The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-04-11
From Harper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.


Tuscan straws promise to be the choice among
elegant bonnets, and have been displayed fresh
from the hands of Parisian trimmers at the un-
usual cost of sos each. The trimmings were of
mixed Vesuve and maize satin, with yellow o..
trlch tips and dark roses; there was not shred
of lace to add to the cost, but the value is in
the hne Tuscany straw, made in the way de-
scribed in the Bazaar last week. The most
unique trimming for such bonnets is baud of
the same straw about an inch wide, piped on
each edge with satin, then put plainly around
the crown. and fastened behind by small and
very stiff bow of the straw band. Very rich
colors and materials are used in such bonnets.
Satin predominates and the flowers and Ostrich
tips are of dark mandarin with coral or with
violet or else ''old gold'' color in two or three
shades, or perhaps the quaint mixtures of olive,
bronze and blue.
For quite young ladies the chip and yellow
capotes and the Normandy bonnets will pre-
vail. The capote crowns are large and square
across the top, and the trimming does not con-
ceal the outlines, as seemed to be necessary in
the high-pointed crowns lately worn. The
newest trimmings for these are the India rib
bons in gay mottled colors, or else striped India
gauze, with cream white stripes an inch wide
alternating with the rich India stripes. An
other new trimming is Roman net, which is
merely black Brussels net with little s'hies' of
silk of the rich Roman colors caught in the
meshes; this Is especially handsome on black
chip or lace bonnets. The lace garnitures are
now confined to scarf strings of real lace, usu-
ally white; these are one long scarf with the
middle pleated on the crown as a curtain, and
the ends tied for strings. The Normandy bon
net with straw brim and high crown promises
to be the popular style, as ladies can easily
make such bonnets at home, after buying the
frame with the net crown properly shaped and
the brim complete. with its three or four rows
OF braid. In making such bonnets the am ateur
milliner must have an abundance of silk in
careless, easy folds for the crowd, as scantiness
and set folds give the bonnet stiff look. A
wreath OF small flowers, dropping buds or green
vine leaves may be passed around the crown, or
If this is too dressy ruche is made of bias silk
notched in saw teeth on the edges. This ruche
should be very fully pleated, and is of two lay
ers of silk, the inner one narrower than the
outer, and each may be of different shades or
in contrasting colors. A slight frill of lace,
tulle, or of raveed silk forms the face trim
ming.
Silk bonnets, smooth on the Frame are the
novelty for the intermediate season before the
time comes for straws; there are also satin
DOuurtS uduo ONeI dmpl6 frames, anu as SlQOOtl
as kid. A model silk bonnet is of pink coral
gros grain, trimmed with satin ribbons of the
dark Vesuve red; two ostrich tips showed each
of these shades, and there were pink and red
crushed roses without any foliage; inside the
front was soft puff of Vesuve satin. The
quaintest contrasts seem to please best in these
bonnets. A white faille bonnet has piping
folds of mandarin satin on the edges, and gar
niture of Parmesan violets. A tllleul satin bon
net has pale blue pipings, and pink roses that
have broDzed leaves. Palmer silk bonnets are
of gray. or brown, or deep blue, to match the
costume with which they are worn; all of these
colors are relieved by flowers, in which yellow
shades predominate. When silk bounets are
shirred on the Normandy shapes they have q
more youthful effect, and are not considered as
dressy as those that are made plain on a hard
frame.
The Marie Stuart bonnet with point op the
forehead is very largely imported, aud is pic
turesque and very generally becoming The
crown of this boDnet is large and high, making
very different hat from the flat Fanchon
shape formerly popular as the Marie Stuart
style 1t comes in very fine Tuscan straWs and
in chip. and will be used as a dress hat
Among other dress hats are those made entire
ly OF feathers and without crowns. Marabout
feathers are most used for these n very delicate
shades OF pink, tilleuI, aud moonlight blue; the
strings are OF ValencieDnes lace, or of white
gauze or dotted net tied carelessly on one side.
