Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-10
THE DAILY RECORD UNION.
A FASHION LETTER.
THE LATEST STYLES IN DRESSES. HATS
AND BoNNETS.
The Kind of Goods in Fashion-Trim-
mings- Running to Lace-Para-
-Bric-a-Brac.
SAN FRANcIsco, April !, 1880.

SAN Francisco, April 7, 1880.
Full fashions are now supposed to have
blossomed, and dressmakers are busy with
orders for spring suits. But the season is
backward in asparagus and peas, and so it
is in fashions. The majority are getting
the last wear out of their winter wardrobe,
and others have adopted sort of half-and-
half style to fill in with until real weather
comes. Everywhere | see the light cloak
and the black dress, black gloves and para
sol, which have been worn with good effect
all winter, whole suits being as yet too
cold for our late springs. However, there
are suggestions which she who runs may
read, and those who know are always kind
enough to tell what is to be- Skirts are no
wider than usual, being four yards round.
There is tendency toward the hoop again,
but as yet when worn it is very small
To prevent the skirt from striking the feet
a copper wire, not too stiff, is put around
the bottom with piece OF tape, ending at
the side seams. 1t is bent and curved or
lies in large pleats here and there, follow
ing the natural folds OF the dress. The
idea also of
FANCY SLEEVES
Will gain ground, and of trimming where
the sleeve sets into the dress. The sleeve
will be shirred, pulled, and ornamented
with bows. What if one should really see
again the old mutton-leg sleeve of our
mothers? There is a pretty fancy called
illumination, which consists in lighting up
a costume by a flash of bright color. Thus
black is so much worn. A black dress will
then have narrow pleating of dark red
satin at the bottom, its pockets and cuffs
and collar or revers will be lined with the
same, its overskirt when slashed will
show a suggestion, and yet it is all to seem
lust a touch here and there nothing gaudy
or snowy, as might perhaps seem from the
reading. A dress of maroon velvet is illu-
minated with satin of old gold, and while
it may seem fashy it has nothing startling
about it. Sometimes, instead of pleating at
the bottom, the swinging folds of the dress
reveal the illumination in half-moons. We
have not quantities of
DRAPER1,
But what we have is artistic in its effects,
being gracefully shawl-pointed, or hung to
simulate waves, or dropped in handker-
chief-folds, as handkerchief will natu-
rally depend from the hands when held
loosely between the fingers. We may well
look for grace when natures curves and
droopings are thus patterned. Scarfs and
mantles are largely used, being always
artistic The overskirts are quite short,
many opening in front or on the left side,
or, as mentioned before, are frequently cut
in slashes and illuminated. When opening
at the side the drapery, in small folds, is
carried upon the right side. The under
skirt being thus exposed to view admits of
much trimming either shirring, large box
pleats or sometimes lengthwise trimming
Quantities of shirred satin trim the front,
often lying in regular shirrings between
the open overskirt, and ascending to the
throat vest-shape. Surtouts or redingotes
are made with suits, but little capes and
fancy fchus will be worn with warmer
weather. Throughout all dress goods
THE ORIENTAL
Runs-cashmere figures, palmleaf, peacock
feather, Persian These make pretty cos
tunes laid upon silk foundation-tha is,
begin with last years silk and build upon
it for a new dress, taking the stylish and
Oriental for the outside garments. In
plain goods, the fashionable colors are mas
tic, the darker blues and heliotrope, to be
made in combidation with Turk satin,
chene, fancy embroidery and chenille.
Heliotrope is properly delicate pinkish
purple, Just blush laid over the violet,
but popularity it embraces all the shades
and tints of purple. One dress at Easter
shone Respondent of heliotrope silk elabo-
rately mounted with velvet The bonnet
matched and the gloves were cream. Ecru
was the most becoming to the multitude
of all the colors that ever ragged, and as a
consequence it cannot be entirely done
away with. We find it cropping out every
where, but it is now universally called
cream.
NEW LACE,
Known as Lauguedoc, takes the place of the
old ecru lace, sometimes, run with silver or
gold threads, but oftener tinged by straw
of deeper or fainter ecru. Crepe lisse also
comes in the old softening cream. Dress
ings for the neck are higher and fuller,
quite puff of lace now filling the neck al
most to the ears. No face, plain or pretty,
ever looks so well as when set amidst the
yellow of lace. To go with this the hair,
in time, must again be brought high, but it
is still low and dropping, with crimps upon
the face. A very pretty little blonde | met
the other day wore hers uncut upon the
forehead, but crimped in large, plain waves,
brought simply behind the ears, with a
cluster of curls fingers length in the
neck But the fashion is to wear your
own hair, without great elaboration of any
sort, unless one may call beau catchers .
elaboration, and these, especially among
young girls, are almost universal. | was
shown
TWO PICTURES
Not long since which were of interest.
One was of Mrs. Langtry, the Jersey
Lily and London lion of beauty. Being
copy the photograph was dull, dead and
white, but the face had an expression OF
great sweetness and modesty. The picture
might be fifty ehristened simplicity. The
dress was as plain as could be, revealing
the neck and arms, and one hand held
poised upon it a bird. The hair was cut
all round the face in short .locks and
frizzled, and the rest brought to small
and evidently real pug low down in the
neck at the back. The other was that OF
another London beauty-Mrs. CORVALLIS
West-clad in white furs, with the head OF
a large dog upon her knee The face was
pretty, the pose coquettish, and smile
which refused even in photograph to de-
generate into smirch, disclosed the teeth.
| should like much to see this famous Jer-
sey suiting which Mrs. Langtry wears, be-
cause they say it adapts itself to the form
in spite OF the dressmaker, fitting it per
fectly. For the present
THE TURRAN
Is the favorite shape in hats, or styles ap-
preaching it. While sweet violets are IL
bloom we may look for wide wreaths o.