The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-07-31 00:00:00

GOSSIP ON DRESS.

" Mises for Travelling" is treated upon by "H" in
the Queen: Now that August will soon be here, the
most fitting garments to wear when travelling have to
be thought ot, and a few hints about the novelties to
be met with in the leading houses will be acceptable.
A new trimming has been introduced. It is hand-
made, and in two widths—three inches and one inch.
It has an edging on both sides of braid, with flowers
in the centre connected by silk cord and chain stitch
in silk. The wide is used down the sides of the skirts,
the narrower on the cuffs and collars. It is now being
largely sold to Americans. Travelling gowns are
made both in stripes and checks. They are princi-
pally; homespun, diagonal and plain, made simply,
with plaits from the waist downwards, and only
drapery at the back. When washing waistcoats are
added, they are fastened down each side with buttons,
hidden by revers, placed on the entire length of the
bodice. Ladies who are sportswomen affect the Nor-
folk bodices with box plaits back and front, an all
round basque, and a belt about the waist. This style
is beat suited to shooting, fishing, and for wearing in
Scotland. I particularly admired one of these made
in a 'coarse golden-brown homespun. A pretty tennis
and boating dress was made in pink and white flannel
striped, the skirt plain, with a fishwife drapery; full
bodice with pink silk sailor collar, cuffs, and band. A
dark green cloth dress had a little edging of light
grey leather. Many gowns are trimmed with narrow
braid intermixed with tinsel. This is applied as an
edging to the sleeves and bodice.
BESIDE dresses for travelling, there is a great de-
mand just now for jackets and wraps, and some stylish
ulsters have recently been introduced; one parti-
cularly, made with otter trimmings and epaulette of
the same. Less costly ones were made of Scotch
tweeds, with single and treble short capes, the collars
made very high. One of the most distingue-looking
jackets was made o' fine fawn ladies' cloth. Down
the front were revers of velvet two shades darker,
beginning wide and diminishing into a point, the
fr9nt filled in with an embroidery of go LI and self-
cojoured cord. The collar was also vf velvet, and
embroidered in front, and all the velvet at the neck
and on the sleeves was edged with cord, the form of
the cuff being triangular. This jacket, of course,
was sinizle-breasted. Another, double-breasted, was
made of grey diagonal cloth, with sleeves and collar
eiaroidered4with steel beads and cord in stripes.
*
:A ?rim coat is largely ordered by the leading
women of fashion. At the back it is quite close-
fiiting, and kept in its place by an under-band fasten-
ing round the waist. The front describes a loose
jacket, with waistcoat beneath, secured by one button
just below the high collar; but it is so admirably cut
that it defines the figure even more perfectly than if
dose-fitting. The waistcoat is of the ordinary pin-
point washing material.
VERY becoming stylish hoods are being made this
'ear for wearing during long night or even day
tourneys. They are formed of a half square of plush
or quilted silk, the centre corner rounded off, and,
by means of a runner, drawn close to the face; rows
of lace are sewn inside the edge, and there is a con-
trasting bow at the top matching the satin lining, the
aame tone of ribbon being used for strings. The ad-
'ivantage of this hood is that the ribbon drawing
istring, which should be placed two inches from tbe
f edge, can easily be flattened out, and then the hood
will roll up into the smallest space.

Ir any of my readers are going to bathe at foreign
watering-places, let me advise them to provide them-
selves with a large circular cloak, made in serge or
; Turkish towelling, for going to and fro to the sea
when in bathing dress. Bathing is not managed as it
is with us, and without this useful garment English-
women are apt to feel abashed when called upon to
run the gauntlet of many strange eyes only in a wet
bathing dress. These cloaks are generally em-
broidered at the corners with the monogram or an
anchor, and have a double p.aiting at the neck.

FOR the Spas and inland watering-places abroad, a
pretty, fresh well-made cream woollen or canvas gown
is most useful for dances or any gay gathering that
may occur. Foulards are well worn, too; but they
require more careful packing, for they will crush.
*

HAPPILY English people are beginning to see that
it is not necessary to take a great deal too much
luggage in order to appear dressed as they ought to
be. A great mistake is to wear old clothes for tra-
velling. The constant wear increases the shabbiness
in an incredible manner, and leads to the necessity of
taking another dress when, if the actual travelling
gown were in proper order, no other would be neces-
sary.

