The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-08-01
from Harper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.
MOUNTAIN DRESSES.

The primary requisite in dresses for rough
use is that the material should be all wool; one
thread of cotton Injuries it for common wear;
rain, sun, salt air affect it badly, and midway
in the season it looks shabby, and loses the
clinging softness necessary for costume to be
worn upon country expeditions Nor is
economy best considered by buying the mixed
cotton and wool materials. A shilling or two
more in the yard insures durability, comfort
and grace, and even in the simplest mountain
dress this last point should be kept in view
Good, all-wool materials, suitable for travel or
common country wear, range from forty-five
cents to $l.5O, and of these dark gray or navy.
blue flannels of firm, soft texture are prefera-
BILE. The lighter tints show spot or stain more
readily, although there is one shade of medium
gray which wears nicely. These hannels will
hardly be found too warm for the uses they are
put to In the country, saving the trouble of an
outside wrap, protecting the wearer from the
colds so common in summer time, and having
that raiSon d'etre about them which is the
Frenchwomans object in toilettes. A tear is
easily repaired; they defy rocks, brambles and
damp grass, and, moreover, when prettily
fashioned las they can be readily in this day of
galloons and brads, give picturesqueness to
the wearer which is not to be sighted. If a
light quality is chosen, it is well to make up
bH6 COstuIuo Will SCanUlly Qrap6Q 0VerSklrt,
short walking skirt, and plain jacket fitting
closely; no fiouncing or pleating is adm issible.
Trim simply with Hercules or white worsted
braid, at $2.75 to $4 piece of thirty two yards;
three graduated rows on the underskirt, the
same on the upper and jacket; wide pocket
may be put on one side of the jacket, the fan
pockets on the skirt being unsuitable, while an
additional trimming of pearl buttons may be
used, if desired, on the waist and sleeves, but
would be out of place elsewhere. pretty va
ta1t Sc 20 ArAI L.
dark-hued flannels; these come in mixed shades
OF blue, brown or hay-color, and begin at nine
teen and twenty-five cents yard; but simplic-
ity in the mode of trimming should be regarded
first. A pretty worsted braid with both sides
friDged is shown now in various shades at forty
cents; the eyelet buttons for trimming cost
from twenty-five to sixty cents dozen, and
should be put on, not less than six in group.
In trimming with braids, or. indeed. plain
bands of any kind, it is we'll to bear in mind
the fact that an uneven number of rows is al
ways necessary for harmony of lines, and that
in simple flannel costume an over-abundance
OF cheap trimming is always in bad taste.
Waterproof cloths are not SO desirable as
might be imagined for common mountain wear
beng heavy and very warm, aud in reality no
more durable than the lighter, softer fan
nels. The cygnet and albatross are more ex-
pensive mountain dresses, and hardly as ser
viceable as the flannel and ordinary all wool
camel's hair. The fancy camers hair for
very tasteful and pretty; this has white
thread woven in the shaded brown, and, with
galoon OF the same hue in arabesque forms a
very elegant costume of its kind.
All ingenuity must be lacking this season If
half-worn dresses of silk or wool or cashmere
cannot be converted by means of some new
material into something novel and stylish
The overskirt being no longer a necessity much
wider caprices in trimming may be INDUCED in.
Some rules, however have become fixed laws
fashion n VI 10 rot
skirt must at least have demi-train, and pre-
sent a sweeping or full appearance in the low
er half of the back breadths, although the front
be drawn back almost plain. The back
breadths at present used by fashionable mo-
distes serve admirably in remodelling half
worn garment; any old silk of solid color may
be used to make back breadths trimming and
sleeves, new or different material being en-
ployed for the front breadths and waist, There
are several ways of making these combination
dresses; one of the simplest, house dress of
dull brown silk and cream-colored cygnet
cloth will serve as the best illustration. The
back of the skirt was composed of three widths
of silk sloped to make demi-train and gored
slightly at the sides. These were put on to the
belt in six wide pleats facing inward, three each
way, Midway down each side seam pleat YVES
taken, turned downward, which gave a certain
fulness when tied back; about three-quarters
of yard from the bottom the pieats were
caught loosely together, then sweeping out in
half-closed fan. The front breadths of this
costume were of the cygnet cloth, cut in
princesse shape, three-quarters of yard extra
length being allowed for front draping, the
pleats beginning eight or nine inches below the
belt, and being laid across firmly, the side
seams being finished with bias band of silk,
with colored GALLON in the centre A similar
band extended each side of the front seam
from the neck to the edge of the dress, and had
the same strip of shaded galloon in the centre.
A knife-pleating of cygnet headed by a
double quill of silk finished the edge of the
front breadths; sleeves of silk, with pleating
of cygnet and frill of black lace; high collar
of silk, with similar lace frill inside; the back
of the waist was of course of cygneJ cut coat
shaped, with pipings of brown silk and two
clusters of brown buttons.
This arrangement of back breadths as will
be readily seen, may be varied in many ways,
by laying on one wide middle pleat with two
small ones each side; by leaving the train
sweeping, with row OF buttons down the cen.
tire seam, or by looping it slightly with q
diagonal scarf and bow of unhemmed loops OF
silk. They serve also in making wrappers OF
morning costumes of soft wool fabrics, Der.
Gales, or nansook. Polonaises of the cheap all
wool materials are still worn over black and
dark-colored silk skirts, but simply for con.
venience, not full dress.