The Portland daily press., 1873-12-09
Fashion Gossip.
GIRLS DRESSES.


Just at present the deyjsing of co.tora. g..
holiday parties is the absorbing topic in mo-
distes drawing rooms. Christmas parties will
PROBABLY be smaller and less elaborate than
usual VIII be OF more thoroughly domestic
character. That, however, does not prevent
full toilet. ."
The dresses for girls from tweIy ye TO SIXTEEN
years OLD are among the most attractive. be-
cause they can be made after more fanciful
models than their elders adopt. One dress of
this sort, for fifteen year old damsel wbose
skirts are permitted to ''touch" for the first
time this season, has skirt of cherry silk,
covered with three inch bias ruffies bound and
gathered. Above the skirt is worn a garment
OF White cashmere, half polonaise and half
deep Dasque-cut as nearly as possible like a
folish outside garment-and trimmed with
swansdown. In front 1t is loose over a cher
ry SILK vest; and there are close cut sleeves,
edged with down, under the saua-e white
cashmere sleeves which fall back like the
sleeves OF hussar Jacket. A cunning little
cap OF the silk, bordered with down, the soft
point hanging low on the left side. crowns the
short, dark curs of the maiden who possesses
the costume and completes one of the pretti-
est and Ito use our favorlte adjectivel most
picturesque suits we have seen this year.
Then another attractive girls dress is of
WuItC duu Dut, conventional 1lrl-cOIOrS. TO be
sure, but very charmingly combined. Pale
blue glossJ taffets silk and white organdie
muslin are the materials, and good taste the
mantuamaker. The single skirt of silk is
covered to the waist with four-inch muslin
ruffies, hemmed and triply tucked, each ruff
file headed by a fringen ruche of the silk set in
close box-plaited ruche of muslin. The
waist is short silk basque with an exquisite
jacket OF muslin, alternate rows of insertion
hoe frlat A
wrought muslin ruffie edges the Jacket, head
ed by ruche of silk alone. A broad sash of
silk and muslin is tied low on the skirt, and
the effect OF the whole is especially simple and
childike.
Silver fox, as a novelty, and rare, beauti-
ful one, too, takes precedence in fashion furs.
The boa and muf, or collar slightly deeper
than those worn last winter form the usual
set. Dark seal jackets, fastened with rich
passementerie clasps, and sometimes with
iouragere OF heavy cord, are stylish as ever
for the day, while sacques of white fox and
OF ermine are the most distinguished of even
ing wraps. There is Polish fashion of fur
trimming on Jackets and dresses preferred to
any other style for midwinter. Blue fox, red
fox, lynx, chinchilla, grebe, and glossy dark
squirrel are sold in bands by the yard for this
purpose. The effect of dark velvet and gray
fur is quieter and more elegant than the con-
ohesoc VI Vh-oO lLduiCS tulu tuCiI Olu
fashioned cuffs to stylish account by stitch
them as deep cuffs on the cloth sleeves of pol
0naises, while a victOrine furnishes collar and
pocket trimming, if not more. seal sacque,
cap, and boa and muf are desired by all
young ladies as as a msdwinter outfit, and
even their high boots have fur tops to cores
pond. Seal-skin gloves tor gentlemen are as
high as SIS the pair. Chinchilla or fine
squirrel capes are preferred to white cony for
children, though the latter, on account OF its
whiteness, will hardly lose favor for some
time to come. The dark gored Polish coats
for little ones have narrow borders of dark
fur with the prettiest effect. The darkest
mink and sable, of course, retain their value,
though secondary in fancy just now
to either the very light or the very
dark furs. Glossy black lynx sets costing
from S12 to $25 are chosen for ch zap
furs in place of Astrakhan and brown furs.
Full ffeecy fringes of white wool shaded
with blue gray are very pretty sets for the
neck and muf, being an inexpensive substi:: !:
tute for fox fir. There is fancy for chin
chilla caps and sets to be worn by dark haired
ladies, and an extremely stylish looking set
was deep sacque and cap of silky black lynx
with blue fox fringe, chosen for blonde.
Perhaps the most elegant opera cloak outside
OF pure fur is heavy white sicilienne or ep-
ingeline at So the yard, lined with pale blue,
straw color, or rose satin, and bordered with
| white fox or ermine.