The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-09-25 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

" KATHERINB," quite an authority on all matters
pertaining to coming fashions, writes thus in the
autumn number of the Warehousemen and Drapers'
Trade Journal, just published: We are now just at
the period when surer and autumn will soon merge
themselves into colder weather, and winter is, alas
within a measurable distance of us. Though the
summer has been brighter than usual we do not seem
quite prepared to enter upon winter; the last was so
long, cold, and mournful that the very remembrance
is unpleasant, and this, perhaps, may be the reason
why everything now seems more than usually late and
delayed. Of course, the chief gowns of this season
are travelling ones, and one thing is certain, that we
have advanced on he path of progress in this regard,
for, instead of vairing our oldest and worst habili-
ments, we now, as a rule, have a befitting travelling
dress, and make our appearance as much a matter of
consideration then as at other times.

THE same thing may be said of seaside and yacht-
ing costumes, both of which are now quite a speciality
of English women, and for which they are famous,
and their taste and style are copied all over the
world. The Cowes week usually affords much indi-
cation of the best of the coming fashions, for there
all the Royalties and the best people congregate, and
all the gowns are new and seasonable. The season,
both at Cowes and Southsea, was chiefly remarkable,
in the way of clothes, for the unanimity with which
everyone bad selected "sailor hats" for the covering
of the head. The Princess Louise (Marchioness of
Lorne) wore a sailor bat of white, trimmed with blue
foulard handkerchiefs with white spots; the Duchess
of Connaught, a sailor hat of navy blue straw, with
red and blue surah silk trimmings; the young
Princesses of Wales, white straw sailor hats, with
trimmings of red and white; and the other visitors,
not Royal or otherwise distinguished, followed the
example, or had selected the same bat, with every
imaginable style of trimming—wings, ribbons with
spots, and a f:w feathers; but no flower:.

THE same prevailing taste was shown for the small
jackets which were patronised by young and married
women of every age, including the Empress Eugenie,
who, when lunching on board the Royal yacht, wore
a short jacket of a rough-faced black cloth, very short
at the back, longer in front, and lined with black-
striped silk. Most of these jackets are loose-fronted
but tight-fitting at the back. Many of them have
velvet waistcoats and velvet collars and cuffs, with
large-sized buttons of smoked and plain mother-of-
pearl. They are very elegant and useful little gar-
ments, and will be one of the prevailing winter styles
for all ages. They have generally coloured linings of
striped satin or plain silk; some are braided, and the
general effect is the same as those made in the spring,
save that the sleeves are not so narrow over the
wrists, and hoods are added to the very newest
models. Indeed, the latter seem to be quite a feature
of the new season's cloaks, mantles, or jackets, quite
as much as they were six years ago.

A NEW material, called cream or blanket cloth, is
being much used for these short jackets, as well as
for long cloaks. It can be purchased either in cream-
colour, blue, or white, and is usually lined with a
colour. The Princess of Wales wore one of these
cloaks at Cowes, which was lined with crimson silk
in the hood and sides. Short jackets are much worn
in it, and are braided; but the blue blanket cloth is
not braided, but made with velvet collar and cuffs
only. There is also among the rough-faced cloths
that are so much used, a smooth, fine-faced cloth,
called "ladies' cloth," and used for handsome jackets
with velvet waistcoats; the edges may be corded or
plainly stitched in rows of machine stitching. These
fine cloths are found in otter, silver grey, stone,
yellow, brown, and mastic shades, the velvet with
which they are trimmed being always of a darker
shade. For serviceable, stout wear ulsters are made
of Harris and Scotch tweeds; these have a high
collar and two or three capes.

Somn of the rew ulsters have hoods at the hacl,
and are very much more decorated than we have been
latterly used to see them. In fact, the uhter proper
seems to have given way to the cloak of more or lees
fanciful make which came in a year cr two ago, and
is now being male in brocaded woollen materials
decorated with arabesque designs, the ground being
light, and the pattern dark. They have little trim-;
ming on them, save bias bands of velvet, of a nark
shade of the same colour. Some new makes of woollen
cordurny for cloaks have come out for this winter
with fur trimmings, which latter will be more used
than ever this year.

