The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-05-07
Fashion Chit-Chat.

Fashion nit-Chat. s..- .f- d. s.s,
And so the era of calico reigns once
more. Ladies who never thought of pur-
chasing calico dress except for gift to
some humble maid servant, now don the
once despised material and view themselves
with complacency in the mirror, and fancy,
no doubt, that by the assumption of this
latest fashionable decree they 'grow still
lovler every hour" l-s-..r aat
But calico is no longer the simple, un-
pretending fabric it once was. At least, it
has put on altogether new guise, and
comes SO evishly strewn with gorgeous
flowers, with such an abundance OF foliage,
tendrils and vines, that calico polonaise is
considered quite dainty enough, and stylish
enough, and what is more still, fashionable
enough, to be worn with skirt of the
richest silks.
And even the silks have deigned to adopt
the calico patterns-and not flower in
the garden will bloom this summer but
may find its image upon some fair lady's
dress. @a.."" # .a-5
For those who possess quiet tastes, and
shrink from donning the gay Dolly Warden,
there are pretty fabrics in plain colors,
some without patterns, and others with
graceful little sprays or bits of foliage scat
tered over a quiet ground.
Among the newest and prettiest of these
articles we have noticed, is the Martaban
Grape, which has groundwork resembling
Grape, and small patterns in flowers. Z
In grenadines we have both stripes and
flowers, also checks. A very stylish and
inexpensive dress may be made over a
black silk which is somewhat the worse for
wear, of black grenadine, trimmed with
ribbons of the same color as the pattern,
or if the grenadine be all black, ruffles Of
the same over white organdi, have very
pretty effect. With this dress handsome
tie and bow for the hair of some bright
color should be worn. For the polonaise,
and also for the double cape for outdoor
wear, Grape will be much used.
One of the indispensables of a lady's
toilette at present is a black silk skirt; also
to this may be added skirt of white lawn,
trimmed with tucks, putting, ETC., and one
or two colored lawn or cambria skirts.
With these may be worn any number Of
the fashionable polonaise, and a lady may
thus have variety of tasteful and elegant
costumes without lavish expense.
A beautiful addition to the summer
toilette is polonaise of black lace, which
may be worn with pleasing effect over silk
of any color. . 5F9
A pretty morning toilette which we saw
recently, consisted of white plque polo
naise, embroidered with black braid and
trimmed with white fringe. With this was
worn skirt of pink cambria, trimmed
around the bottom with two founces, set
on in kilt plaits, which are easily ironed.
The Gabrielle form of wrapper is the
most fashionable for morning dresses
These are very pretty in either white or
colored thin summer material. They are
usually trimmed around the bottom of the
skirts with two or three narrow rutfles,
and belted in at the waist. E s5isTf
In more pretentious robes we have lately
seen very. elegant but simple dinner
toilette, of rich gros grain of that peculiar
shade known as Paris in ashes.n The
skirt was made train, perfectly plain.
The corsage rounded the waist, with silk
belt, trimmed with a sash at the back, the
ends of the sash being trimmed with deep
fringe. The neck was en- cCeta with a
broad collar of white lace fastened in front
with a pink bow. The sleeves were slight
ly full and gathered in at the wrist with a
rufhing of white lace, intersected with pink
double ribbon.
Among the most popular walking dresses
are the Japanese silks, which come in
much better quality than last season, and
quite reasonable in price, ranging all the
way from fifty cents to one dollar and a
half per yard. The patterns are mostly
stripes and checks. The best qualities are
in plain colors, very small, and these lat
ter are admirably adapted for evening
dresses. 81 ~. lst-s5E s.-r
A rich toilette was Of heavy gray poatt
de sole, trimmed with black feathered bor-
dering. The under skirt had a deep kilt
plated flounce headed with the feathers !:
the upper skirt was edged simply with the
bordering. The short stylish jacket was
braided in small pattern, and trimmed
also with the feathered border. With this
was worn q bonnet Of gray Grape and silk.
A beautiful evening dress of pink silk
had fichu an overskrt of white muslin
trimmed with Valencennes lace. Couture
of black velvet and pink roses. E
A very attractive dress for the prone
made was made of steel-colored Irish pop
lin. Upon the underskirt were four mar
row flounces, cut in scallops and bound
with the same. The polonase was also
scalloped and looped high on the sides.
Over this was a cape which was open at
the back, being cut in scallops and having
bow and ends of steel-colored ribbon
near the neck at the back. -z ssl a
Another novel spring toilette had the
underskirt Of lavender silk striped with
white. This had two gathered founces
,,ro,, tha hotton, The ,olonaira- xraS of