The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-02-26 00:00:00

GOSSIP' ON-DRESS.

Tins is the demi-saison, when, points out the Queen,
fashion pauses preparatory to making its first efforts
at spring novelties. The show rolims and shops look
dull, for they have concluded their clearance sales,
and have nothing particular to show; but behind the
scenes there is activity, for in every branch of busi-
ness the new fashions_ are being inaugurated. In the
meantime, we wear our thick winter wraps, grumble
about the weather, and wait for the sunshine and.
surpriles of spring. Navy-blue is popular, more
popular at present than any other colour except
black, which is always worn. Tailor-made gowns,
with outer jackets—some with cuffs and collar of
fur, are to be seen in the dark blue cloth or soft
serge. Hats of the same colour, in felt or straw,
trimmed with velvet; and bonnets touched up with
red, bre worn with them. Gray tweed rather light
in colour, trimmed with grey fur, is also popular,
but is not so becoming or seasonable looking. A light
shade of heliotrope, with velvet or fur, is another
favourite, and a dark shade of green. Some skirts
are cut open towards the left side, slightly drawn in
folds across the front, and, falling loose, disclosing
a velvet or plush, plain or striped petticoat under.,
neath.

BLACK bonnets, with scarlet or ruby velvet bows and
strings, are worn, a few of them being of puffed laced
over a jetted foundation, with a large jet fancy pin or
comb thrust through, in front. A miniature hunting-
whip is a novelty cn a felt hat, run through a loop of
ribbon or velvet, on the left side. At a recent wel-
ding the bridesmaids wore cream gowns, with dark
brown hose, shoes, gloves, brown felt hats trimmed
with velvet, and a small whip at one side with ivory
handle.

AMONG the many beautiful fabrics for rich costumes
is a broad white gros grain and black velvet stripe,
with a design of fern leaves in black chenille frise run-
ning down the white stripes. This is made up with
black velvet and lace, or with white faille and jet.
Another is an embroidery on net, the leaves being
worked in silks, and the flowers raised and sown on
separately. The designs are white or purple violets
on black net, lilac on white or mauve, primroses on
cream, &c. Broad black velvet and lace insertion fre-
quently form the front and side of a gown, over white
or red silk, with the bodice and train of black velvet.

Moian ribbon and lace insertions sewn together,
form tunics and bodices, with the back of the skirt
composed of extremely broad stripes of satin Mer-
veilleux and watered silk, moulded into the waist in
wide pleats, and then pushed up just below to form
two poufs. This, if well done, as some of the lead:n g
dressmakers manage it, is stylish for smart afternoon
wear. Crimped black lace over a fall of gathered
lace is frequently placed below the tunic in front.

DURING this cold winter head wraps have been
general for evening wear, and much taste and talent
have besu brought to bear on them. The mort
becoming are the black lace ones, over a coloured
silk lining, such as pink, cerise, or yellow. There is
a full ruche of lace round the face, and that com-
posing the hood and curtain fails in long ends like a
boa, to be looped through each other under the chin.
Some playgoers have used dainty black lace muffs,
with a spray of real flowers pinned on, and a pocket
large enough to hold the small pair of opera glasses
and a handkorchief. Muffs of tan Suede and of wash-
leather are soon now and again, many of them having
been made up by the owners. The edges are
"pinked," and a perforated pattern stamped, and
worked in brown or red Moselle. They somewhat
resemble a pockath-andkerchief folded almost in half,
and then puckered up under a bow and over a
foundation of brown or red velvet.

ANOTTIZR home employment is the covering of hat
and bonnet shapes with the particles composing the
large fur cones. Each one is laid on separately,
brushed slightly overlapping, with strong glue or
gum. The trimnting is either brown plush or velvet.
Only the crown is covered in this unique way.

