The Portland daily press., 1878-03-28
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH 20.

like scarfs, trim them all around with galloon
and lap them to and fro upon each other.
Small fichu capes, mantelets and the Carrick
fichus accompany such polonaises. The Car
rick hchu represents three capes in the back.
where it reaches to the waist and is knotted at
the belt in front.
10 alter basque of last season is still easier.
The front can be cut off quite short to prevent
the ungraceful wrnkling that long smooth
cuirass bssques take on when the wearer is sit
ting. Then put a silk folded belt or belt of
four folds OF silk, in the seam under the
arms, or else in the further seams Of the side
form, and fasten the belt In front, leaving the
back or only part of the back without any
belt; the back is then cut quite square and from
quarter to q half yard in length below the
waist line. Another trimming, not especially
new, but very much used this spring by French
dress-makers, is a vest of pleated silk laid on
the front of the basque its entire length: some
times the middle forms of the back of the
basque are also covered with this lengthwise
pleating. Again there are handsome wooden
substantially of black camel's hair made with
pleated basque and single silk skirt trimmed
with camel s-hair to represent an apron The
basque has three pleats in each front and each
back; the edges are uDtrimmed, the belt and
sleeves are OF silk aud the collar is in sailor
shape. The apron is one full width of cancels
hair drawn back to revers of silk that meet on
the tournure and fall open below to allow a
fan train Of black silk to escape; this fan train
is part OF the lower skirt, aud is untrimmed; q
knife-pleating is across the foot of the three
front breadths. For such dress it is useless
to extend the silk all the way up the three
front breadths; cambria foundation shaped
like these hreadths is faced ten or twelve inches
with silk at the foot, and above this the cancels.
hair apron covers the cambria and is sewed in
with it to the belt. -r, r7 rt-
To trim the foot of silk dresses new fancy
Is to make hounce on q cluster of ten or
twelve knife pleats, then put three box pleats
each an inch wide, and again knife pleated
cluster. Such hounces are from six to eighC
inches deep when finished, are cut straight
across the silk, and it is quite the custom to
hem the edges on the sewing machine, though
many OF the best dress-mak prohibit the
use OF machine sewing on any part of silk
dress where this sewing is visible. We have
already spoken of the kilt-pleating sewed on
above the knee to give the effect of an entire
kilt skirt. Lately imported dresses have this
pleating made much smaller than kilt pleats,
yet not SO fine as knife pleats, and when two
shades of silk are used for piping the dress
two similar shades are used in alternate clusters
OF plests around the bottom. Large collars
silk dresses that will be used for summer, and
the neck and wrists of the dress are fini shed
with row Of loops of narrow ribbon the color
of the dress.
For costumes to be worn in the morning very
thick linen that is at the same time light and
fine is used, and trimmed in frills embroidered
IN high colors, especially in red or blue with
black. Cream-color and greeuish-gray tints
are chosen in these linens. They are made
with Jokes and pleated basques; the over
skirts are embroidered scarfs, and Charming
little fchu also embroidered, accompanies each
suit Some of these linens have light damask
figures which appear only in the over dress,
while the skirt is plain, and has deep pleat-
ing to suggest kilt. Striped sheer lawn
dresses are made up just as these thick,linens
are, but are ornamented with knife-pleated
frills. They also have pretty fichus or Clarissa
Hsrlowe ecarfs. with pleated frill for trim
ming. ls ~
The Scotch and Madras gipgham dresses are
cnarmlngly cool and fresh-looking. The bars
ana stripes are of two or three colors on
white ground, and the new combinations of
colors are adopted. One avorite pattern is
pale blue and olive green on white; another is
scarlet with eeige-color; third, Pompadour
bottle green and white plaid. The trim Mugs
are the Russia laces, lighter than Smyrna, and
In colors to match the dress, or else white en-
broidery is used.
The new parasols prepared for spring have
last summer. They are of medium sizs. meas
urlng about eighteen inches down the rib,
which is slightly smaller than they have been
OF late. The sticks are long and slender, and
the top piece Is OF simple shape and only two
and half inches in height. Black and beige
colors are most used. The favorite material is
the soft twilled silk called Levantne, and also
pongees. Most parasols are lined with silk of a
contrasting color or with white, or else with
darker shade of the outside color; the lining is
kept separate on the outside and its edges are
pinked. The finish for the outside Is large
scallops boand securely, and in the indentation
between the scallops is loop and end of mar
row ribbon hanging like fringe. Others are
trimmed with plata silk fringe, and some with
whalebone fringe. A long lOoped bow of rib
bon on the top is fastened very securely.
Black Levantine parasols lined with white
cream-color, or cardinal red are very handsome
when finished with whalebone fringe. The
Iacaqered and the plain ebony sticks are very
much admired. Black, red, and yellowish
bamboo sticks lacquered with gold are imported
from Japan. Some of the dull unpublished
ebony handles are quite massive, with a bar at
the end, or hook, and are inlaid with ivory or
pearl. Many yellow ivory and pearl handles
are shown with silver or gold tips. There are
also carnelian, amber and natural wood
handles. Ladies' in mourning choose ebony
handles. Sun umbrellas of the incest Qualities
are made without the silver ring and TIPS that
formerly held the ribs close to the stick; the
ribs of paragon frames are now curved near
the lower end In way that makes them re-
main close to the handle without needing the
ring. Misses parasols are Of small size in the
designs and colors used for ladies. Few dam
ask parasols are shown at present, and the
styles are less pronounced than they were last
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