Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-09-28
NEW YORK FASHIONS.

speech.
NEW YORK FASHIONS.
BLACK SUITS.
The richest black silk suits have
over dresses of black brocade, either
silk brocade, or else that with raised
velvet figures. The brocade basque
has sleeves to match, and is trimmed
about the neck and wrists with folds
and pleatings. The edge of the
basque is not trimmed, as it is hidden
beneath the brocade drapery which
forms the over-skirt, and the effect Of
polonaise is produced. Very rich
fringe edges the drapery. The pain
lower skirt is of silk. with pleated
fiounces. Palmer black silk costumes
have two narrow gathered tlounces,
with cluster-pleated flounced between.
Over this is long over-skirt trimmed
with wide, heavy fringe. The over
skirt is sewed to the lower skirt, and
is shirred down one side, while the
other has long-looped bows placed
quite low down upon it. Feather
bands will be much used on black
silk suits, both as the heading for the
bunch of ruffies and trimming for the
over dresses
Long wadded silk cloaks will be
worn with black costumes. Fur bands
will be the most stylish trimmings
for plack velvet and silk dresses, as
we'll as the long cloakes that are to
be worn over them. Black cashmer Q
suits and squaro-figured wooden will
be trimmed with golden brads, fringe
and silk pleating'
Do not combine color with your
house dress of black silk, but provide
yourself with blue, cardinal, and
cream coloied gros grained ribbons
for Frightening it and varying your
toilette. Of each kind of ribbon
make dog collar, bows for wrist,
basque front, and pocket, and also
have piece TO tie around the waist
and hang in long loops on the left
side.
LOWER SKIRTS.
Lower skirts of costumes are al
most concealed by the long rolonaise
or ever.skirt drapery, yet upon the
shape of this foundation skirt de-
ponds much of the beauty of the cos
tune. This lower skirt is narrow,
clinging in front and on the sides,
and long behind. Three yards is its
average width around the bottom.
The three front cores are sloped at
the top so closely that there is no
gathering or pleating to tho belt.
The two straight back breadths are
sewed to the belt in one large box
pleat, and have drawing string
about half yard below the waist to
draw all the fuIlness backward.
Skirts of French dresses are not lined
nor are they bound with braid. They
are widely faced with crinoiine, on
which is laid narrower facing of
alpaca the color of the dress, and the
dress material is then turned up on
this in the old-fashioned way. Silk
skirts arc the foundation of most
tolettes. Heavy camel's hair and
velvet skirts that would make too
much bulk on the hips are fitted
plainly around the top, and have
deep Spanish dounces below to give
the Necessary tullness; even in such
cases two breadths Of wide cancels
hair are found sufficient TO- the
Spanish hounce.
The trimming of the lower skirts
shows little novelty, Instead OF
knife-pleating going out of usO it
will be more worn than ever, especi-
ally in narrow widths finely pleated
with the edges tapping and thus form
ing a single cluster around the bot
tom of the skirt. The same trim
ming extends all around the skirt,
but is apt to be narrower in front
where the tablier falls over it than it
is in the short train that is not so
much hidden. In regard to The
length of the skirt, we are sorry to
say that while the front and sides
are short enough for comfortable
walking, the back breadths are long
enough to sweep the sidewalks.
These back breadths, however, are
gathered into a small compass to
form sort Of queue train, which is
very narrow, and therefore easily
lifted out of the dirt of the street. A
favorite design for trimming the
skirt is two Tapped knife-pleatings,
each two inches deep, then q broad
bias band and two narrower erect
b 6Bxf.1p5iasastdi iigSs' with Knife ploailDg
between, or the reverse of this. with
only single box-pleating. These
new pleatings are all pressed very
flat from top to bottom, and are not
permitted to fly out at tho edges
like ruffies. 1t is also preferable that
the founces should be of the wool or
other material Of tho over dress rath-
es than the silk of the lower skirt.
The over dress is usually trimmed
with fringe or with silk pleating.
DRESS WAISTS, SLEEVES, ETC.
The seams of dress waists follow
the natural outlines of the figure. and
have less of the masculine cut lately
given. Thus, though shoulder seams
are still short rather than long, they
are not to be chopped off as OF late
with sleeves set in as high as in q
coat, nor are they to
be placed as far forward as they
have been. The object now is to
make the figure look slender and
long, wasted, hence backs of dresses
must be narrow and to produce
this. the shoulder seam is cut further
back than has been the custom for
three or tour years, as will be seen
by referring to any OF the fashion
plates 10 late numbers of the Bdzar.
The long seams in the back of
dresses are most varied. Some
waists have two side bodies I; others
have but one while still others are
in the French shape, without any
side form. There are many dresses