Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-19
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
Shirred Basque, with Shrred Overskirt
and Walking Skirt.

and Walking Skirt.
It's beauty consists in giving full
appearance to the front Of the dress,
and in having that on the back properly
sloped to give tapering effect. On
each front single puff and ruffle passes
from the neck to the bottom of the
basque somewhat in vest shape; this
puff is formed by two or three rows of
shirring on each side of it; the ruffie is
an inch wide when finished, and may
be made by doubling the silk, or else
merely binding or hemming the edge.
The shirring on the back slope with the
| figure; it should be broad enough to
cover the back just below the neck,
and should taper thence to an inch and
half or two inches at the waist; there
must be two OF three puffs formed by
rows of shirring, and ruffie on each
side to match that on the front. A
bow at the waist conceals the end of the
shirring; this should be of doubled..silk,
or else the silk is laid III fine knife
pleating, and then made in a
bow of long loops with fringed
ends. Sometimes the shirring
is continued to the end of the basque,
but in such cases the position pleating
is omitted, and the basque has the
The suit with shirred basque and
overskirt is one of the most popular de-
signs of the season. This model is
suited alike to house dresses and street
costumes, and this fact has contributed
to it's popularity. This suit is the con-
ventional toilet Of black silk, which is
now as generally and as fashionably
worn as it has been for several years past.
The shirring used for ornament on the
waist, sleeves and overskirt is the favor
tie trimming this spring, and although
not new of itself, it is arranged In new
ways, and is very stylish.
The shi1red basque has plain fronts,
simply shaped, rounding deeply from
shalloNe sides. The novelty Of this
basque Is it's long seams in the back,
which follow the new English shape.
The side forms, instead of running into
the armhole, extend up to the shoulder
seam, and give the back that slender
appearance now thought desirable. In
the middle seam some fullness is added
below the waist, and this is held in
three or four side pleats turned toward
the middle, or, if the wearer choos-
es, in small fine knife pleating. The
shirring is separate, and is set on down
the back and front.
plain cuirass back. The sleeves may be
shirred all over, or else only the half
in front of the arm is shirred; the latter
is preferred for short, thick arms.
When plain coat sleeves are used,
bias piece shirred in two putfs forms a
pretty cuff, on which small bow is set,
OF perhaps similar shirred piece ex-
tends the whole length of the outside
seam. TO have everything In keeping,
the faring standing collar OF these
dresses is also covered with shirring.
Ladies who do their own sewing should
remember that the beauty Of shirring
consists in it's small stitches, and in
having the rows of stitches very close
together, also in making the puff very
full and soft-looking. The edge
of the shirred basque may be
finished by lace or fringe if it
is of silk, while piping and knife
pleating are used for palmer stutfs.
The SHRED overskirt has the fully
draped effect now SO much sought after.
The front has, first, plain piece as
foundation for the shirred sides, and
this is covered with bows, or by jabot
ruffie of lace, with loops between. Each
side consists of gathered breadth Of
the goods, straight in front, where it is
doubled under to form ruff1e, and is
held by two or three rows Of shirring
sewed to the plain piece. This very
full breadth then has the side next the
back slightly sloped toward the top Gas
all side cores are), and is shirred and
ruff1ed where it joins the back breadth.
The straight long back is two breadths
of silk OF one of wide wooden goods,
draped by shirring or by tapes in the
ordinary way, and held back by strings
underneath, tied over the tournure.
The lower skirt is the regular walking
skirt, trimmed with knife pleating Or
with shirred founces, according to
| fancy.
In expensive dresses of de bege,
serge, and other soft wool goods
are made by this design with very good
effect. Gray and light brown de beges
are trimmed with very dark brown silk.
| This silk forms the stirring on the
| basque and sleeves, and is also used for
the plain piece down the middle Of the
overskirt and for the bows. Plaid wool
len goods and the more expensive plaid
silks called Louisines are made up in
the same way, and associated with plain
silk. Striped and checked summer
silks looks especially we'll made by this
design. The open-meshed black grena-
dimes are very tasteful dresses when
trimmed with crinaped tape fringe or
thread lace, and shirred in the way
we have just described. A novel
idea is that of making the principal
parts of such dress of plain black can
vas grenadine, and using plaid black
and white grenadine for the trimming.
An evening dress made by this model
had the foundation of white silk, with
the shirrsd overskirt and basque OF
white square-meshed Chambery gauze;
side pleating of the gauze edges the
overskirt; the founce is of gauze, shir-
red and edged with knife pleating. A
mourning dress of lustreless silk has
English Grape covering the plain piece
down the apron front, Grape bows, Grape
sleeves, and Grape pleatings on the silk
founce. -HGrper''s Bazaar.