The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-01 00:00:00

Fashions for December,
-alb-

(From Le Folleo
As winter costumes make their appearance, short
dresses are seen to be more and more in favour ; in
fact, for walking dress the trained skirts may be said
to be quite out of date, they are reserved for in-doors
or carriage wear. We should be sorry to have to
tell of their total disappearance ; but, so capricious
to give even that proof
ah er mistressfaisf
LI; Fashion,
chroniclers,that t may yet be our duty,
i
as s
of her proverbial fickleness. There is still a talk of
short dresses for full dress, but of that we hesitate
to speak as likely to be general.
We must again repeat that black is extremely in
vogue—comparatively one sees little else out of doors;
and certainly, worn as it most frequently is, over a
skirt of a lively colour, nothing can be more becom-
ing or lady-like. Even for the long dresses worn
when making ceremonious calls, black velvet, moire,
or satin predominate. The fourreau, alias upper
skirt, with a high or low body, continues very
fashionable. A new style of dress called "La Polo-
nais" is very neat for morning wear, being simply
an underskirt of plain cachmire, or woollen mate-
rial, and upper skirt and casque of the same, in a
deeper shade, merely festooned xound.
It is generally supposed that broche silks or satins
will be worn this season. The crinolines being so
much smaller, material that will hang in thick and
graceful folds is more than ever likely to meet with
success.
There is much questioning as to what make of
body is adopted with the short dresses. The prin-
cipal rule observed by all good artistes is to adopt
the style to the individual figure, that which may
suit one being, perhaps, very unbecoming to another;
but we may just mention two or three makes in
vogue—the small corset and epaulettes matching the
tunic, with high body and long sleeves like the un-
der-skirt ; also high body forming with the tunic
the style called "Princesse," the long sleeves match-
ing the under-skirt ; and again the veste with sleeves
open and hanging—of the same material as the tunic,
and underneath, the waistcoat, with long tight
sleeves like the lower skirt.

Though the skirts are not very much trimmed,
we cannot say the same of the bodies. PaEsemen-
terie is made in endless variety, and of great ele-
gance ; for instance, the plaques a la hussarde, with
a thick plait or cord, ending in aiguilettes •
Oriental plaques, worked with crescents; plaques
mandarines, with tassels in profusion ; guides formed
of a thick plait, ornamented with jet beads, and
ending off in
plaques to match. Also the Chinese
guides, of quite an original style, as their name im-
plies. Another fantasie is the giant button in
mother-of-pearl, for in-door vestes, the diameter of
which is not less than four inches.

Narrow fur trimmings are again worn : and muffs
of cloth or velvet like the dress, with two bands of
fur, are still used, though they cannot be said to
hold the same rank as the muffs entirely of fur.
There is a new galon made, called fur-galon, an
imitation of black or brown Astracan, from about
10 to 14 inches in width, which is used as a trim-
ming for woollen morning dresses. It meets with
success, making a little variation from the bead

trimmings, of which some may begin to be slightly
tired. It is certainly suitable to the season of the
year, harmonising well with velvet or passementerie
buttons, &c. Some bias galons are made with
edgings of white beads, and also plaits of red, bor-
dered with a fringe of long pendants of jet.

For evening toilette we can affirm that lace will
be one of the most admired trimmings ; beads, if
not altogether, will, in a great measure, give place
to flowers.

Notwithstanding our general remarks have been
unusually long, we have a charming list of model
toilettes for our readers this month, the first being
A black poult-de-soie robe, " Empire" make. The
bottom of the skirt is scalloped, the trimming being
formed of a narrow guipure, with a cut jet bead
placed in the centre of each scallop. Upper skirt
of violet taffetas, with a flounce put on in very deep.
Pardessus of violet velvet, forming a pep-
lum at the sides, the back and front scalloped ; the
whole richly trimmed with medallions, and fringe
of jet.

A dress of Pekin satine, the satin stripe being
orange colour and that of taffetas brown. The
skirt is trained, and has a cord round the bottom.
Up each seam au insertion of guipure and white
beads. High body, with guipure marking all the
seams and round the sleeves, where it is finished off
by epaulettes of beads. The back seams of the
sleeves are ornamented with pearl buttons.
A toilette, the underskirt of green and black
striped taffetas, the upper of plain green. The plain
skirt is looped up with ornaments of black velvet
and jet dons. The striped skirt has trimmings of
velvet and jet up the sides. With similar orna-
ments a kind of basquine is formed at the back,
fastened to the band, which matches. High body,
and plain sleeves with epaulettes, all trimmed en
suite with the skirt.

A dress of black velveteen. Short skirt, bordered
with an elegant passementerie of jet, looped up at
the sides by a patte of passementerie. Corsiet and
epaulettes, either trimmed or made entirely with
passementerie. Plain high body and long sleeves.
Underskirt of striped maize and black satin, the
stripes being about one inch wide.

Peplum (with high body), of black faille, or very
thick taffetas, bordered round with a narrow band
of Astracan, which is carried up the scams at the
side. Skirt of sky-blue taffetas, or cashmere. A
plaiting formed of hollow plaits, alternating plain
pieces of the same width, with a row of jet pendants
heading it, is placed round the bottom. Blue sleeves.
Black velvet dress, short skirt, trimmed round
with a passementerie cord. Veste and sleeves—of
the style called moyen-age, or of the middle-ages—
trimmed with passementerie. Underskirt of violet
moire trimmed with two bias pieces of velvet, worked
with beads. Long tight sleeves of moire, also
trimmed with pattes of velvet and beads.

A short dress of cloth, colour called " Bismarck"
—a very pretty shade of a kind of golden brown.
This robe is composed of a short underskirt, trimmed
with a row of lozenge-shaped ornaments of velvet
of a deeper shade than the dress. Peplum of the
cloth bordered with velvet.

Peplum of black taffetas over a red plaid poplin
skirt. Paletot-sac of mole-drab cloth trimmed with
Astracan. Robe " Princcsse, " of Mexico-blue
knickerbocker. Short skirt, scalloped round, and
piped with black velvet. Petticoat of the same
material.

Robe of brown poplin, scalloped round, and
trimmed with a galon of cut jet beads. This skirt
is cut en fourreau, the seams piped, and is worn over
a blue cashmere skirt, which is trimmed with a
flounce put on deep plaits. Tight sleeves of blue,
with galon like that on the skirt.
Robe of mouse-coloured poult de sole. Skirt cut
on the bias, and with a train trimmed with a black
velvet ribbon, edged with milk-white beads, which
is placed in festoons near the bottom ; a straight
row of the same being put on below. Similar trim-
ming on the body and sleeves.
A taffetas antique—new shade of green—trimmed
with a very artistic arrangement of jet beads, form-
ing foliage on leaves cut in satin.
Dinner or visiting-dress of black gros-grain. Up
each side of the skirt are three rows of flat bows of
pearl-grey satin, edged with thick piping of black
satin. These bows, which commence at the waist,
form three long trains, enlarging towards the
bottom, and are attached one to the other by plisses
of grey satin piped with black. Very wide sleeves,
lined with grey satin, and caught up with bows.
Quite plain body, trimmed also with bows.