White hats, will however, be most worn for
dress. Thus there are creamy white chips
trimmed with chip band, chip bows, cream
white silk loops, and tor the one CLINT of color,
pink and tea roses, soft and crushed, without
foliage and sometimes fourteen in number on
single bonnet. Others have coronal in
front made of rose petals stripped from the
calyx; either pink or pale creamy tea-roses are
used
For ladies who can not relinqnsh their fa-
vorte black bonDets are beautiful models of
nlaIn RrnsS nc laid nj al nj n st, frau
with lace strings, lace ruche for ACE trimming,
and by way of stylish relief, tilleul foliage made
OF rubber in wreaths or large clusters, or els g
roses in the new pale coral shades, or satin
bows with sharply pointed ends made of Vesuve
ribbon, or else punches of mandarin yellow
flowers, such as cowslips, jonquils, or if for an
elderly lady, dropping purple wistarias or vo-
let's. There are alsa black chip bonnets smil-
arly trimmed, with many pipngs of satin, and
strings OF the Roman gauze or net. Dark navy
blue and brown chip bonnets are imported to
wear with the blue or white soft wool costumes
that promise to be so popular at the seaside
Mother of-pearl buckles and brooches studded
with steel are liked with these dark straws.
The ornaments for more dressy bonnets are of
yellow gilt picked out in antique designs.
Novelties in round hats are reserved for later
openings that are held just before fashionable
people leave town for the summer The Ouch
ess of Devonshire hat promises to have anoth.
er season of popularity in the country.
I6dubiiul CuStumoS IOr summer are maQ6 Oh
batistes and other lawns in very delicate colors,
all of one shade, or else in stripes with white.
They have pOlonalSeS, basqueS and Scarfs dra.
peries as elab0rately made as those of the rich
est materials, are trimmed with narrow pleat.
ed Iuff1es edged with Valenciennes lace. They
cos, from SEQ down, For $40 are beautiful i'm
ported suits of zephyr gingham, partly checked
and partly plain These are admired in blue
and white check, made IN Breton style, and
trimmed with navy blue bands wrought with
white cotton in Breton designs.
There is nothing SO serviceable as lustrous
black alpaca for the business suits that are
worn daily by ladies in school rooms, Offices,
ETC., because no other material so effecuually
resists dust as this smooth-faced fabric. These
business suits are made with long simply shaped
polonaises, or else with habit basque, round
over-skirt and short walking skirt, bordered
with knife-pleating of the same, or else with a
wide bias band piped on the upper edge. Neat
and strong buttons of vegetable ivory or else
dark smoked pearl buttons are used on these
dresses. The Grand Opera alpaca is favorite
brand, because it retains its color and lustre to
the last, and wears well. The same title is
given to excellent black cashmere which is now
being made up in more dressy Breton suits,
trimmed with broad galoon in gay India
colors, or in black with white figures, or else
all black. This galloon differs from the Titan
braids in being in vine and leaf patterns, in
stead of merely twilled or basket woven.
Strings of pearl buttons, with eyes near the
top, are chosen in shades to match the galloon,
and are set about on the fronts of the waist,
the collar, cuffs, pocket, etc.
Some of the leaders of fashion here are again
rebelling against long skirts for walking suits,
and have already adopted neat and pretty suits
of habit cloth or of waterproof, made with a
single skirt short enough to escape the ground,
and tasteful Breton jacket simply trimmed
with one wide row of galloon, or else many
rows of braid. These ladies do not claim to be
dress reformers; on the contrary. they are gay
young women of fashion, many of whom have
enjoyed in Paris the short skirts that Parish
ennes have never abandoned; but they protest
against the discomfort of long and clumsy
skirts for walking suits. Now that crinoline is
abolished, this abridged skirt will be graceful
as well as convenient; it is now worn for
morning walks in the city, aud many are being
made for the country, for the seaside, mount
aims, coaching, etc,
AlbatrOss cloth is a new smooth-faced fabric
similar to mohar, which is said to be made
from the down of the albatross. 1t is known
as drap de Virginie, 1t comes III solid colors,
in small pin-head checks, and in barrow stripes
of blue. brown, or black with white. The
plain, striped, and checked cloths are all used
in single costume.
Soft white wool goods resembling flannel, but
of less weight and as cool as muslin, will be
used for country toilettes next summer
especially at the seaside, where the moisture
takes the starch out of cottons and linen. This