Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-11-20
LATEST FASHIONS.

honor after having been neglected for sew
eral years. Doubtless the severity of the
winter abroad last year has had something
to do with the anticipations for the present
season, but certainly Partisan fashions
look more as if they had been prepared for
winter in st. Petersburg than now. We
are under normal conditions, which have
been modified to remarkable degree of
mildness for several years past. What we
shall do with the heavy masses of velvet,
trimmed with broad and deep bands of fur,
should the same moderate temperature pre-
vail through still another season, it is hard
to conjecture. French fashions would be
at discount.
SHORT WOODEN DRESSES.
Every woman who has possessed COM
plete costume of pure wool flannel, or
American suiting (ladies cloth) will bear
witness to the comfort and real enjoyment
experienced in wearing. There is some
thing in the contact and atmosphere of soft
wool which is healthful and attracts health
full influences This last view has been
corroborated by distinguished German
physician and scientist, who not only be-
lieves wooden clothing to be the most
healthful, but cloth from sleeps wool es-
pecially so, and so useful in liberating
noxious influences from the body and at
tracing wholesome ones from the surround
ing atmosphere, as to have an incalculable
effect upon the permanent conditions of
both body and mind. How far the Pro-
fessor's theories are correct it is not the
province OF this present writing to inquire
but the fact is undisputed that plain wooden
suits, particularly flannel, are most pleasant
and soothing and comfortable wear, while
the much mixed and trimmed suits, par
ticularly those that have
METAL oRNAMENTATIoNs,
Are distracting and even irritating to those
who need quiet and have to concentrate
thought. From this point of view the
short, simple flannel suits, untrimmed,
save by stitching and buttons, are boon,
and it is blessing that they are retained,
and in fact have become an almost indis-
pensable part of lady's wardrobe. There
is little that is new in the making. Dresses
of this description don't fellow the fam
tastic changes that characterize "combina-
ton" costumes. They are short, the back
of the skirt straight, and the front killed
or trimmed with an apron, or killed and
shirred with slight drapery at the back.
The bodice may be plain deep basque or
a round waist with a belt. A street gar
ment quite in keeping with the dress Is a
coat tied around the waist with cord and
tassels and finished with coachman's
cape. The hat is straight beaver turned
QUAINT, PRETTY DRESS
OF partly plaid and partly plain wool is
made with very deep kilt-pleating, over
which draped apron is drawn at the
sides, with shirrings, and arranged in
slightly irregular draperied folds at the
back. The sleeves are close and three
quarters long. The bodice is open, heart
shaped, and finished with peasant hand
kerchief Of plain wool. Cuffs of the same
are turned up on the sleeves, and the belt
matches these and the lower killed skirt,
which is, of course, plain. The plain
color should be garnet, the plaid garnet,
old gold and black, and the prettiest finish
to cuffs, collar and belt is some simple pat
tern in embroidery in the colors of the
plaid.
TRIMMING AND LINING.
Fur does not appear as trimming or lin
ing upon the most costly French cloaks,
and its place upon cloth is largely taken
by carpet woven plush, which has long
pile and in which the threads stand up
like bristles, but which is singularly eff
fective. Even for the lining of wraps, fur
is replaced in many instances by striped or
high colored plush, but is used in profusion
upon elegant satin or velvet dresses and
costumes. Plain silk, it may be remarked,
is banished this season from the list of
fashionable fabrics. 1t has been on the
decline for several seasons past, but this
year it does not appear even in combina-
ton. The nearest approach to it is the
satin " sublime" and the satin de Lyon
silks with satin surface the first twilled,
the second corresponding to what was
called "Turkish satin" thirty years ago.
Plain surface satins, which have more or
less cotton or linen mixture in the bar,
have run plain silk as trimming and ele-
ment for combination out of the market,
for at corresponding price it can be OBJ
tanned of more durable and effective quail
ity. But satin of this description does not
enter into the making of
VERY ELEGANT COSTUMES,
And its popular use has even discredited
the richer and more genuine though less
snowy satin fabrics, so that velvet is
eagerly welcomed for costumes and dinner
dresses, and particularly for visiting and
suits. Wine color, pure shade of very
dark blue bronze green, and leaf brown,
are the favorite colors, and they are
trimmed with broad bands of minever, OF
ter, chinchilla and lynx. Natural beaver
o-J la 4al f,,.o rocarxaI for oil
black suits. The street dresses are short
and the back of the skirt straight. Some
of them seem to be composed OF three wide
stripes of fur alternating with three wide
stripes of velvet. The front is formed by a
dress apron, open on one side, the fur
which formed its border carried up and
extending to the waist. The basque will
perhaps be finished by cape, and this
surmounted by a collar as large "a a
polonaise of the fur, and both lined With
yellow or wine. striped plush or satin.
DINNER DRESS
OF wine colored velvet has band of min
ever across the front breadths, over u
quarter of yard in depth. The basque
is a coat with tails which are trimmed with
fur and costly Florentine buttons, and
bands of fur hug the neck, which is open,
heart-shaped and finished with gold lace,
and the top and elbow OF the sleeves, but
not the wrists, which are finished with
deep cuffs of gold lace only. The train is
pleated and plain, with the exception OF
narrow, thick pleating of velvet and an
interior one of satin, hardly perceptible,
the shade of old gold, of the satin which
lines the lappels of the coat
Muffs are made of velvet, with center
of fur to match. The fur trimmings of
suits and the ends consist of double
pleated ruffies of velvet and satin, with an
interior lining of quilted satin. Heads of
animals from which the fur is obtained, are
put to service now. One will be placed on
the side of the muff another set like the
first in a rim, like frame, Of fur, or
feathers, so as to enlarge it, is attached to
the side of the dress as chatelaine.
Count PoURTALEs. OF the late Count
Pourtales, of the Cambridge Museum of