Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-11-05
New York Fashions.
FRENCH DRESSES.

| 0uu ulQQIlte OF IlG lOIl6l are uGClUeU
| by the latest importations. The basques
| of handsome silk dresses-either black.
| dark-colored or light toilets for evening
are far more fancifully made than the
| plain cOrsages of street suits of wool
| stuffs. The front of the basque may be
rounded, pointed or cut in two or four
| long, square cornered pieces; its edges
are merely piped, corded or else simply
] lined The sides of the basque are not
| Slashed and extend over the hips, though
not so deeply as in the cuirass pattern
| The back has from three to five seams
| instead of the plain French back with
| one seam; the seams under the arms are
placed very far behind, as also are the
short high shoulder seams. The back
and side forms widen below the waist,
and instead of being laid in fiat position
! pleats are arranged in various devices
A fancy of Worth's extends each of the
four forms of an English back in loop
Of the silk doubled, and four other
| loops are placed under these, making
| eight loops each about a finger-length
| deep. A second basque has the
side bodies widened below the waist,
trimmed on the upper edge with jet
! galloOn and below with fringe, then
| tied in a broad bow that rests on middle
! forms of the basque; this bow at the
| back has a pretty bouffant effect, and is
repeated in various ways. A third En-
! glish back, also from Worth's, has the
middle forms broadened to half a yard
| below the taper of the waist, lined plain
| ly with the silk of the dress, and held in
a square, slightIy-pleated basque; the
regular side bodies are longer than the
middle forms, are over a inger-length
| hrOaA friT rod tho alUa anI
! draped or festoOned on the square
! basque, where a single strap of silk holds
them. This simple device makes the
most beautiful basque seen on the new
| dresses. Darts of the basque front are
| quite low, end the high shoulder seams
| do not stop abruptly against the neck,
! but are curved upward in order to give
! the high neck of dresses now in vogue
! Standing collars of silk or velvet, made
! t1aring or else in the English style, with
| turned-Oyer points, add to e height,
and are found on most dresses; some
! times the back of the neck has a box
pleating like ruff, though this is not as
universal as collars are. The Marie An
| toinette collar, with square, rounded or
! pointed revers coming low down
on the bosom, is also restored to
favor after its disappearance for
two years. Trimmings Of basque
fronts follow the outline of the volum-
nous garniture of the neck, and
there are also many vest-shaped trim
mings, though few vests are inserted
! The back has fiat bias bands tapering at
the waist, extending down the entire
middle seams, or else it is entirely plain,
! showing only the gracefully-CUrveds seams
! of the FORMS Buttons with button-hOles
! N 1O,,cr 1DD,,,I Il,
! basque. A new scallOped front is Tapped
and has long narrow scallOpS bound VIII
| silk tapping from alternate sides, with
| two small buttons in each, and loops of
silk dropping under the scallops. Sleeves
of the close coat shape have also close
cuffs of very simple shape and Well-de-
| fined edges, showing merely piping or
| the silk with which they are lined. They
have also stiff interlining to hold them
in shape. These cuffs are opened in the
! outer seems far enough to show the white
| frill beneath, and point downward as
well as upward, and sometimes both
ways, being conCave in the middle, where
band Of jet gallOOn or of ribbon, or
| else doubled silk, passes around them
and is tied in a tiny bow. Sometimes
there are two small cuffs, one of silk,
the other of velvet, and in this case both
are turned the same way. Single cuffs
have the outer lower edge turned up in
triangular shape. Many sleeves are fin
ished by two side-plaited frills turned
! downward toward the hand and headed
| by a " bracelet" of the silk tied in bow
This fashion is pretty for pinked ruffies
| edged with narrow lace.
a demi-trained skirt accompanies the
| basque just described for house and car
riage toilets of silk; and we may add
here that these suggestions are made
after inspecting large impOrtations of
| black silk dresses from The best Partisan
houses. One leading modiste has room
| filled entirely with black silk dresses,
| and the stylish black is formed in tot
lets for all occasions, from handsome
mourning wrappers of black lustrous
| tatfeta up TO rich heavy black fables for
| full dress, trimmed with Jet embroidery
and lace, and having the new transparent
sleeves of lace. To return to skirts
| the trimmings on the bottom are elab-
| crate in front, while in many cases the
| three back bTeadths are plain on the
| edge, or else form fan train of box
| pleats, or perhaps have deep Spanish
! t1Ounce edged with pleating; few have
| three straight, scant f1ounces; with knife
! pleating on the edge for trimming back
breadths Front founces vary in depth
according to the tablier above them
and consist mainly of knife pleatIngs and
| shirred puffs. One of Worth's hand
soonest designs for black silk skirts has
two knife-pleatings turned downward,
and two narrow upright ones above
while between these is shirring or else
| pulls drawn in three cords, with narrow,
gathered ruff1es on each side resting on
the side pleats. This is not especially
novel, but is very effective when made
very full. Tabliers of silk dresses
are sometimes two Tapped scarfs fringed
on the edge; others have lengthwise
bands of bias velvet about five in num-
Der, running into the fiounces below;
tabliers of horizontal folds with row of
fringe or of side pleating between the
groups of folds are still liked, and there
are sometimes two or three fringed and
festooned aprons that are very dressy,
but the single long apron and the round
apron Oyerskirt are seldom seen in silk
dresses, though most appropriate for
wooden fabrics. Some black silk dresses
are elaborate with jet embroidery, APP
piled after being wrought in tulle, and
others have jet fringe and the jet galloon
made of cords and beads, though very
little vine passementerie is seen.
WOODEN SUITS FOR THE STREET.
While house dresses consist merely of
basque and demi-train street suits of
wool stutfs retain an Overdress of some
kind. The long apron proves to be the
favorite style, and in many cases the
apron is extended to form a regular over
skirt The latest designs have a slOped
seam down the middle of the apron.
making it almost bias, as wool goods