MANY ladies who are their own housekeepers wear
large aprons in the morning, and sometimes these
aprons are pretty, especially the white linen ones,
embroidered in ingrain red thread, in Russian cross-
stitch on canvas which is afterwards drawn away.
These are usually wor,ked by the wearers, and in a
broad effective pattern on coarse canvas. There are
no outward pockets or bib, but a 'useful large inner
pocket put into tha seam on the right side, or some-
times on both sides. The iiimest ones are called "the
Normandy," and arc in fine white cambric, long and
full, they go round Ole skirt, and are edged with a
Intl of the same, vandyked and worked at the edge.
They are often sold with a French bonne looking cap,
and given to parlour-maids.
*- • *

i Bu

THE number of articles displayed in honour of the
Jubilee is really astonishing. Pockethandkerchiefs,
paper, envelopes and Correspondence cards, plush
pincushions suspended by ribbon, with a raised crown
and V.R. in gold in the centre, pocket letter cases,
and every conceivable knicknack is dedicated to the
event, varying in price from 3d. to £lOO. The hand-
kerchiefs have white or 'coloured embroidered designs
of the Queen, surrcunded by appropriate scrolls and
mottoes, in one corner; the paper and cards have
similar designs, or a gold coin of the realm with
"Jubilee year" inscribed. But in jewellery, one of
the prettiest is perhani'" 1887 "in diamonds, mounted
as a brooch. Pretty gold brooches, representing a
small gold scetotre, with the Imperial crown in the
centre, and V.ll. in white enamel on each side, are
sold in numbers, and so are those in the form of a
miniature herald's trumpet in gold, with the suspended
banner in red enamel and Vit. in rose diamonds, or
a crown and "Jubilee." _

Ovas are popular in jewellery at present, and the
design of one stated on a crescent moon is carried
out in either rose diamonds or pearls, as bangles,
brooches, or pins. A novel design is a small gold
open umbrella, ;with three tiny birds in diamonds
huddled together behind it. Ladybirds in rei enamel,
wonderfully true to nature, hi' another popular fancy
for studs, pins, or brooches; the former with single
insects, the lattez with three, attached to a gold bar.
Amber snouthpieces, attached to a miniature gold
screw pipe, or claw holding a broken egg, are novel
cigar holders. A single large sized rose, thistle, or
shamrock, hollowed out, in silver, form acceptable
ash trays for gentlemen and so does a still more
curious design, a star fish, in frosted silver, lying on
its back. Mice have appeared on purses, card cases,
menus, and small handbags; they are white ones,
cleverly painted on dark coloured leather.

- *

Now that the date of the first Drawing-room is
fixed for the 3rd of March, much interest (says the
Eady's Pictorial) will be felt in the new materials
which have been prepared especially for Court trains
and gowns for first presentations. Everyone says
that the Jubilee Drawing-rooms will be particularly
magnificent, and this seems likely to be the case, judg-
ing from the beautiful fabrics which I have had the
pleasure of seeing this week. Nothing will be-more
popular than stripes, and there is a decided tendency
to break the stiff lines of the stripes most pleasantly
and artistically with long trails of flowers and wreaths
in a contrasting or harmonising colour. A very
lovely material has a stripe of satin ornamented with
a floral design in the same shade, alternating with a
perfectly plain satin stripe. This idea is carried out
in cream, pale heliotrope, and pale blue, with flowers
in the same colour, as well as in reseda, on a found& •
tion of pale pink and Sevres blue on the palest
possible yellow. These stripes will be known as the
"Cluny" stripes, from their close imitation of
the graceful patterns of Cluny lace. A beautiful
brocade in a very elaborate design has a tracery
of gold or silver on a ground of white satin.
A similar design looks exceedingly handsome with a
pattern in silver traced on deep red, or a design in
gold upon pale blue. These costly brocades are very
suitable for bodices and trains, or side-panels used in
combination with tulle or embroidered mousseline de
sole. Moire stripes of all kinds will be very much
- worn, and some beautiful designs have wide alter-
nating stripes of 'moiré and veloutine. One of these
is in a deep shade of gold colour, with a wide stripe
of moire, alternating with a brocaded design upon a
ground of veloutine. In the case of certain stripes of
nttin and faille, the wr.:aths of flowers are prettily
contrived to avoid the monotony of the stripes, by
being traced for a short distance on the pattern of the
alternating material. A very handsome brocade for
a dehatante is made with a foundation of white
veloutine and a wide satin stripe, the whole of the
satin being closely covered with a handsome design
of white velours frise, exceedingly rich and striking in
, effect.

