The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-24
NEW ORLEANS FASHIONS.

NEW ORLEANS FASHIONS.
The materials in dress goods which will
obtain for spring and summer wear are prln-
cipally bourrettes. There are bourrette wool
ems and camels hair of sheer texture, bou-
rette silks and gauzes, and calicoes and
lawns. Everybody will probably have bou-
rette of some sort, If 1t is only ribbon,
which latterly begins to display the bourrette
effect, One of the prettiest of these gaudy
patterns is double woven fabric in grounds
of drab, gray, fawn or sage, with dashes OF
black or some distinctive dark color In the
warp, and mixed cord in the wool, breaking
out here and there, irregulary, in cloths OF
silk floss, such as display eolors OF rose,
orange, scarlet and Mexique blue, that give
life and glow to an otherwise sombre or neu-
tral surface Suited to tastes less gay, the
relief in the stripes appears in black and
white, brown. navy blue, and other of the
colors in vogue. For wear through the
earlier weeks of spring there are modlfica-
tions Of bourrette, which, in texture, SO closely
resemble the Scotch tweed of gentlemen's
wear that they may be readily mistaken for
the latter manufacture. They are, for the
most part. in quiet colors:
THE EoRU TINTs, GRAYs, BROWNS AND
BLACKS.
being comming1ed in small check patterns,
with the effect of basket-cloth, a suspicion OF
livelness being sometimes apparent in o pat
tern in which there ore single threads OF
Nexique blue crimson or yellow.
A return to an old fancy Is seen in the Mert.
eni,,e grenadines, and the lately developed
tolerance of brilliant hues in the Indian and
Persian colors introduced. An effective pat
tern has the ground of pale straw color, with
the narrow warp stripes Of q lovely and deli.
cate shade OF olive while the heavy wool
stripes Of raw silk are in mingled colors o.
blue. old gold and Vulcan red. A black ground
Is checkered by stripes OF the most vivid
shades of orange, crimson black and ciel
blue. Another pattern shows tilleul ground
with tufts Of ciel blue, crimson and yellow, A
groundwork Of pale, clear MeSique blue has
stripes of blue, tileul and crimson.
Damask silk grenadines present contrast
to the above daphanous textures.
DESIGNS IN CUBES, HExAGoNs, PENTAGONs,
and other geometrical figures, and designs in
Grecian and Arabesque tracery vary the 1oria-
tions of the last season. Silks OF light quality
with bourrette figures are offered Tor spring
costumes, or as parts of combination suits.
These are more stylish than checked or
striped silks, but they do not wear so well. as
the raised figures are apt to fray; they serve,
however, for season, or as long as the cap
all the dark olors-drab, gray. blue, brown:
and green, as well rs black. Plain silks OF
colors to match and suitable to combine with
these are sold for 81 to 81 rs q yard.
when entire suits were made OF plain gros-
grain, hence they are very much reduced in
price at the first class houses. Very good
black silks can now be had at 81 50 q yard,
while those for
PLAIN LOWER SKIRTS
cost even less. Few ladies use for these skirts
silks of the same quality as those OF which
the waist overslxirt and ruf1les are made, and
many of the most tasteful modistes employ
merely sham skirts OF paper muslin. The
latter plan Is not as Objectionable as former
ly. now that overdresses are made SO cinglng
that thew cannot be lifted without spelling
their trim effect.
Cashmeres and serges, grenadines and per-
Gales come in all the soft, light spring colors,
and bunting, in solid colors has taken Its place
proved this in the better qualities as ser
vicable and comfortable dress material. The
poorer goods fray easily and do not pay for
the making New linen lawns and organizes
ming, or in gay, lowered designs. One, is
bright with crimson moss-rose buds, another
is covered with blue forget-me-nots, another
has a cluster of green fern leaves Tor design,
and yet another looks as though
A SHOWER OF BLOSSOMS
had fallen at RANDOM upon IL. lueSe Sueel
muSlins are to be used as OverdreSSeS over
half-worn silks, or combined with Organdles
of solid color for suits to be worn during warm
summer weather.
The position basque is once more in favor,
and the cuirass is more popular than that
with pointed, or square back and front, and
Sloped away on the hips. The neckS are as
high as possible, coming almost up to the
chin and under the ears. Sleeves are close to
the hand or short to the elbow, and the coat
sleeve continues the orthodox shape. The
skirts of costumes cling more closely than
ever The front and side cores are perfectly
plain, and the back breadths are very narrow
the train being added below the knee. Blouse
waists can be fashioned In most charming
forms, with great
VARIETY OF DECORATIONS,
and will, it is predicted, be most popular
through the summer. Some have Jokes,
with plated or shirred backs and fronts;
others have the fullness extending to the
style, while the Carmen which has plaitings
to the neck, both back and front, has quaint,
square collar, Stimulating a yoke, but more
easy and graceful, particularly ii fin1shed with
The polonaise is still very popular; on some
models, it is furnished with belt of plated
silk which is fastened under bow or buckle
in front; mere glimpses OF the skirt are
revealed. anticipating is still the favorlte
mode for trimming skirts; it is employed in
several rows, and applied IN shells either
overlapping or reversed.
MELON-PLAITING
has again been revived as a garniture for
skirts, while single, double and triple box
plaits are all very fashionable.
A very handsome street costume was of
plain and figured fine silk-and-wool material
in beautiful shade OF leaf-brown, the fig
ured goods tiecked in a bourrette patter with
dashes of green and orange. These two
materials are used in combination, and con-
sist of long polonaise and train skirt The
latter Is trimmed around the lower edge with
a Matted finunce made nacrayr In front. and