Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-05-06
The Fashions.
PARTISAN DRESSES.

l. u
is the general remark that novelties this
year are confined to fabrics and colors
rather than to styles. At some of the large
houses the eye is startled by the high
Madras colors with thir vivid yellow and
red; but at the smaller, exclusive estab-
lIshments very few OF, these gay plaids are
seen. Instead of these are limousine
stripes with few lines of color on cream
Drown, or gray grounds, or else those in
visible brown or gray plaids already de-
scrlbed, or perhaps green or blue or violet
shades appear in the plaid. Modistes
who imported plaid Lousine silks last
spring IN advance of the present fancy for
them are now making overdresses of
| damask or clouded silks, or of the amure
figured woods, or summer limousines; if
they use the plaid Louisines they choose
those with rich bars, such as black on ecru
| grounds, brown on cream color, or navy
blue on gray.
Among the most pleasing dresses for
visiting, church and carriage toilets are
those of French gray or drab gros grain
combined with softer silk of the same
shade figured all over in arabesque de-
signs The gros grain skirt has pleatings
headed by shirred puffs, and the sleeves
are of the same gros grain. The overskirt
of the arabesque silk has deep apron
draped very full near the foot of the dress
and edged with very rich fringe. The
basque is Of simple design. Such dresses
are made without jackets, as they are so
light that they cannot be worn on days
cool enough to require wraps. They cost
from $3.50 to 1915. .g..
Simpler costumes entirely of colored
silk, and also of black silk, are made with
short, loose, jaunty sacks, quite short be-
hind and with disappointed or square
fronts. These are made to wear over the
basque that is worn in the house. The
trimming is usually a knife-pleating with
rich crimped fringe below. The Byron
collar of many fine pleats of the silk is
| considered stylish feature for these Jack
| cts. &.
Open English embroidery on black silk
| is not new this season, but promises to
find greater favor than when first intro
duced. 1t is preferred for wide flounces,
for narrow ruffies to edge t1ounces, and
| also for sleeveless basQues, aprons, and
| sashes. When associated with rich gros
grain of its own shade, or with handsome
| grenadine, it makes very effective garni-
| ture " .....
| BLACK GRENADINE DRESSES.
| The newest and richest black grenadine
| dresses are made of the open, square
meshed grenadines resembling Mexicaine,
or of plaids alternately thick and thin, or
else they are barred or lined with velvet
| Those dresses intended for the house only
have the skirt trimmed to simulate
tablier, but no separate apron. The foun-
datiOn of the skirt is silk, and for this pur-
pose the substantial glossy taffeta silk is
used. The grenadine forms founce
around the bottom, and is then deliberately
draped on the silk; in many cases the
front, back and sides have each an az
the bottom may be either deep
bias gathered founce, shirred at the
top, and edged with knife-pleating,
or else there are many rows Of knife
pleating placed to overlap each other and
headed by shirred puff. On some dresses
the knife pleating extends up the entire
back breadth; in others it is arranged in
pyramidal form on the bottom of each
breadth; while still others have threerows
Of the finest crimEed pleating sewed on
gathered f1ounce. On the upper part of
the skirt two breadths are shirred to repre-
sent an apron, and these have each mar
row ruffie meeting in the front; the back
is then held in two large puffs with sash
ends. Another tablier is formed of many
crosswise folds of grenadine, which may
be turned up Or down, while others have
reversed pleating. The basque is shaped
fancifully and trimmed down the back
and front with shirring or pleating to COR
respond with the skirt. The long -hooped
bows and the sash-loops in the skirt are
made Of gros grain laid in fine knife
pleating and pressed fatty. The coat
sleeves are formed of folds of grenadine
placed across from seam to seam, or else
soft puffs separated by rows of shirring;
instead Of regular cuffs, pleating, ruffie,
and lace trim the wrists; it is the excep-
ton for imported dresses to have plain
sleeves
Grenadine suits that may be worn in the
street as we'll as in the house are far more
simply made. They are provided with
deep aprons, over-skirts with bouffant
back drapery, plain cuirass basques, and
simply-trimmed skirts, like those de-
scribed for silk and wool suits. The sub
stantial canvas grenadines so long in
favor will still be used for these simple
costumes. Sometimes they form the en-.
tire suit, but in many cases they have
basques and aprons of more fancifully
plaided grenadine. Heavy crimped tape
fringes trim street suits Of grenadine.
There are also pretty sleeveless jackets
and tabliers formed of lengthwise inser-
tons of yak, thread or beaded guipure,
with grenadine between. These may be
worn over silks or grenadines, just as the