ON "Dresses for garden parties," a writer in the
same journal baq the following: Now that the
weather is increasing the number of garden parties,
there is opportunity for perceiving that the chief aim
of the designers of costume is to produce not only an
effect of harmony, but also of simplicity, even when
the materials used are of the most costly and
recherche description. White dresses have never been
more universally adopted, an 3, in spite of their ap-
parent simplicity, have not been previously produced
with so much elaboration. Moire) is generally the
foundation of those which are band-embroidered, as
well as the costumes made by striping satin and
watered ribbon with insertion. These, as well as the
more simple embroidery and flower-dotted muslins,
involve the necessity of baying head gear, parasols,
and gloves to match. The only' admissible colour
worn with these rich dresses appears in the sash with
a replica of the same shown in the flower or ribbon of
the toque, and parasol. Some of the simpler cos-
tumes of white flannel, nun's veiling, and beige are
made with a large box-plaiting in front, carried from
the waist to the feet. From under the plait comes a
bright-coloured sash, which forms a small panier on
each side, and falls into a long drapery at the back.
The bats worn with them show a high standing bow,
corresponding with the sash. Faille and Merveilleux,
snail the shades of heliotrope and eucalyptus, draped
with stripines, in which the silk is of the same colour,
are fashionable for matrons. Yak lace in a shade of
cream is also adopted in place of the stripings, and
shows to advantage over these tints.

THE foundation of the. fête bonnets made for this
style of dress are invariably of the same materials,
with flowers or ribbons matching in shade. When
the nature of the flower upon the bonnet permits—as
is the case with the daisy, kingcup and lime blossom
—it also appears as a fringe at the edge of the
parasol ; but in every case a floral bouquet or a cluster
of ribbons is placed on the atter to complete the de-
sired uniformity of the costume.
•

SKIRTS and waistcoats in Merveileux, watered silk,
and satin look well with bodice and drapery either
of canvas or mousseline de soie. When the canvas is
in a shade of ivory, blue seems to be the favourite
combination' with cornflowers or forget-me-nots on
the hat and parasol. A foundation of heliotrope is
effective with cream and dead white, while
campanulas, azaleas, anemones, and lilac blossom all
prove available adjuncts.
Purrs of scarlet poppies veiled with tulle of the
lame shade are usually chosen to give brightness to
the toilettes of black and white, the fan and parasol
being also in scarlet. Kingcups are the almost• in-
variable aecompaniment of the dresses in mordore ;
they well become brunettes, and impart the needed
brightness to the head-dress and the outside of the
gold-lined parasol.
A fetc dress, of which the foundation was buttercup
satin, had three flounces of Chantilly set in with full
gatherings, and a folded panel of satin terminating
with a jet ornament. The reverse side showed the
same bright colour through a richly jet embroidered
panel. The bodice and long drapery, of black satin,
had respectively revers and linings of gold, with
cascades of Chantilly apparent through the folds of.
the skirt. A costume, of which the back was entirely
composed of bronze satin Merveilleux, was bOuffant
at the waist, from whence it fell in long draped folds
over a flouncing of crevette. The bronze bodice was
folded back, as if to display a loose front of crevette
extending fron the throat to the feet.
DIAGONAL waistcoats of bright colours and of stripes
gave a simple and trim look to many of the costurnee
worn at Henley. Some silks in self colours, with
open-work embroidery in cream or white, looked cool,
and kept their freshness when more perishable dresses
were beginning to appear the worse for wear. One
example in a dull shade of heliotrope had for border
a large scroll pattern worked in ivory passementerie,
and its loose front entirely composed of white silk in
the same shade. Pinks in all the varying tones of
„ crevettes and salmon were much in favour, the loose
he fronts being, in some instances, entirely unconfined at
P; the waist, while in others a strap of the dress material
?` marked the position of the latter. A cross*ay band
ls of the white silk did duty both for cuffs and collars
w ; upon the loose white-fronted costumes. Foulards in
'le navy-blue, either plain or with dots and flecks of
T'e white, were worn with sailor hats, trimmed with
'lll ribbons corresponding with the dress. Scarlet was
43 by no means absent, but usually proved more be-
coming to the surroundings than it did to the wearer.
Lace flounces over bright colours gave as pleasing an
effect from the roofs of boathouses as did the trim
silk shirts seen upon ladies who were actively rowing
in the smaller boats.
Little Willie: "Go ahead, Mr. Grampus, eat your
soup." Mr. Grampus: "Certainly, my boy; but
why do you wish me to ?" Little Willie: "I want
to hear the funny noise. Ma says that when you eat
soup it sounds like the exhaust pipe_of a bath tub,
and I never heard none." Ma: "Willie, that wiU
do."
A traveller embarks at Marseilles for Egypt. At
Naples he is compelled to take a companion into his
state-room, a Neapolitan, whom he finds a jolly good
fellow. Next morning the Neapolitan gets up first,
and, seeing the traveller's toilet articles spread out on
the table, proceeds to use them. The traveller stands
it as long as he can, but he draws the line at the
toothbrush. "Here, stop a moment !" he cries,
spinging out of bed; "that is my brush you are
using, monsieur!" "Ah ! I beg pardon." replied the
other, tranquilly. "1 thoug., .it belonged to the
stateroom 1"

*