Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-03-02
New York Fashions.
THE BLOUsE-BAsQUE DRESS.

/
simple garment, to which an air of novel
ty is given by adding the blouse fronts
and belt. To do this the basque is first
made complete in every part, except that
the standing collar is not sewed on. This
| basque has long SIDE forms behind, with
seams beginning on the shoulders and ex-
| tending to the end of the basque, without
added fullness On the tournure. To pre-
vent this back from looking too plain, a
sash Of the material is sewed into the side
! form seams and tied low down on the
middle seam in loose long Topped bow.
The fronts have two darts, are buttoned
from the throat to the waist, and fall open
| below the waist. A wide belt of four up
turned folds of the silk begins in the
seams under the arms, and is fastened by
three small buttons and button holes.
| The blouse fronts are then made of two
/ straight pieces of the dress material long
enough to reach from the throat to the
belt, and each about two and half ting-
ers wide for busts Of ordinary size. The
sides are plainly finished with a half-inch
! hem done in blind stitches. The upper
part is shaped out to fit the neck, is
| gathered and basted to the neck, extend
! ing back to the shoulder seam. The sides
are not sewed to the basque but are left
| quite separate; the front parts lap sutfi-
! GENTLY to conceal the buttons Of the
| basque beneath, and appear as one
straight gathered piece. The lower end
is straight, and after being drawn up with
! gathers to d much smaller space than the
| top, is bound, and the binding is tucked
away out of sight under the belt. The
effect of this simple blouse front is to give
a full and graceful roundness to the bust,
and also to add very pretty trimming
On cashmere dresses trimmed with silk
the blouse is Of silk. On silk dresses it
is of the dress silk, or else of the velvet,
lace or tulle used for trimming. The
standing collar is then added, and the
waist is completed Very girlish dresses
made with the blouse front dispense with
collar of the dress goods, and have in
| stead narrow standing gathered ruff1e of
the material around the neck, and above
| this the lace frill or linen collar appears.
The plain coat sleeves have a cuff headed
by bias folds.s
| La Boituse overskIrt is longer on one
side than the other, and has many rich,
deep, and careless folds placed low down
on the skirt. On one side the folds of the
front are fastened by buttons to the back,
which is longer than the front, and forms
a square corner The opposite side
drOOps almost to the foot Of the wearer,
and is ornamented by a large shield peck
ct. The edges of this overskirt are usual
| " plain being finished by binding or
else wider facing. The trained skirt
has single box pleated founce for trim
ming. This full, heavy box pleating, al
most as thick as a ruche, is more popular
at present than the side pleating which
has been so long in favor.
| CREAM COLoRED CASHMERE.
Cream colored cashmere is imported for
choice over dresses for the spring. Two
or three different shades of the pale yell
low tints, beginning with natural un-
bleached white and deepening into the
shade popularity known as ecru, are
shown. Very handsome costumes will be
made with polonaises of this delicate
wool goods, trimmed with ecru lace, and
worn over brown or black velvet. Fine
cream colored cashmeres are $1.25 yard.
| Vigogne of exceedingly soft quality is
| shown in cream shades for $165. There
are also mode, French gray, marion
brown, dark blue, and turquoise shades in
these fine wool goods.
POLONAIsE CAMBRIC SUITS.
AS we have already said, cotton goods,
such as cambria, percale, batiste, Scotch
| bingham and English calico, will be
largely used for springsuits. These suits
are to be worn either in the house or
street for general morning wear both in
town and country. They are now being
made with simply shaped polonaises,
tied back by sashes of the material Cam
brio of two different patterns is in each
suit. Thus the polonaise is plaid cam
bric, and the skirt of the same predomi-
nant color is plain, or else it has dashes,
waves, or curved lines, making a notified
ground. The plaid polonaise is trimmed
with bands of the plain goods, and plaid
bands are put on the plain skirt.
English calicoes are brought out in ad
mirable cambria patterns, and sold for
twenty-five cents a yard. These also
come arranged for costumes, showing
plaids, blocks or bars Of three different
sizes for different parts of the dress. The
choice in these is either brown, blue. or
black on white. The quaint blue grays
and brown shades are shown in stripes of
different widths to be worn together. or
else to be combined with smaller figured
goods. French plaid cambrics show new
arrangements of colors and bars, the pret-
test of which are black and white with
occasional threads of scarlet or blue. Ac
companying these are the same colors in
waved patterns to serve as foundations
for costumes. These are forty cents a
yard. Bordered batistes, gray on one side
and blue on the other, are to be made up