The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-07-07
SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 2.
Correspondence of Harper's Bazar.l
Paris fashions.

AT present and during the coming season
fashion will occupy itself in exploring some
OF the mines which it has opened. Colored
embroideries worked with silk on silk gauze, or
with wood on muslin, or with cotton on linen;
corsages. casaques, or polonaises in the Breton
style; large square Louis XIV vests; flowers
scattered in profusion on every thing, even on
parasols, and, to reach the height of luxury,
each flower fashioned SO as to exhale it's own
special perfume, or, better still, natural flowers
on the bonnet corsage, and parasol, and which
are renewed three times day; colored laces,
and even on the simplest collar and cuffs of
linen colored embroidery, executed with cotton
OF various shades; polonaises of all shapes;
princesses robes, high .necked or open, with
drapery in the guise of an over-skirt-these
are part of the themes on which fashion daily
improvises new variations. Without there be-
ing as yet anything decided in so grave a
matter, one can foresee the impending dlsfavor
of pale, faded, and languishing colors, and
their reinforcement by vivid aud even con-
spicuous colors. Already the rage of the
moment is the combination of buttercup yellow
with violet, neither faded nor doubtful, but
fresh and frank. Nevertheless, there are some
very pretty tlnts among the undecided colors
with which We have been surrounded for
several years past but which unfortunately we
have abused and thus brought about the
reaction which is beginning to take place.
Ii from colors we pass to the hair, we find
that the rupture between fashion and very
voluminous and complicated coiffures is almost
an accomplished fact On all sides the simple
couture is regretted or reclaimed, and the
reaction is begun by the young girls, who at
present dress their own locks without single
strand of false hair, a crepe, or any other
accessory, wearing nothing but their own
matt tr1A &c
demands, in the first place, that the neck,
forehead, and ears be exposed. 1t will readily
be comprehended that in order to conform to
this fashion one must not only be very young,
but also extremely pretty. The front hair IS
generally waved, and the back hair is combed
up straight from the neck and arranged in a
knot on the crown. Many young heads wear
their hair in Chinese fashion, with all the hair
combed up and formed into knot on the
crown, or else arranged in large loops, which
are creped underneath to give them more firm
ness. On the forehead the hair is cut to form
fringe, or fat rings, or very small curls
which are called Prisons.
Between the couture and the bonnet there is
but hair. The greater number of bonnets
are of black straw, trimmed with clusters of
strawberries, cherries, or currants, admirably
initiated, and posed with true Partisan taste,
which is lsaying severy thing; but, for all that,
fruits on the couture always seen alarming to
me-the distance from the orchard to the
Kindergarten is so small. We must not flor
get that in 1889 women wore vegetables in
their coifures, and afterward lost their heads.
The new materials are numerous and pretty
Nearly all of them are woven SO as to present
on their surface kind of SOFT impalpable down
which combines the different shades of the ma
terra. These goods, though all alike, change
their names according to the different ware
houses. They are called NeigeuSe, DuUenti ne,
Ilssu GOrie,at, e1otiqae and know not what
But it lis always the same fancy goods with
STRIPES thick or openwork, raised, silken,
twilled, and covered with down or small dots
OF different color. All these goods are man
ufactured with their own special plain mate
rial, which Is employed for the skirt, if silk
does not form paIt of the toilette.
One OF the latestnovelties for summer dresses
is robe with princesse fronts, long pointed
basques In the back, and a drapery in front,
which is fastened on both sides in the seam
continued from under the arms; in the back
the skirt is laid in large perpendicular pleats,
and is fastened under the points of the basque.
The whole garment is in one piece, and is put
on at once. Summer dresses with belted waists
are also announced. In all cases, however,
dresses for the summer made in goods of
cotton, linen, or fine wool, and frequently
open-work, can not conform entirely to the
tight fashions Of last winter. Consequently we
b begin with halt measures, and even
l speak being placed only on the front of
the corsage, and ending under each arm with a
bow of ribbon with short loops and ends.
For elegant seaside toilettes polonaises are
made as follows: Bands of white muslin and
bands of crepe de Chine, blue, rose, mauve or
green; the muslin bands are embroidered with
very fine and silky wool(also a novelty of the
same color as the crepe de Chine with which
they are to be combined. The crepe de Chine
bands return the compliment which is paid
them by the muslin bands, and are embroidered
with white silk, that is, the color of the mus
lin. These bands are then Joined together
always alternately band of white muslin with
band OF rose crepe de Chine. When the
crepe de Chine bands are rose, the polonaise is
worn over a spinach -colored skirt. this being
one OF the latest mode colors. Am L not right
In fearing the incursons of fashion into the
kitchen garden?
There are also polonaises of silk goods, very
pliable and even fimsy, which are termed polo
naises de toute heatre. They are associated with
skirt of black faille, and are designed to be
worn on cold and rainy days, for excursions to
town when one is staying in the country, and
Such polonaises are generally chosen in dark
shades as, for instance, Scabieuse prune, garnet,
etc. Toilettes of two shades, and more fire.
quently!of two different colors, are still the
latest fashion, as they offer an inexhaustible
mine OF ingenious combinations The style
most IN favor just at present consists in opening
the polonaise in the front or back at pleasure
over dress OF different color, invariably
plain, while the material of the polonaise is
fashioned with designs or stripes, or else is
brocaded in thick open-work designs. Bronze
and turquoise blue form the prettiest combina
ton OF colors for this purpose to this should
add, for present tastes, and under the head of
novelties, golden yellow with violet and pale
pink with spinach green.
Pipings take leading place in fashions at
present. They are used in profusion on dresses,
trimming all the outlines, and when very
pretty effects are desired these pipings are
double, each of different color. For instance.
dress of prune color would be trimmed with
double pipings, one of mandarin and one of
tilleul, and SO on.
For the summer, but only for travelling and
seaside dresses, there is manufactured lingerie
OF twllled ecru foulard embroidered with wool
IN bright colors, as, for instance, blue and red,
brown and yellow, green and pink. This lin.
gerie is composed of deep sailor collar edged
with white lace, which is mixed with one of
the colors used for the embroidery Similar
sleeves with cuffs to match the collar
After having had bonnets of flowers, we now
have bonnets made entirely of feathers stripped
OF their stems They are arranged with charm
ing taste, but cannot say 1 admire them. A
woman gains nothing by exchanging her head
for that OF a huge bird. There are also made of
straw, OF all colors without exception, sbonnets
so fiat that they are called platters. In short.
the present fashion does not err through lack of
diversity; but it should take heed lest it lose
unity, without which we have anarchy.
EMMELINE RAYMOND.