VELVET and velveteen seem likely to be the favourite
materials for evening dresses for Loth young and old,
and everyone will be glad of so useful a fashion, as
both are not only very durable, but more warm and
comfortable than any other material for wearing in
the cold nights of the coming winter.
* a a

PLuso will be in great favour for trimmings, for
both woollen and silk dresses, and may be caned fancy
plush, for it is; woven in blocks or squires,
with velvet plaid, or in stripes with 'velvet
between. Striped velvet, with stripes of one inch
wide, have also appeared, the stripes being of silk;
blue velvet, it h stripes of red silk; and white, with
stripes of black or dark grey. Stripes, in fact, seem
to be the prevailing idea in silks; and much tinsel is
interwoven, especially for evening wear. Rep silks
and watered silks have appeared again, and will be
used as trimmings. Tinsel gilt and silver stripes are
woven in black and coloured satins, with very good
effect; and with watered silk the same effect is seen,
the tinsel stripe being embroidered. Stripes are also
seen in gauzes and nuns' veiling, and the newest
colours are pink, scarlet, heliotrope, and pale green.
The satin stripes are nearly two inches in width, and
some stripes show a Roman or Eastern influence.
Open-work canvas designs are also seen in these
stripes in canvas materials, and they promise to be
very popular.

THE numbers of rough-plaided woollens that are
being prepared for the winter have, many of them,
fringed edges, and borders like a shawl. They are
more like " blanketings,"they are so thick ; but though
thick they are soft to the touch, being very loosely
woven. The trimmings are of silk or velvet, and the
buttons are very large and of horn, or horn with silver
rims. The plaids or checks are small and indistinct
with many colours mixed in dashes, or they are large
checks of various hues on a darker ground.

THE chief cloths for tailor-made costumes for the
autumn are English-made, the designs on them being
stripes, crossbars, checks, and small plaids. Squares
of an inch in size are likely to be much used in two
shades of one colour, such as light and dark blues, or
light and dark browns. Black and white will also be
a favourite mixture, and amongst the newest colours
will be found snuff-brown, Egyptian red, puce, violet,
and green of a yellow hue. All the newest browns
are very yellow in tone, and one looks at the new
fabrics and wonders how far we shall go in plaids and
blocks, which prevail so much in the new stuffs. Not
very far, I hope, for sometimes they degenerate into
the vulgar. For tailor-made gowns tweeds, surges,
and homespuns are all used, and in the latter a golden
brown is the newest and most fashionable colour.
Cheviots are also in great favour, and are made for
the autumn's wear in stripes half an inch and three-
quarters of an inch wide, and with the colours woven
in in splashes on the surface. The tailors are using
cord to edge their gowns, just as piping cords were used.
Woollen serge is made in tiny lines of colours, such
as red lines on navy blue, and white serges have
formed part of numberless gowns this autumn, the
underskirt, waistcoat, cuffs, and collar being white,
the rest being of navy blue, perhaps. Of course in the
winter this will be modified, but we shall see it again,
without doubt, in the spring,

I MUST now turn from materials to the methods of
making them up. Many of the tailors are making
the loose bag front to their gowns, and the taste of
the autumn seems to be divided between these, the
tight vest in front, and a kind of man's shirt with
three pleats in front, in the middle pleat of which
either one or three studs are worn. This form of
waistcoat is often made in white cloth, in which case
the dress may be blue or grey, with or without stripes
or crossbars. Cord and braids are used for trimmings,
and the newest braid has a pattern printed upon it,
and another has floral and arabesque designs em-
broidered on it in chain stitch. All of these are used
on out-of-door jackets as well as dresses. One of the
ladies' tailors has brought out a fashion of stitching
on bands of leather, flat, as a trimming for gowns.

THE majority of bodices seem to have waistcoats ot
some kind or other, the fronts being open all the way
down, and the vest buttoning under them. The vest
should be put in separately on a lining, and be fitted
under the'iarms of the bodice, in order to fit well.
Great care is needed in fitting, as the least thing
seems to me to make a tailor-made bodice look
clumsy. What are called "habit bodices" are air°
much used. They have a habit back, and the fronts
are buttoned down like a page's, with an immense
number of buttons.

MANY collars and cuffs of linen and cambric in
bright colours appear in the best shops, and quantities
of coloured handkerchiefs, but I cannot tell how far
they will be adopted later on; at present the high
velvet collars are most popular, and no one dreams
of adding anything to them, save perhaps one of the
numberless frillings, or rather bandings, of all
descriptions that have been produced this autumn;
the prettiest of these is one with silver braid and tiny
silver beads above it on the upper edge.
* -

COILS of plaited hair are still worn, and the hair is
arranged on the to) of the head, as it has been for
some time past, lad there also is a very decided in-
crease in the number of those who have had their
hair cut short, and who wear it slightly curled all
over the head. Thu seems to be a style suitable to
many people, and at present looks in no way peculiar.
It is easily kept clean, but is must be remembered
that the hair must be carefully cut by a professional
hand, or it has anything but a good appearance.
French ladies are dressing their hair in what they
call Chinese fashicn, i.e., combed perfectly smooth
up to the top of the head, then twisted into a circle on
one side of the parting, and an ornamental comb is
used to keep it firm, while the top of the comb
balances the coil of hair on the side of the head.