thus, a gros grain silk will
be embossed with raised flowers on the fabric between
each tiny ridge, giving a handsome and rich appear-
ance hitherto cnapproached. Cherries, wee roses,
violets, and pansies will be the favourite designs, and
in view of the novelty of these new goods, it is cer-
tain that relief effects will be the leading charac-
teristic of the season, both for dressmaking and mil-
linery materials.

UNPRETENTIOUS though it may be as compared with
elaborate tea-gowns, I cannot say that the tea-jacket
—one of the latest innovations—is a happy conceit of
the modistes. There is about it a suggestion of un-
tidiness, in spite of the richness of material employed,
and if one must be specially arrayed for the cosy and
informal "five o'clock," it is, to my taste, much more
elegant and sensible to slip on a dressing-gown that
gives a well-simulated air of simplicity and homeli-
ness to its wearer. Some of the jackets are quite
tight-fitting like a bodice, and, when composed of
plush in bright colours, look very well, but are by no
means so effective as the graceful gowns.

AT last I have discovered, I think, an almost per-
fect way of carrying one's purse, letters for post, and
any small parcels one may have, and found this con-
trivance so extremely useful during my arduous
shopping excursions that I must tell my readers all
about it. I have reverted to the old days of our
great-grandmothers, before pockets were invented,
and now bear about with me, slung on my arm by
very strong ribands, a rather deep square bag of
plush, the colour of sealskin to go with one's sealskin
jacket, and in black for other garments, lined with a
uale pink sateen.
*

Tins bag draws up close with the strings, and so
cannot ever come open at unexpected and awkward
moments, as the handbags so dear to the souls of
suburban ladies constantly do. As it hangs on the
arm it cannot well be mislaid or forgotten, and it
would be impossible for a thief to possess himself of
the contents, as the strings draw very tightly, and
can be made stronger than ever if the riband is sewn
round a wire encased in wadding. But the bag itself
is so unobtrusive, being nearly the colour of the
costume, that few eyes would see it, while the hand-
bag is always visible.

MANY people will have noticed that the daughters
of the Princess of Wales, as a rule, when they appear
in public, wear the same kind of dress, the only differ-
ence generally being that the Princess Louise occa-
sionally affects a bonnet, while her sisters are attired
in hats. This similarity of costume, it is not gene-
rally known, is a reminiscence of their mother's early
days. The Queen of Denmark made a point of dress-
ing her daughters in precisely the same mode. And
even now, although the Princess of Wales and the
Empress of Russia have grown-up families of their
own, they still occasionally, although separated by
many a long league, agree, on certain home festivals,
to wear precisely the same co Aurae, even to selecting
a similar shade for their gloves.

_

,

WiIAT made ye talo Jock? queried a woman of her
newly-married friend.--Tak' Jock! was the half-sar-
castic reply; be followed me to market, he followed;
me to the garden, be followed me Saturday and Sun-
day. and I jist had to tak' him to get rid o' him.
A BOY in one of the public schools, having bee; re-
quired to write a composition on some part of the
human boay, explained as follows "The Throe.: A
throat is convenient to have, especially to roosters
and minioters. The former eats oats, corn and crows
vittn it ; the latter preaches through his'n, and than
tieA it up."
IT sectoft that the Irish bull flourishes even in the
tropical ciiine of India. A well-known Irish peer,
bolding 1-,,igh office, lately turned up the corner of a
begeitla letter, and wrote on it for the instruction of
privat *ecretary Reply that there is no wore!,