, 1877-05-25
Now York Fashions.
FRENCH DRESSES.

orrive each week at this season of the
Tear. confirming anew some Of the de-
ss;gns already received, and adding more
I.apind novelties. Thus far the polon-
aise is the over dress most often seen on
both rich and simple costumes. While
a dissertation might be written on the
various shapes of this garment, its dis
tinetiye features remain the same. The
newest patterns have but one dart in
aoob front, and this dart extends to the
foot of the garment; the greater num-
her are fastened on the left side, and the
came proportion have long back seams
heoinning on the shoulders; all of them
are plain over the tournure, in Marguer-
;te fashion. Very elaborate polonaises
are seldom of uniform shape; they diff
fer not only in being draped differently
an each side, but their cores are uu-
like; as, for instance, there will be only
one long gore from shoulder to foot,
while all the other forms are cut off
like basques, and have separate skirts.
In others, the two materials that now
enter into every over dress are most If
regularly arranged, one material disap-
nearing suddenly and re-appearing in
an unexpected place, while the other
fabric is found where 1t has never been
used before. Knickerbocker woolens
with tufted threads. wiry camel's-hair
in duadrille designs, soft camels hair
plainly twilled, black silk, black dam
ask grenadine, and the new gazeline
barege'of dark navy blue, are the mate
rails used for these new over dresses.
For the first warm days, when wraps
can be dispensed with, are the camels-
hair polonaises of gray, cream-color,
and drab, with elegant chenille galloons
Of darker shades and fringes of fantas-
tic Moorish designs. For more novel
over dresses for young ladies are the
Knickerbocker and Algerienne wools,
with raised threads of India colors on
cream or blue grounds, or else the mo-
notone gray or brown Knickerbockers,
richly trimmed with knife-pleatings of
silk, Breton embroideries, strings of
pearl buttons, and fringes. Some of
these have large buckles and clasps of
faceted steel for holding their drapery
in place, while others are entirely with
out drapery, hanging plain from the
waist, and still others are caught back
by Breton bands. Black silk polonaises
are made with fat pleatings from the
neck down the middle of the back to
match the fan trains with which they
are worn. Black grenadine polonaises
have large damask figures, are draped
differently on each side, and are caught
up by long-looped bows of black satin
ribbon; the trimming is ruches of
French lace, and jabots of lace with
ends of satin ribbon hanging IN the
shells. The new navy blue gazeline
barege Tor llama wool) is made up with
rich gos grain of the same shade, and
trimmed with a transparent galloon,
and rich fringe in which threads OF
mandarin yellow and the new Vesuve
req are introduced. Light-tinted smok-
ed-pearl buttons are used on both dark
and light cloths.
Cloth dresses of light quality are
made up with position basques and
long over-skirts with square sides and
fatty pleated backs. These dresses are
meant to be very useful and simple,
hence rich fringes are not used, but the
over-skirt has a deep hem or silk facing
from two to three inches wide, above
which is single row of very wide gall
loon. Still others have five or six par
allel rows of sewingmachine stitching
in place of the galloon, and in some in
stances this stitching is of contrasting
color; for instance, Pingat puts pale
blue stitching on brown cloth, manda-
rim on olive, etc.
The increased use of the sewing ma
chine is noticeable on the handsomest
Paris dresses. French modistes were
slow to adopt this great saving of labor,
but they now appreciate it, and use it
IN conspicuous parts of the dress, for
hemming silk pleatings, for stitching
them on, and in various places where
American ladies prohibit it. When
neatly done, there can be no reasonable
objection to this beautiful and substan-
tial sewing, and the Bazar is glad to
chronicle that anything so sensible is to
retain its popularity.
Among other simple and stylish
dresses are those of fine delaine in the
smallest pin-head checks of color on
white. These have q silk skirt with a
Polonaise and sleeveless jacket. A model
that will serve for a description, is Of
broEn and white check on q seal-brown
silk skirt, trimmed with knife-pleatings
OF the silk, and galloon brocaded in
Indian colors and design. The silk
skirt has hounce of the wool from the
knee down, made straight, and edged
on the bottom with rose-leaf pleating of
brown silk. To keep the front of the
dress fiat, this deep hounce has no gath
ers In the front and side breadths, but
Is quite full behind, where it forms a
ian train. The long wool polonaise
also edged with pleated silk has along
Dart in each front reaching to the foot,
brown silk plastron, and white ivory
buttons with brown centres. Just be-