Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-09 00:00:00

FASHIONS FOR JANUARY.

(From Le Toilet.)
Materials for evening dress or full toilet are very
magnificent this winter—rich silks, velvets, plush, and
taffetas of a particular make. The silks for visiting
dress are of two kinds—plain or brocaded boquets and
r m p e rat iwc eh, i
creps,
are Pseok
peculiarlyi Pekin velvet,
anrs'cla.thnoeswe sbaetainukfuwilth fabrics,
riecxs-,
actvillatvdhepeitt e dntag. yfdwoTroihtr with velvet
asvi 11
brightlevtaffetaslesilver
ef
intermixed,
dress—aresurface,
e all made with several bouil-
lonneS skirts, sometimes ornamented with flowers or
low,
The
sleeves are short, and very small, and have,)›ouillons of
tulle ; or the sleeve of tulle, with ruches round it.
have several of
ribb orun.e;Tesheobrodariees,tritimchedarwe,itoz olre.

Many woollen dresses merit the preference they ob-
tain. They have small black stripes upon grenot, brown,
drap, French blue ground, or with Pompadour flowers
or small bias checks. ' The material is thick, without
being heavy. Reps and poplin are either figured or plain.
At this gay season our readers will find the following
description of evening and ball dresses useful :—The
first we shall describe was exceedingly elegant.
The under skirt was of white moire ; over it was
placed a dress of white tulle, embroidered with
white floss stars, which had the appearance of
being of silver. At the bottom of the skirt five
large bouillonnes were put, separated by little white
satin rouleux. A second tunic skirt, with a simple wide
hem, fell over these bouillonnes, and as this second was
in front, the bouillonnes, were continued up to the
waist—thus making five more before. Two gullies of
white moire on the bias, with ends pinked at the bot-
tom, and trimmed round with a little blonde frill, were
placed at the opening of the tunique at the sides' - A
scarf of the same width as the quills, and trimmed to
match, was tied in a large bow at the waist, and the
ends hung down to the bottom of the tunic. Upon the
body was a :plaited tulle berth°, trimmed roului with
blonde, forming a little rounded fichu behind, and cross-
ing in front at the waist. The body was pointed before
and behind. The head dress was a wreath of different
coloured roses.

The following are very pretty evening dresses :—A
white satin dress, covered with white tulle illusion,
spotted with gold, and caught up in different places with
red flowers and green foliage, or with white flowers. A
white tulle dress, with &old lines forming checks. The
robe bouillonne, and relieved by garlands 'of honeysuckle
and eglantine, which are intercepted here and there by
bouillonnes of tulle. 'The body trimmed with niches
and blonde. It is not considered good taste in Paris to
wear bodies very low ; they should be made to fall low
upon the shoulders, but before and behind higher than
has been the fashion of late years.
For walking dress, a new fashion has been adopted
by the court. The waist is round, short in the front,
and very long behind; the skirt to suit, being shortened
in front, and with a train behind.

Various kinds of trimmings are used—passementerie,
bows, velvet ornaments,lace,network, plaits, and guipures,
Thus we find lace (point de Genes) and wide passementeries
placed upon a high body, across both back and front, to the
height of a low body. The skirts have sometimes a band
from about eleven to fifteen inches in width, gradually
diminishing to the waist, placed in front, made of passe-
menterie, guipure,or point de Genes. Buttons,fourrageres,
epaulettes, rows like aiguillettes upon the shoulders or in
front of the body and skirt, are still in vogue ; also a
a trimming of guipure, mixed with jet beads, in the
front of the skirt ; and a pelerine which covers half of
the body, forming a point at the back, fastened at the
throat, and falling open in two points on the chest; also
two bands or gullies meeting at the waist, and opening
down to the skirt. This kind of ornament is very suit-
able on velvet. Bright steel buttons are used also, or
buttons of precious stones. Upon satin, taffetas antique,
or striped poplin, the buttons are made of passementerie,
surrounded by fulled lace, and mixed with jet.
Dresses are often trimmed at the bottom with wide
borders of passementerie, or velvet sewed in a network,
or in other designs ; sometimes it is a band of velvet,
wide, or several bands of different widths. The material
is also bouirionne round dress with a double heading.
Plisse a la vielle is now a little common ; a wide band of
Tinted is very distingue. These borders are very useful
in freshening up ,dresses which may have been a, little
damaged at, the bottom, now they are worn so long.
They also speak of putting a breadth of a different
colour down the sides of the dresses.

