The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-02-24
Cambria Dresses for Spring.

The furnishing houses, says Harper's
BdSar, are busily manufacturing cam
brio and gingham suits orspring. These
are made of checked, striped, and plaid
Scotch ginghams, or else of percales or
eambrics in gingham plaids, of old dtime
pink and white, or blue with gray, or
perhaps shaded brown. There is very
little of novelty in the manner of max.
ing. The lower skirts are arranged SO
that they train slightly in the house, or
may be shortened in the street. One or
two bias gathered scanty founces is the
trimming. Tho overskirt is long apron
sloped to tue figure, with full back
breadths that are caught up in apuf be-
hind by means of a sash of the dress
material. An end Of this sash is sewed
into the side seams, and then large
long-looped bow is tied in the middle.
This draws the front smoothly over the
figure, and the back breadths are pulled
over the sash in puff. This skirt has
the advantage of being easily ironed, as
the sash and back breadths are readily
Strengthened out. A single deep, full
pocket is on the front. A hem, facing,
or other plain edge, such as striped
border, is more in keeping with these
skirts than O ruffle or plating. The
body may be q belted basque or q side
plated waist, or else the baby waists or
blouses once so popularly worn. New
belted basques have the side forms OF
the back beginning on the shoulders in
stead of in the armholes, thus making
the long seams now used in all corsages.
The neck is finished with an English
collar that is very high behind, and is
turned over in wide points in front.
The sleeves are ordinary coat shape,
with very simple cuff, or else with q
plating that falls over the wrist.
The bordered lawns and organdies
called centennial lawns are being made
up with square kerchiefs or fchus some
what in centennial fashion. The foun-
ces, overskirts, collar, cuffs, belt, and
pocket are all trimmed with the border
that comes near the selvedge of the
lawn, or else in separate horizontal
bands. Gayly colored ribbons, made
into rosettes, are also used on these
pretty and simple dresses. Some of the
organdies are made of high colored pat
terms that will wash, and these are
trimmed with rows of box-plaited
founces. Dresses that are meant to
wash have side plated or gathered foun-
ces that are easily laundried. For trim
ming suits of solid colored lawns in the
pretty rose, cream, pale, or dark blue
shades, white machine embroidered
muslin is used in scant founces or
ruffles. This comes in sheer lawn mere
ly scalloped in deep scalloped points, or
else dotted with close work, or perhaps
in the open compass designs of English
embroidery. Bands wrought on both
edges, with sufficient plain space bet
tween for ruf1es. are sold by the dozen
or half dozen for q small sum. The
newest feature in such bands is to have
them in ecru muslin instead of in the
snowy blue white.
1t is predicted that these colored wash
dresses will take the place of the white
muslin suits that have been so long the
standard dress for summer in the coun-
try. 1t should be remembered that
colored hosiery to correspond with the
dress, and square toed slippers trimmed
with rosette or buckle, are part OF
the gay and pretty centennial dress