Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-23
From the London Illustrated News.
Paris Fashions for May.

Longchamps and the fine weather have realized
our predictions, and we are accordingly, in bet
ter position for advising fair readers to the
choice OF summer dresses. Flounces are not so
much in favor as hitherto, and dresses can be
with plain skirts, the patterns being placed cross
wise and lessening towards the waist They are
cut out and placed upon plain ground for
founces or they are left together upon the
ground, and thus form plain skirt. Almost all
the grounds are petits quadrilles, very delicate,
and the patterns are of colored watered bands,
and garlands of flowers Of soft and very varied
shades. Basques seem to be coming up again.
The dresses have disposition that forms the first
founce, and falls over upon the plain skirt. One
OF the newest robes is the Robe Neapolitaine Of all
shades, The ground is Of tafetas, with pattern
woven in color, forming draughtrboard the pat
tern diminishing towards the top of the skirt. The
corsage has three trimmings for the sleeves in
smaller quadrilles, well the front of the cor
sage and the border of the basque. Other robes
are Of. vert celadon upon vert pre-, bleu Louise
upon bleu plus fonce &c. They are generally
worn with founces and in almost all the patterns
ofthe lower part there is black to contrast with
these light colors or the pattern is une Grecque,
or q quadrlle. Cut when they are garlands Of
flowers, or sprinkled boquets, no other shades
than those Of the flowers are employed. Robes
trimmed with garlands are called Corbeles de
Flore. Almost all the founces are trimmed with
fringe. BLACK taHetaS maItles are trimmed with
deep Chantla lace, falling over halfthe length of
the skirt, and crossing in front. This kind Is more
recherche and is in greater favor than the paletots
with sleeves which fit closer to the figure.
The most distingue bonnets are white. Those
Of paie de riz, with alternated bands of white
blonde, will be most worn. They are ornamented
with tufts of straw colored feathers, shaded rose
towards the end Many white feathers are also
worn, with black. Bonnets are as small as ever
but to make up for it, the curtain falls very far be-
hind the neck. 1t is proposed to have boots to
match the shades Of walking dresses; but the in
novaton is not happy one. We recommend
black'or gold-colored English leather.
We were unable last month to describe the tot
lette worn by the Empress at Longchamps but we
now supply that deficiency. 1t was composed Of
pearlgray taffetas robe ornamented up to the
centre OF the skirt with liserons woven in silk Of
the same shade; upon the front width the embroi-
derry continued up to the point of the corsage,
tia corsage was fiat, montant pointe, and with
ont basques. 1t closed by small delicate pearl
buttons and worked upon the breast with liserons,
like the smaller ones. Similar embroidery orna-
mented the foumces of the sleeves. The collar
and the sleeves (called temperatures, and de-
A magmncent sme~ ufrnoraa gaaau,; Nr.n sirpillaD
ground, embroidered In relief. with flowers and
fruit, woven with. threads Of gold and silver The
bonnet was of yaille-de-riz and bands of blonde
tufts OF muguets des bois placed on each side