The Portland daily press., 1880-12-17
FRIDAY MORNING. DECEMBER II.

with the end rounded instead of square. A great
many rich dresses have merely demi-trains,
and the most elaborate trains do not measure
more than seventy to seventy-five inches, the
latter being Tor court trains. The short skirts
for full-1ress are confined to very young ladi es
especially to debutantes, but are very much
liked for dancing. A Partisan caprice is to
make low corsage of colored satin with train
OF white brocade opening over petticoat that
is trimmed with colorel ruffies-some pink,
Others blue, and still others greenland to trim
the front with flower garlands in which pink
green and blue appear. Narrow gathered
rutfies of silk or satin bound, or else merely
pinked, are used again on dresses for young
ladies. Soft sashes tied in front are considered
enough drapery for dresses with brocaded pam
els on the sides.
When drapery is used ON long skirts it is
confined to the front breadth and the single
gore on each side, as the back breadths must
hang plain, and fall in rich easy folds. This
draping is merely on the upper part of the
breadths, and often differs on each side, being
Longer on the right than on the left, and is
caught up with great rosette or knot of the
material. The palest cashmeres in blue, Law
ender, pink, or yellow, are made up in pictu-
rescue overdr' sses that are straight, half-long
polonaises, and are called long gowns. These
have revers widely turned back in front, and
FACED with gay brocade or plain satin, and are
trimmed with great deal of coffee colored
lace in frills, kerchiefs and iabots, also wrist
lets. A plain velvet skirt completes tn s pref
ty home dress. The soft Surah satins, very
much shirred are made in close Jersey polo
nalses, and worn with velvet and lace-trmmed
skirts. Natural flowers are used more than
artificial ones, and especially by ladies at
nome. To brighten up dark dresses, large
plush collars, or else velvet collars of gay col
ors-garnet, pale blue or white-are trimmed
with frills of wide yellow lace, and have Su-
rah or white null bows tied at the throat
Pleated null collars, edged with lace are also
dressy and stylish. Long wrinkled gloves of
undressed kid are worn at receptions Feather
fans are chosen for elderly ladies, while those
OF painted silk are preferred for younger ones
White ostrich plumes with amber shell sticks
are among the handsomest fans of the season.
Low slippers, or half-high shoes the color of
the dress are worn with silk stockings of the
same color The couture is as simple and low
as the contour OF the head and the face will
permit, and the flowers or jewelled ornament
are worn in small cluster very low behind
the left ear: even comb, if worn, must be
very low On the knot of hair-not reaching to
the top of the head
Among other graceful styles are princesse
dresses with plastrons of a contrasting material
buttoned on down the entire front; different
plastrons may be used with the same dress by
way OF varying the toilette. A cut paner pat
tern of a dress of this kind will be issued with
our next number. A black velvet dress is en-
riched by shirred and ruffied plastron of
Surah, either black or colored, or else the plas-
tron may be covered with jet For light cash
mere or satin de Lyon dresses the plastron is
brocade in white and gold, or beaded with
pearls, or else it may be shirred satin Surah of
some becoming color, and may be cut open and
square at the top, and trimmed with pleated
lace. The pretty peasant dresses remain in
favor with ladies who have their dresses made
at home, and carry out their own ideas. They
are seen at every entertainment, and are of all
materials, from white satin down. With
great deal of lace about the throat, with sleeves
caught up on the inside seam nearly to the
elbow, with full back to the skirt, and flat
front with sword sash, this is very quaint
and becoming dress. The style is SO simple
that the dress can be easily made at home, and
less material is required for it than for any
other. Ladies boast of buying for $40 enough
brocade and satin de Lyon for such a dress.
Two breadths of brocade meeting at the waist,
opening toward tine foot felled in with satin
fan in front, or sash, and extending to the
full back breadths of plain satin, are liked for
such skirts. Three OF four narrow gathered
ruffies trim the foot stylishly.