The Portland daily press., 1878-05-17
lHarper's Bazar.]
New York Fashions.

The short princesse dress with scarf Is q
model very popular in Paris for the short suits
worn on the street II Is convenient dress,
because it is all in one piecs and Is so simple
and light that it may bs used for all kinds of
materials. A vest plastron covers the buttoned
front and extends to the top of the scarf SIM
ulating basque. 1t has long breadths from
the neck dowu, with side forms that begin in
the armhoe The fulluess necessary for
the back of the skirt is added in the back seams
far below the waist line and covers the hips.
Some ladies shorten the skirt to the ankles, but
the greater number prefer to have it reach the
insteps. Morning dresses of buff or blue linen
or of linen lawn made in this way have the
edges scalloped and bound with white linen
braid. Scotch ginghams 10 checks or stripes of
two colors, are finished in the same way or
else there are narrow frills of white cambria
wrought with colors to match. Young girls
in their teens have print and percale dresses
made by this pattern. The dress illustrated is
of black wool trimmed with Grape for mourn
ing suit.
The plain sacque and suit with short apron
over-skirt is nice design for plain wool suits
or for inexpensive silk dresses. For wool suits
the sscque may be the same material as the
dress and will bs confined to that suit. Black
silk suits made by this design are useful be-
cause the sacq1e may bo worn with various
dresses. There are also sacques of black, gray
| or brown cloths of light weight made in this
| way for general use. The original suit from
] which the picture is made Is gray wool poin-
| tile with black and trimmings of black faille.
| When made of two materials the sacque may
| be sleeveless and the silk sleeves of the dress
/ Wi W QnO nd
| comfortable fashion for summer. The over
| skirt clings closely to the figure and has
| shorter apron than any the Bazaar has described
hitherto. The wrinkled cores are made to
| gracefully arranged back breadths beginning at
| the belt, Tapped low down to conceal the seam
| of the over-skirt and hanging thence plainly.
| the lower skirt has the fan breadths that are
now added for fullness in the middle Of the
| back.
| The old fashioned French calicoes in chintz
| designs are imported by modistes for making
rlorning dresses and robes de chambre. These
repeat tie palm-leaf and rosebud patterns in
dark mingled colors formerly worn. They will
| be made with yokes and pleated basqUes to be
| worn with a belt, and trimmed with white
| braid and pearl buttons. The robes will also
| have a square yoke and flowing breadths that
! are belted or not at pleasure.
| For ladies in mourning there are dresses and
| wrappers made of black and white barred
| ginghams, and the English calicoes that have
alternate stripes o f gray and black. Kuife-
| plea eatnSs are used for trimming, or else the
| edges are cut open in long slits with two inches
| of space between and then bound with black
| binding.
Canvas grenadiue with small square meshes
| is chosen for nice dresses for mourning, and
trimmed with English Grape. The design Is
similar to the handsome dresses worn by ladies'
| in :colors. For instance, there is grenadine
basque made over silk, with q Grape vest and
| coat-tail back. The sleeves hive deep Grape
cuffs, from which fall pleatings o, black crepe
| lisse; the collar is made to correspond. The
skirt is flowing demi-train, trimmed s,raisht
| down the front with Grape bands, and pltH AT
| ing of Grape borders the foot. Down each
| side is broad panel of plain Grape; the back
| breadths have no trimming.
From the foregoing hints it is evident that
the fashion of making all rich dresses very
simply is fast becoming popular. The plain
petticoat front, the reverse sides. aud the flow
! ing back represent the artistic Henry Deux
! dresses described at the beginning of the sea-
SOD. Now that short skirts are so generally
adopted, trained dresses are made merely with
reference to house wear, and the richest laces
are used for garniture.