The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-09-27
THURSDAY MORNING, SEPT. ~.

especially for young ladies. The hack dra-
peres will be fiat-cORant, the French say-as
opposed to the bouffant or pulled dra-
peres lately worn. These fiat idraperies are
not merely worn. These fat draperies are not
merely straight breadths: on the contrary
quite as much material is put in them as 1or-
merry, but it is laid liz fiat pleats or crossed
IKE scarfs and banded there, or else held
Gown by bows in clinging folds that add moth
ing TO the size of the wearer, and indeed often
make the back quite as fiat as the 'front.' The
side or panel trimmings are very popular in
Paris, and will doubtless be adopted here
Worth places parallel rows of fringe and clair
de lime or other beaded galloon across side
cores, or else he arranges the galloon in pyra-
midal form with bands of the same covering it.
There are sometimes more folds and wrinkles
in the tabler than in the back, while quite as
frequently tnere is no apron, but merely trim
ming suggesting one. Pleatings in the corsage
are so popular that they have found their way
INTO polonaises, extending down front and
back over the hips, making the garment fit
snugly there, and forming full draperes below.
Ihese pleats take their origin about the shout
ders under square yoke; hence one of the
novelties is the pleated polonaise with a yoke.
Such dresses are imported from the best French
houses, made up in dark camePs-hair and
bourette, with short skirts trimmed with a
single deep peat;ng. A fichu scarf of most
graceful design is made of the dress material
and completes an exceedingly neat and tasteful
suit. The ouly trimming is many rows of
machine stitching and side-pleating. There is
tendency to use wider pleating than formerly,
though some of WoIth's handsomest dresses
still have Tapped rows of knife pleating. es-
peciaily when two materials are used; thus
combination dress of black silk and satin has
three inch knife-pleating of silk, then one Of
satin, and wider row of silk pleating held
down by satin fold.
Corsages take the mostE varied habit shapes
even in princesse dresses. ALI the plastrons,
Breton vests, revers, and fichu ornaments are
seen again, and but one thing seems obligatory.
which is, that the trimmings shall be as fiat as
possible and add nothing to the apparent size
of the most slender figure. When first exam
lining new costume it is difficult to say
whether it is a polonaise or basque with over
skirts, as there are so many compromises be-
tween long basques and the new habits called
here pol0naises; it quite often proves to be nei-
Their, but princesse dress which merchants
call prlncesse costume, because it gives the
effect of an overdress. The long Louis Quinze
vest and the Breton vest closed in the middle
are seen on many new dresses. on polonaises as
well as on basques. The habits with fiat, long
or square coat tails are very handsome when
made of rich materials, but are rather severe in
their outlines for simple stuffs. Bias silk folds
in long perpendicular clusters are added to the
back and front of plain basques to give the ap-
pearance of pleated basque. One Frencby
touch in such dresses is to have ribbon belt
and bow with ends crossing these pleats Jack
and front, but stopping there instead of passing
around the waist entirely. The gray-blue clair
de tune beads are much used for trimming black
and other dark silks. fhey come in expensive
galloons with straight edges, and also in the
stereotyped passementeries of vine and flower
designs. Worth sends black silk dresses with
basques and demi-trained skirts. trimming the
edge of the front breadth with pleatings, put
ting panels of clair de lame galloon on the side
almost at the foot with long-looped bow and
beaded ornaments. Other more elaborate
black dresses are partly silk, partly satin, with
festooned scarf drapery of stamped velvet
edged with fringe. Buttons are very large
and fiat, with eyes in the middle; they are
quite as often of pearl or metal as of silk or
velvet.
The rough-surfaced yet soft, flexible stuffs
Tor dresses have already been described. The
fabrics hitherto known as bourettes have in
creased IN number and name, and merchants
are fast making familiar such titles as Plevna
lmperials Servian cloth, Turkish wool, nei-
geuse, polntille, jongleur and chenille or plush
cloth: These are all wool or else partly silk
mere dots or flakes of color on very dark
grounds. The solid drabs, browns and grays of
last years costumes are seldom seen In their
. places are remarkable naelanges showing oddly
blended colors like the rich and irregular hues
seen on the wrong side OF India shawls,
or the right side of Turkish rugs
Sometimes the myrtle green or navy blue
ground on which these colors are thrown DOM
mates and gives tone to the whole, but more
often it is problem what color prevails; hence
there is the greatest liberty used in the trim
ming and IN the material chosen for combining
with the toughest surfaced woods. Some of the
most.elegant of these wool fabrics cost Sc a
yard, but they may be found in less elaborate
colors and OF lighter weight as low as 81 a
yard. The double-fold stuffs, measuring forty
SIX or torty-eight inches in width, are most
largely imported, and are most serviceable in
cutting costumes of the present style. The
materials described in Madame Raymond's last
letter from Paris are already found in New
York.
A novelty for ladies' over dresses is called
french cord. and SO closely resembles the cor
duroy worn by gentlemen that it will probably
be known as corduroy, Notwithstanding the
protest OF merchants against SO fine stuff
having so common a title 1t is all wool, in
lengt1wise-cut reps, and is shown in drab,
gray, Down, and navy blue 1t is imported in
long polonaises and in habit basoues with deem
overskirts richly trimmed with plush bands OF
with fur. 1t will be used for handsome travel
ing suits in bridal trousseaus, and for morning
and shopping dresses
Among. the colors most seen are various
snades OF moss green, olive and bronze. As
these hues are not becoming to all, there are
blue, brown and black grounds frightened by
knots, threads, dots and dashes of bright scar
let cardinal, pale sky blue, old gold, and the
vlvld imperial yellow. The soft raw silks and
the heavier brocades and damasses have the
ground lighter than the small figures upon it,
and often in contrasting color, as pale blue
grounds for cardinal flowers, cream-coor for
myrtle green leaves,s and flesh pink for olive
brown. A great many materials are imported
Tor dress trimmings to be cut up in side cores,
panels, pockets, vests, and collars, and tn ese
dresses dispense with all GALLONS, ppings, and
Iringes These trimming stuffs resemble che
nile and plush; they have cut threads forming
deep pile, yet SO secured that they are not east
~ drawn out, and the colors are as beauti-
fully shaded as if done by an artists brush.
One very quaint fabric for this purpose has