The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-12
THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY ls.
(Hsrper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.

New York Fashions.
the full, nearly straight skirt will be used
for both house and street, and for nearly all
materials; it is liked for wash goods and thin
fabrics because the seams are sonearly straight
and for valuable velvets and satins because 1t
does not cut up the fabric The front breadth,
which is the only gored breadth, is so narrow
at the top that it fits smoothly without gath
ers; the widths next this are slightly gathered
at the top in single row Of gathers, while the
greater fullness Is massed at the back, and
held In as many rows OF stirring as the wearer
chooses TO use. No trimming is required for
such skirts, and the shape is so simple that it
Ia an easy matter 10 make them at home;
moreover, they are economical, as when they
form part Of short suit, from fourteen to six
teen yards are required, instead of twenty to
twenty-five, as was formerly the case. French
taste, it is said, will combine wool and cotton
stuffs so successfully for the spring that silk
will no longer be required as foundation for
most costumes
The skirtsd coats An coat basaues now so
season, and pretty change is added to such
garments by introducing full-gathered
guimpe of the material above the double
breasted, buttoned part, and between tie
notched collar, which is merely revers get
on. A high fraise of white lace and great
cravat bow la Sara Bernhardt, much larger
even, than those now worn, comp lete such
toilettes. Still simpler designs will be used
for the spring woollen fabrics that are noted
below, and among these will be the surtout
overdress SO popular during the winter for
cloth costumes. This is shaped precisely like
a gentlemaR's surtout overcoat, is merely
stitched on the edges, and will be much used
for street and travelling costumes but is not
appropriate for house dress. Ladies who
have long polcnaises laid aside from past sea
sons, especially those made double breasted
can easily shape them into surtouts by taking
out all the drapery, fitting the back smoothly
opening the middle seam below the waist, and
inserting long lapel in the seams that join
the size forms to the middle forms OF the back.
Square pocket flaps set on the hips at the
waist line, and two large buttons to define the
waist in the side form seams, with machine
stitching on the edge, are all the trimmings
needed. Such garments are now made of
black velvet, which shows red satin or old gold
facing, and many Of black satin de Lyon are
made to wear over full straight skirts of bro
cade or Of black velvet. Chuddah shawls of
light cream and drab shades are used to make
surtouts for the spring to wear with corduroy
or velvet skirts
Heiotrope is the new color to be introduced
IN, sill he Atnn nd
1t is defined as false purple by the merchants,
and is precisely the rosy purple seen in the
newly blown heliotrope. Next this is coach
mans drab, which includes several of the light
cream brown shades used for coachmen' s liv-
cry; these shades will be used in wool suits of q
single color and entirely of one material. made
up simply with surtout and full skirt for
walking and travelling dresses. Green shades,
such as bronze, olive, and the darkest bottle
green, will be much used in combinations
with figured stuffs; this is also true Of the JAP
anese blue shades that are popularity known as
peacock and gendarme, also the turquoise and
sapphire blue tints.
Albatross cloth is the dealers name for
soft, fine quality Of French bunting which is
largely imported this year i'll the new colors
just described; the surface is smooth, that is,
not twilled, and the quality is lighter than the
fabric formerly called mousseline de laine it
is shown in pale blue, heliotrope and COACH
mans drab. to be made up over skirts Of black,
purple or seal brown velvet. French buntings
are again largely imported, and the finest are
given crape-like effect that is new. Figured
silk and wool stuffs brocaded in the gayest
Japanese colors and designs are imported of
as light quality as the French bunting, and are
meant to be used as draperies with the plain
bunting; ten yards of plain bunting with six of
figured wool, are sold for suit. Cancels
hair, India cashmere, coteline, and Chuddah
cloths are shown in white, ecru, Satsuma and
pale blue shades, also in the new tea-colors,
like sage green, to be used for whole suits, or
else in combinations like those already de-
scribed The newest mels-hairs, as well as
other twilled stuffs are smoother, with fewer
loose threads Of the fleece, than those formerly
used Lace-striped buntngs, and bars of lace
work like hem-stitching are also imported.
The wool Daeldnges are not heavier than hunt
ing, and are very quantity colored; they are
neither plain nor figured, but are alternating
dashes of two colors, each having only a few
threads; thus pale blue is with olive, pink with
green, gray with blue, and green with cream
color; twilled woods in cashmere weight and
heavier diagonals are also shown in similar
melanges. Diagonal cloths neither too heavy
nor too light for summer sui,s are principally
seen in the new livery shades, and will be
made up in the simplest manner Checked
cloths of light quality initiate the English
homespuns in their peculiar colors, but have
pale blue or green to enliven the sombre olive
and seal brown shades used in the checks
these will be used for summer travelling dresses
. and there are gray-blue checks for yachting
suits The fancy plaid woolens for children's
dresses are not in the colors of the Scotch tar
tans but in gay French combinations. Armure
woollens are shown in all the new colors and
in various qualities and will be used both for
ladies' and for children's dresses Large loz-
enge-shaped figures and polka dots of satin are
brocaded in gay colors on fine wool goods OF
quiet dark shades; still others are pointiLe in
self-color. that is, they have the merest specks
of satin strewn over the wool snrface. The
richest brocaded woods have the most delicate
colors for the ground, such as salmon, pink,
ciet blue cream, and white, and the figures are
dark, rich shades of dull red, sapphire blue,
heliotrope, and old gold; the newest combina-
ton is heliotrope ground with the quaint fig
ures in pale blue, dark yellow, and dull red ;
drab grounds are strewn with blue and red fig.
ures, while tea-colors are overcast with red
and green.
A great deal of lace will be used in spr ing
and summer millinery For black lace it is
said the Spanish blonde with its heavy de-
signs will rival the lighter Breton lace, as all
Spanish fashions and colors will be popular
In white lace Malines Tor Mechlin) lace is
being largelysimported in the woven qualities
to $1.45 yard in trimming widths This lace
has designs similar te the English thread lace
so much used by our erandmothers, but which
lost favor when the French Valenciennes be-
came known; now it is in turn displacing the
Valenciennes. The Languedoc lace with it's
corded figures darned in. is probably the most
popular Of the inexpensive laces used at pres
emit; it is especially liked in very deep ccru
tintg when it really looks like old lace