The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-09
Spring Silks.

THE soft, lustrous Louisine silks are
imported in low priced qualities for over
dresses for the spring. These come in
taffeta designs in small checks of white or
ecru, with black or any dark color, and
are sold for one dollar yard. Good
taffeta silks in these patterns are bought
for the same price at present, and these
should be chosen when the entire dress is
made of one material. Louisine silk is
preferred for overdresses above plain gros
grain.
Damasse LoQisines are new this season.
They are imported in cream, black, blue,
brown and myrtle green shades to match
the plain silks that will be worn with
them. A heavier fabric than this, called
serge broderie, is twilled silk quantity
brocaded in antique designs, and also in
more recent Louis Quatorze patterns.
The ground is invariably ecru, but the
figures are of bold contrasting color. The
Henri Quatre brocades shown for parts of
costumes are as thick and rich looking as
the stufs used by upholsterers for furni-
ture covers.
Plain, solid covers will prevail in gros
grains, as they have always done. The
reps are of medium size, and the gros
grain has the soft finish necessary for
drapery, instead of falling into stiff, heavy
folds. The fancy is for rich, dark colors
for costumes, and the list of shades is not
long, nor does it show any novelties, since
the object is to return to old -time, sub
dued, yet positive, colors. There is seal
brown, myrtle green, marine blue, mud
color, and various gray shades, such as
steel-color, caoutchouc, Coomassie, Bill
boa, etc.
The shades for evening silks arc cicl
glace, which is very lustrous, simmer
ing blue, sourtre, "a smile), rosy-tinted
lavender, sea-foam green, and every shade
that has yellow hue, such as cream,
pG5EIe, or straw-color, chair, or flesh, 1sa-
bel, buff, canary, etc. With these plain
gros grains are imported two fabrics OF
corresponding shades from which to
choose over dresses, viz brocadcd silk
and brocaded Chambcry gauze.
Three shades of white double faille are
shown for bridal dresses. These are
blanc mat, or dead white; blanc rose,
with faint rosy tints; and blanc creme, OF
the rich cream white like that Of syringas
and orange blossoms. Double faillc has
double twisted chain in the grain, making
very rich-looking reps, yet retaining the
desired softness.
New importations of black silk show
the cashmere finished silks which are now
the first choice by reason of their sottncss
and their subdued luster. The best man.
ufacturers, such as Ponson and Bonnet
have done away with the harsh, heavy
stiffness that caused their silks to fall into
set-looking folds, and have given this
cashmere finish to all high priced silks
made in their factories. There is wei
come reduction in the price of silks. Fol
$3.50 or 81 yard can be bought rich
silks that formerly brought S. or Sc.
The pretty light taffeta silks for making
simple suits for the spring show new
effects in checks and stripes. Thus there
are silver-g gray grounds barred with black
and white-a very stylish design. The ole
contrasts of white with dark brown, blue
or black are also repeated. From twenty
five to thirty yards of these silks are re
quired for very simple dress, as they are
only nineteen or twenty inches wide, anc
cost one dollar yard.
A beautiful fabric called satin laine e
sole is an improvement on the cashmere
broderie worn during the winter. 1t il
light enough for summer wear, has raised
damask figures Of silk on wool, and come:
in exquisite colors and quality. This i:
also meant for over dresses with gros
grain OF velvet foundations Harper'
Bazdr.