The Hickman courier., 1874-03-21
ABOUT DRESS.
What TO Wear and How TO Wear 1.-THE
New styles.

What TO Wear and How TO Wear t-The
New styles.
Turbans of straw and felt will be
among the spring fashions, and ali
shapes for the head will be more com
pact. Very light gray and brownlsh
drab felt hats, light as cork and fine as
velvet, will be the first change from
midwinter bonnets and seal-skin, though
velvet and straw will be worn into sum-
mer. Trimmings of soft-colored, lus-
trous ribbons alone, or of fragile orna-
ments of yellow straw, mixed with
black velvet, are seen on the models
which have not left the hands of design
ers abroad.
The Paris fashion-makers decreed
the downfall of the polonaise, but re-
susci ate it as the basque, paletOt, etc,
so the economical can cut over their last
years garb and be III the fashion ca
silly. The chief characteristic of the
new over-dress is, that its lower edge is
always irregular Sometimes the back
runs down in two coat-tails, Ikea dress
coat while, on the hips and sides, it IS
short. Again, the front is cut with bng
tab-ends, while the back is little more
than a jockey-basque lying lightly on
the tournure, where it meets the houn-
ces that cover the back of the skirt.
With these jackets. the skirts are
trimmed a good deal, generally in DIFF
ferent WAYS on the front and back. Moth
ing can be uglier than some Of these
combinations, or more lnartistic than
the fashion itself.
Napoleon blue is one of the fashiona-
BILE colors, in Easter costumes, also ma
hogany- brown, which is shown in a
dozen different shades. A modifica-
ton of the redingote will be the most
fashionable street garment. Embroid-
cred sashes OF black watered silk, en-
broidered with black floss and fine Jet
beads, or of black, embroidered in col
ors, are destined to be fashionable.
Collars are more in favor, this spring,
than mufflers or frills; the newest style
is called the ''AIedias, aud it is made
of linen or lace, being high in the back
or square, for evening" or dinner dresses.
Black and white bugles are worn on ey-
erything, and white bhgle tunics are es-
pecially lovely when worn over black
velvet skirts another elegant novelty
for corselets or tunics over these velvet
skirts is silver filagree. Evening dresses
are no longer made with very deep
trains, and the over-skirt as it used to
trimming Intended to be seen is conceS-
trated on the front breadth, and tSe
court train commences at the side seams.
The fashionable balls at Paris, this
winter, give promise of several inter
esting innovations. The first is the de
cided tendency for long, tight-clinging
dresses, which are called .fourreaux, be-
cause they envelop the figure as closely
as the sheath of a shut umbrella. The
second is the {" Middle Ages" bodice, a
compromise with the fourreaCx, and the
puffs and drapings of last season. This
bodice is intended for ladies who have
not that matchless figure essential to a
forreau, but wish to adopt the prevail
ing mode. 1t confines the figure below
the hips, and the skirts are caught up
at the back underneath. \ dress worn
at the Elysee ball in this style was both
graceful and novel. The skirts were OF
tulle, three in number, the first short,
but all of different lengths, and round
each was a row of lily of the valley,
edged with dropping grass. They were
all three caught up at the back under
the bodice; the back skirts we're also OF
different lengths, but were not trim.
med. The bodice was of white corded
silk, perfectly tight-ftting, and reached
over the hips like cOrsets, with the neck,
sleeves and hips edged with lilies OF
the valley and falling grass, and from
under the bodice fell a silk sash, also
edged with lilies and grass. The third
fashion is a negative ore, being simply
an entire absence of neck ornaments,
and it is said chains and necklaces are
to be irrevocably doomed. But this
caprice avenges itself by loading the
arms with bracelets. From glove TO
elbow not an inch of flesh is seen, and
bracelets are even worn over the gloves.
The faurth fashion is the manner of
dressfE the hair in two braids, and
therefore earrings are going out while
hair braids are coming in. Gloves, too,
at these balls reached nearly to the ell
bow, with but one button at the wrist.
The velvet dresses worn at these balls
were all fOurredUC. Walking dresses,
of course, follow the ball costumes,
and though as yet this sheath style is
seen only in the house, the waists OF
dresses and polonaises are made fear
fully long, especially at the back, so
that mere shade divides them from
the .fOurreaur. The middle ages
bodice is also being worn over the fro2t-
frolt winter skirts for the street.