Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-24
CHILDREN,s FRoCKs.
How Fashionable People i'm Eng.
land Dress Their Boys and Girls
for Parties.
From the Queen.l

for Parties.
from the Queen.l
OF late years a very decided change has taken
place In juvenile parties. Children no longer
appear in diminutive reproductions of the ball
dresses Of their elders; tues, tarlatans and even
muslinS are rarely seen, and low dresses are
quite In the minority. Cashmere has almost
uSurped the place of all such materials; alpaca
plain and striped velvet intermixed with satin,
corduroy in light colors, soft washing silks and
pOplinS are also In a minor degree patrOnized.
But, whatever the material, English children,
as rule, wear high bodices and long sleeves,
dark stockings mostly bright cardinal or black;
high-heeled shoes, often embroidered on the
toes, and silk gloves of two or more buttons in
preference to kid. The hair Is generally worn
either in two plaits, tied with coored ribbon, or
hanging loosely over the shoulders, fringe In
front, with ribbon bandeau across the head.
Cashmerian and Pompadour ribbons as we'll as
plain satin, are used for these; AlSatian bows
are also worn and sometimes classic bandeauX
formed of rows Of tiny flowers.
But to return to the subject Of frocks The
newest thing of the year are the jersey bodiceS.
Small jerseys for children, and the material in
wool and silk in light colOrs, are to be bought;
but quite the prettieSt dress of the kind we have
was striped with gold, and had a broad gold braid
with ruff OF blonde outlined with gold thread,
at the throat; the same at the wrist; 1t was laced
up the back with gold. The scarf tunic was OF
gold and white striped gauze; the short skirt, Of
Killed white satin, was striped with gold braid.
In England jerseys are generally made up with
cashmere skirts; the scarf tunic silk laced across
the front and sides with a distinct color, such
as red on black, blue or pink on white, maize or
claret on blue-th1S same lacing being also intro
duced on the cuffs on The outside Of the sleeves,
and on the front of the bodice to about four
inches from the neck, the back being also laced
with the same shade.
A very pretty and uncommon frocN for
child four and a half years old, lately worn, was
made in the PrinceSSe fOrm-aS indeed they all
are-of light blue watered silk, with a brown
sash bordered on either side with two-inch-wide
Pompadour ribbon Of the same shade and a
was large collar Of the silk, having a frill be-
yond of the brown ribbon; and it had very
uncommon effect. Sometimes the little dresses
OF watered silk and gold or silver braid; and
very little children occasionally appear In white
muslin pfnaforeS, deliberately trimmed with
lace, and large sash and bows of ribbon on
deal Of lace is worn round the skirts, generally
arranged to peep beneath them, and Is mostly
Breton or point d'espnt some three or four
ve closely Reat edee S1 6e an0 asn
matelasse and white satin are much worn,
the front being entirely of the satin,
gathered at wide intervals. Satin plastrons and
row upon the other, widening towards the hem
OF the skirt, are usual way Of making dresses
for children up to even fifteen years old, and
Russian lace is used to border the satin plas-
irons. When younger children wear white
muslin 1t really is hardly visible for the lace and
lace insertion. Peacock velvet dresses are more
artistic than black, and many OF these are TRIM
med with shaded velvetS.
Each season there is still greater tendency
to dress children boys and girls alike in artistic
garments. Black velvet frocks, with cardinal
sashes and large picturesque collars, for the
girls, and velvet suits, made as nearly as posi-
BILE like the pages dress of the Stuart period, is
the more general guise; but we have seen little
girl In peacock-velvet frock touching the
ground, long sleeves with puff at the shoulder
slashed with yellow, high square bodice with a
double fall OF lace. not at a fancy, but I'm ordi-
nary Juvenile ball. Mothers, sin these cases,
mostly copy the pictures Of ancestors; there Is
no fashion in these dresses, merely taste and
artistic knowledge renuired.