I SEE by a little note in the "carnet feminin" of
the Nouvelle Revue (says the "Girl's Gossip"-er in
Truth), that the Empress of Russia has just had a
lovely Court dress made for her in Paris. It is in coral
pink sottin, the train being hemmed with
marabout feathers, and caught back at the
sides with knots of moss-coloured velvet over a
tablier of white velvet embroidered in relief with
flowers of silk and gold. There are two bodices to
this dress, one half-high, the other quite low, but
both are hemmed with marabout; and there is an
ai2rette and knot of moss-coloured velvet on the
shoulder,

THE lovely Comtesse de Beaubarnais, who is also
at the Russian Court, has also had a pretty gown
made in the gay city. The dress is black satin veiled
with tulle, all embroidered in jet. The skirt is
hemmed with a thick garland of poppies in shades of
red. The train is black lace, with insertions of jet.
Clusters of poppies trim the bodice on the shoulders
and at the waist. That sounds pretty, does it not?

I ucia from Rome that the Queen of Italy wore a
dress of quite exceptional magnificence at the first
Court Ball at the Quirinal Palace. It was of sky blue
silk, brocaded all over with silver flowers. The front
of the underskirt was decorated with folds of lace,
and a diamond belt, which fell in front, was contrived
so-that it was caught and held by these folds. The
Queen wore shoes to correspond of sky blue, embroi,
dered with silver. Her hair was high, and she had
on her famous diadem of diamonds, while round her
neck she wore veritable "ropes of pearls."

Mt BRIGHT ON THE COST OF WAR.

At the Society of Friends' Meeting House, St.
Martin's-lane, London, on Tuesday evening, a lecture
was delivered by Mr. William Jones, of the peace
Society, on the "Late War Panic and its Lessons."
Mr. John Bright, M.P., presided, and at the conclu-
sion of Mr. Jones's lecture the right hon. gentleman
said there could be no other political question which
in his mind was better worth consideration than that
of war and peace, and yet it received the least atten-
tention of any from the body of this nation., There
was a great deal of talk concerning the Queen's
Jubilee. The word jubilee meant a shout of joy or
congratulation. There was great cause for a shout of
joy when it was considered how much good had been
done during that reign of 50 years; much beneficent
progress had been made in many directions, but when
be turned to the question of peace he found the Eng-
lish had made no progress; they were just as savage
on the question of war, and just as barbarous as ever.
Looking at this question as a mere money matter, he
found that in 1864 .E 16,000,000 had been sufficient.
but now it required £30,000,000 to keep the army of
this country, and it had been said that even this was
not enough, and Ministers had disagreed and
separated about the matter. How many wars had
there been during the Queen's reign? There was the
war in New Zealand, then there was the Zulu war,
which had been made absolutely by a man without
any orders from this country, and which had destroyed
the Zulu nation and brought disappointment in
Africa. There had been two Afghan wars, for
which there had been no particular reason. Three
lrmese wars and the Crimean war, the latter costing
quite 1,000,000 of lives. There had been the Alexan-
dria bombardment and the Soudan war. All these
wars had helped to swell the National Debt, and
there had no been one of them which might not have
been, with a little trouble, prevented. Whether her
Majesty had sanctioned all these wars which had
occurred during her reign, or how many she had sanc-
tioned, it was not for us to know, and if we did not
know, to question. But he did wish she could look
back in this, her jubilee year, and say there had been
no bloodshed during her reign. The proceedings ter-
minated with votes of thanks to the chairman and to
the lecturer.

BONUS YEAR, 1887.
NATIONAL PROVIDENT
FOR MUTUAL
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FOUNDED 1835. FUNDS, £4,280,000.
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EWEL "RO THER, 18,. COCKS PU R STREET, Lo.Nrvi.

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