The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-11-08

sistent with the whole male sex. We
could not restrain the temptation to
take several peeps at the little fellow as
he sat there. blinking sleepy at the twi-
light; clucking the chickens to sleep
with such a dear, fatherly face; such
noble, Observation-Disclosures ex-
preston. WarrensbMrg (Mo.) Cor. st.
Louis Republican.
The Empress Dress, Etc.
The fashionable modistes are return
ing from Paris, and, Notwithstanding
our desire, especially in these hard
times, to tell of plain and economical
styles, it is necessary to note these last
importations, among which are some of
the richest goods ever brought to this
country. At one house, where room
after room is filled with elegant things,
the empress dress seems to he the lead
ing feature. This dress is the prin-
'cesse dress with difference, viz, it is
not caught up in bouffant drapery, but
hangs in graceful folds from the waist
to the foot. The front of the skirt is
quite short enough to show the elabo-
ratcly dressed feet, while the back forms
long, flat, square-corncred train.
There is a simple tablier arranged in
front, and long panels of trimming are
on the sides. The front is different
from the back either in material or
color. The tlOunces are narrow and
simple, often being merely pinked on
the edges. The waists are long, with
seams beginning on the shoulders in
most cases, though some of the newest
dresses have side forms starting in the
armholes, and omit the middle seam in
the back. The trimmings on the bust
outline coaching jackets, or else they
are plastrons or Breton vests. The
sleeves are either close enough for lace
or linen cuffs to be worn outside them,
or else they flow open ut the wrist, and
often at the elbow. The elaborate
panels form pockets, and there are
many ribbons bows, rOsettes of folded
silk, passementerie and beaded Orna-
ments. and buttons that are as hand
some almost as jewels. In this collec-
ton of Paris dresses clair de lune gray
rivals the moss and olive tints for hand
some wool dresses. An empress dress
of plain fine camers-hair and silk of
the same shade of clair de lune gray has
the silk front extending from the throat
down very low, where it is trimmed
with fringe, and gathered up on the
sides to form long apron over-skirt,
under which is shown the edge of a
lower skirt trimmed with box-pleating
alternately Of camel s-hair and silk.
The empress back, entirely of camers-
hair, without drapery, combines with
it two side cores, which really begin at
the front of the neck, and slope away
to the sides just as the coaching jackets
do. A sailor scarf of the silk is knotted
at the throat, and bands of silk trim the
sides of the wooden skirt. The wooden
sleeves are tight, and have silk cuffs
coming out at the wrist that represent
inner sleeves. English turnetl-over
collar of wool on the outside, with silk
lining.
For full-dress dinners the empress
dress is made of light silk in front, with
dark brocaded silk for the back, or
else the striped India silks. One beau
tiful model has pale blue silk fronts,
with white duchesse lace bows from
throat to foot, while the sides and back
are of striped soft twilled India silk of
Holbein green and pale blue. This
change in the draping Of dresses is said
to be due to Worth, who desires to see
the rich brscades fall in natural folds
instead of being crushed and punched
up in paniers. The change is marked
and these stately dresses
are in far better taste than those lately
worn. And although the great major
ity of our readers may choose palmer
dresses for their own use, they none
the less will be glad to know the latest
styles adopted by the leaders of fashion.
Other dresses have long straight coats
or great redingotes for over-dresses,
that hang plainly all around, and de-
pend for their beauty on their rich fab
RIGS, or else on the flat galloons and
gimps with which they are trimmed.
These straight coats are made of the
heaviest Lyons velvet, and will prob
ably make this fine fabric fashionable
again. They are also made of armure
and of repped silks, or of embossed
velvet, to wear over plain velvet or
silk skirts, while for general use they
are of gray corduroy, and have two or
three Carrick capes added. The COM
bination suits are mostly with polo
naises, and many of these fasten in &C.
centric ways, some of them leaving a
square space straight at the neck, and
then being carried suddenly across to
the left side, whence they slant away
to the foot. Others have the side forms
of velvet, leaving the silk front straight,
like Breton vest. Still others have the
wooden front and sides drawn together
behind under a fiat pleating of the silk
lower skirt, giving stylish effect. There
are quite as many basque vests and
overskirts as polonaises, but perhaps
the most stylish vest basque is now the
coaching jacket, especially for the
wool costumes worn for travelling and
as second dresses. These are shown
from the most exclusive French houses,
made in the simplest manner possible,
viz, of gray or drab wool, without a
flounce or any trimming other than a
binding of brown wooden braid on the
coaching Jacket, the vest, the long round
over-skirt, and the walking skirt, which
JuSt CoC0pCS CIC 3 AOunN' ACnCCu WdlcC
fronts are SO becoming to the figure
that Worth has introduced them in
basqucs of the richest material. One
of the handsomest black dresses from
the celebrated designer has a black
brocaded coat with the fronts formed
of three pleats from throat to waist,
ending there, like blouse, under a
wide italian belt fastened by a gold
buckle, while the back forms long slen-
der coat tails held by revers and bows
low down on the pleated train. The
trimming ON the skirt is straight down
the middle of the front, and consists of
two shirred pieces of the brocade.
Though brocades and embossed velvets
are much used for the elegant black
toilettes that form part of every outfit,
plain gros grain is by no means aban-
dOned. Some of the handsOmest en-
press dresses are of black gros grain,
with lace sleeves and lace plastron vest
nearly covered with the blue-gray clair
de lune beads. Maroon red, which is
much darker than cardinal. is favor
tie color in France for visiting tOiletes.