Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-09-02
FASHIONS.
A FEW FEMININE FANClES !
Woman's Rights and the Com
ing Bonnet.
S0ME. NEW SURPRISES +"
Ginghams Succeeded by WooIens--
Pushes and Velvets--StyIish
Designs in Short
Dresses.
FASHIONABLE INFORMATION (!
special correspondenee of State Journal


Special Correspondence of State Journal
NEW YORK, August 2S.-"Woman's
| rights was never better exemplified than
in the new bonnet, where we are going to
! do Just as We please. At least in the way
of size and shape, for they range from
small, close fitting specimens, to such as
are really formidable creations. In gen
| eral, the bonnets are small and hats large,
but this does not obtain universally and
| one can have quite monster of bonnet
if one wishes it. Large frames are made
still larger, by coverings of long, silky
plush; heavy looking feather, bands, birds
heads and breasts are added as trimmings
or prolonged ostrich plumes give appar-
emily increased dimension to what would
seem to require process of subtraction
rather than addition. Flowers are almost
| ignored and the very few used are heavy
in appearance-velvet leaves attached
to close-made threads of colored silk
| pressed together. Exclusive milliners have
not imported any felts, but nevertheless
they will be worn because they are too
useful to be given up. Velvet laid plainly
on the frames is seen, and occasionally
satin, but both are apt to be combined
with plush for plush is the material for
fall and winter millinery. In fact we
sometimes see strings of plush with bow
tied under the chin or plush bands are
| caught in bow on the bonnet, and you
can imagine how heavy this must be. In
view of all this, plush is brought out in all
the new colors to match dress goods, and
\ We find plum, bronze and olive green's,
| garnet and gems d'a'nle and turquoise
nht aNxy nft 1al
silk is sometimes used for trimming being
in broad double widths for strings, or
| change is given by ribbon, gros grain,
| satin or brocaded, which is sometimes as
| wide as broad sash ribbon. One can infer
| from this that effects in millinery are
characterized by richness rather than
beauty.
The surprising ginghams of the summer
have been succeeded by equally surprising
woolens. They are brought out in great
handkerchief squares, often As inches each
way, and the salesman says to you, $50
much the square," not $50 much the
| yard" as in ordinary goods. Sometimes
the interior of the square is dark, solid
color, with wide, plaided border, or,
| again, it is filled in with small checks, and,
from such beginnings, there is a variation
| of idea in every imaginable form, until
| the borders disappear and we observe
materials woven throughout in plaids of
| greater or less size, until small indistinct
checks are reached. The latter are often
| with rough surface, and, falling under the
head of cheviots will be very fashionable
| for general wear. Unquestionably these
| plaided woolens took their rise from the
bandana style of year ago, but now they
are different, by reason of an entire change
of color. The French have arranged all
that for us, and, in place of bandana
colors, we have rich plum shades,
garnet, bronze green, olive,
| gems darme, turquoise ard marine
blues, golden yellows and new reds.
Everything, however, is not bright, for
many of the new woolens in pronounced
handkerchief patterns are very grave in
hue. Bordered woolens are also quite
new. These are of dark, solid color,
but with border on each side one
narrow for the corsage the other, wide
for the skirt. Here we observe many
varieties of color and pattern. Not a few
are plaided but great number are striped
and chiefly in gold, blue or red, show
effectively on dark surfaces. Handsome
woolens, however, display self-colored
borders, some of which are in floral
patterns wrought in silk tie stripes above
mentioned are likewise frequently silk
woven and there are cameo designs where
formal figures set In rows show upon
groundworks in deep shades of plum,
bronze, green, blue, &c. Brocades of
silk and wool appear and often now will
compose the entire costumes with furnish
ings of plain material.
Satin which has been so fashionable as
to oyershadow velvet is now, though
highly esteemed, reduced to secondary
position. Velvet again leads, and this
because the richest materials of the
season are wrought with velvet leaves on
satin surfaces and plain velvet, introduced
in colors to match, will be worn in COM
bination. Novel fabrics display alternating
stripes of velvet and plush. This brings
up again the subject of plush and it is a
fertile one for there is going to be rage
for it, OF course, it must be lightened by
admixtures Of satin or velvet, for an
entire dress of such fabric would be
adapted only to an esquimaux. Scarce
admitting of being draped, it
will be appropriate as bands,
pipings, underskirts, &c, but always
and everywhere united with some less
neavy fabric. Enough can hardly be said
of its use in millinery, for it will be plush
|
plays of airoeiously bad TASTE as where
for example a very stout woman shall
essay costume of material devised to ex-
aggerate tenfold her natural defects, for
there are elways some whose looking
glasses seem never to teach lesson.
But for thin people, this incoming of
plush is huge benefit. Let them de-
light in it and wear costumes as largely
composed of it as Fashion will allow.
For ladies of redundant proportion there
is always loophole somewhere. No
matter what may be stylish, they should
consider problems of subtraction rather
than addition. To such an one plush
hat or costume is an abominatlon, and
should be so regarded.
The advent of cool weather will in no
wise effect short dresses, for there are
new and stylish designs presented. One
of these is the Gilds, with deep side
plated underskirt and polonaise; another,
the Elgiva which has a long cutaway coat.
The Isaline is a pretty model for one of
the independent coats now so much liked,
and as a tasteful, yetquaint polonaise, the
Aueandine can be recommended.
Ehrich's Fashion Quarterly is out earlier
than usual this season and is fuller than
ever before of information in every depart
ment of the retail trade. The chief merit
of this publication is that its readers are
enabled not only to purchase goods from
its publishers, but to shop anywhere in
the United States, with a clear understand
ing of what is most desirable and what
prices should be paid. Reviews of every
department in household affairs are SO
searching and accurate that no lady can
forget what is needed and thus each years
purchases can be made with an ease and
facility not otherwise possible. Fifty
cents year is little enough for such a
periodical but, nevertheless, the publishers
have issued premium list, showing sew
eral ways by which the magazine may not
only be obtained for nothing, but profit
can be made. This premium list will be
sent free on application to Enrich Bros,
Eighth avenue, New York. Such an offer
will deserve attention.
RosALIND MAY.
General b. T. Butler addressed a large