Dresses are made as full as ever, and set in large
plaits ; and, although the petticoats are decidedly worn
smaller than they were, at present there is no appear-
ance of crinoline being altogether discarded. gibbons
are always much used in trimming'. Bands are uni-
versally in favour ; instead of buckles, a kind of clasp is
worn. The newest are those made in imitation of
Russian or Byzantine jewels, gold enamelled, in various
designs.
The shapes of bonnets is at length decided. The
front is long, r ound, advancing to the forehead, and very
much thrown back at the ears. The curtain is rather
narrow. In general they are very much trimmed—
indeed, overcharged with trimmings—but the best houses
avoid this fault, although they all use large velvet flowers,
plaits, or scarfs of velvet; fastened at the side with rosettes
of black or coloured feathers. Long knotted feathers,
velvet scarfs with fancy fringes, or bon ends of lace, fall
at the sides. ,
Plaits of gold and velvet with long tassels or fancy
gold ornaments, are much worn, and Torm an elegant
head-dress ; they form a diadem, and fall over the right
shoulder. Sometimes strings of pearl beads are added,
but generally the gold and velvet produce the best effect.
Nets are still worn. We have seen some gold nets
with. small crescents, and black nets with gold medal-
lions, which are very elegant.

NEW ARSENALS.-At a meeting of the Town Council
of Birmingham on Tuesday afternoon, tho mayor an-
nounced that it was the intention of the Government to
establish a central arsenal, and that various sites had
been spoken of as suitable. Birmingham being the
capital of the midland districts, and also the centre of a
network of railways, surrounded also by a great popu-
lation, it was desirable, in the opinion of his worship,
that these facts should be brought before the attention
of the Government, and he suggested the presentation of
a memorial to the executive on the subject, which was
[-agreed to.- - - -

INTERESTING TO ARCHITECTS.—A matter of some
interest to the architectural profession came before the
Norfolk Quarter Sessions on Thursday. The county
surveyor, Mr. Phipson, it appeared, had intimated to
one of the committees of the Court that his predecessor
in office, Mr. Brown, declined to give up the plans, &c.,
which he had prepared during the twenty-three Tears
which he had served the county. The ground assigned
by Mr. Brown for this proceeding was tbef,-by the
usage of his profession, plans were the property of
architects, and not of their employers. A_ correspond-
encemsolieitor, but
the clerk of the peace and Mr. Brown's
ty
al could be
"cable solution of the difficulty as no arm
former was instructed to embody
took place in November and De
arrived at, the.
the circumstances. in a casetohe submittedto
Mr. Wejsby, Q.C. That learned gentleman, referring
to the conditions under which Mr. Brown was appointed,
observed that the question was whether the remunera-
tion between
which hewas to receive, and which was to include
" all charges for plans, estimates, and attendances,"
meant only all charges for the labour and skill expended
in the preparation of plans, or whether the expression
included also the value of the plans themselves. The
latter, Mr. Welsby expressed his opinion, was the
reasonable construction to be put upon the matter; and
he believed the plans had become the property of
the persons for whom the work to which the 'plans
related was done. The county magistrates, not
being a corporation, could not, Mr. Welsby added, bring
an action against Mr. Brown; but he thought Ones, court
Pestle, the
toripoinend:du
to the
mighttchoan
itii in
of Queens
event
ordernt of
disobediencefor the
aea
InAn animated
discussion followed, in which theel
ueen's Bench would result
Very Reverend the
being granted to enforce compliance. E.
Bignold, Mr. Fel-
I° Rev.vie
s„ Lloir.dp..B, atyhnei nil
an ntlemen took part ;
Dean of Norwich, and other
stated that he was autho-
and eventually the Dean
"offer to the magistrates to
the part of Mr. Brown, that
or any
forperson appointed
allow the clerk of the
peace, to make
within a reasonable time, . the use of the
future county surveyors copies or tracings
present or
specifications for all
works executed
of all plans and
rised by Mr. Brown'onSot
superintendence as county surveyor, or to
under his being remunerated for the same."
auirrabSlaelna and
II
matter in dispute with be referred to two eminent
metropolitan architects,Tbe Court fin
proposed, shoolluld
power to call in a barrister
finally determined to instruct
committee who had turned the _ their attention to the
subject, toe nforce the rights of the county, but to en-
deavour, ipossible, to effect an amicable arrangement
before proceeding to legal extremities.
Itas
umpire: The
o