The Portland daily press., 1881-02-10
PRICE 3 CENTS.
New York Fashions.
1Harper's BaZar.1

/
The first importations of Spring goods are
not the light woolen fabrics that win be worn
In the earliest Spring d,ys. but rather the
wash goods that are made into house and street
dresses to be worn in the warmest weather.
These inexpensive fabrics are purchased in the
late Winter months, so that ladies can make
them up at home during the leisure of Lent,
when the dressmaker has plenty of time, and
because they are made in simple designs more
with reference to being easily laundried than
to the latest styles the modistes may bring
back from Paris in March or April Two fea-
lures are noticed in the new flbrics-frst, that
figured goods in artistic and, indeed, decora-
tive designs are most used, and are usually ac-
companied by a plain fabric for combining
with them; and secondly, the absence of all
dressing in the fine cottons, which should give
iaundresses to understand that all starch must
be omitted when doing them up.
The cotton satteens are first shown, and rank
highest in price of those new fabrics, as they
are marked 80 cents yard. These have close
ly twilled surfaces with a lustre like satin; the
grounds are dark, either plum, brown, blue, or
the deepest garnet, and these are strewn with
rather large figures of some graceful flower.
such as fleurde-lis, fuchsas, or lilies, with pale
green foliage; to go with the figured fabrics
which now makes the over-dress, or at least
the jacket waist is plain satteen of the color
of the ground. The batistes show great inn
provement over those of previous seasons;
they are as soft as mullmuslin, and almost as
transparent, yet they are beautifully marked
with Japanese designs and quaint coloring on
fhsar alaSf ar i,Uo .,,I -.
They are usually supplied with wide border
OF larger figures than those in the body of the
fabric, and this border may be stitched on
plainly for trimming down box pleats and
around the foot of the skirts, basque, and
sleeves, or else it may edge wide founces, or of
itself form narrow ruffies for trimming the
whole dress. Carnation pinks, chrysanthe
NUNS, dwarfed peonies, and other flowers
dear to the Japanese are repeated in their in
tense colors on the most delicate grounds of
these sheer soft batistes; the price is 40 cents
yard; the border is near one sell. edge only
instead of on both sides, like those Of last year.
Scotch ginghams have come to be staple
goods for summer dresses, as experience has
shown that they are far better for washing and
wearing than any other ginghams, either
French or American, and are worth the differ
ence in the price, They are now sold fer 40
cents yard in exquisitey fine qualities aud
colors that are warranted not to fade by wash
ing, though some OF the dark shades are chang
ed by perspiration. The newest patterns In
these have wide stripes made up of many SINH
lar stripes, and also large plaids or else per-
fectiy plain colors. The favorite Combination
OF colors seems to be pink nth blue, and there
are three times as many blue-and-white ging-
hams as of any other color; besides these are
stripes III new contrasts of color, such as olive
red, black and buff lines forming an inch-wide
stripe beside pale blue stripe two inches
broad, shading OF into white; another pattern
has a series OF alternating pink and pale blue
stripes beside wide band of pale blue and a
broad white line a third is made up OF dark
red, blue, and orange-yeilow. These colors are
also shown III large plaids which are TO take
the place OF the handkerchief dresses of last
year. Though made in Scotland these are al
together what merchants call fancy plaids, the
Clan tartanS having disappeared for the pres
ent. The solid-colored Scotch zephyr ginz-
hams, especially In pink or blue, the latter
either dark Or light, will make charming
Summer dresses, trimmed with the white cot
ton emoroideries that are imported III larger
quantities tnan at any previous season. The
furnishing houses are already making these
dresses with short skirt and very simple over
skirt, accompanied by the belted shooting
jacket, with wide box pleats in front and
back, or else with yoke aud full basque,
either shirred at the waist in front and
behind, with the belt on the sides on
ly or it may be with the belt passing all
around the waist; the wide round collar, like
those worn by children, is edged with emDroi-
derry, or may be made entirely of the French
machine embroidery on cambria that is now i'm
ported in half and three-quarter yard widths;
there are also square cuffs of this embroidery
worn outside the sleeves.
Old China patterns are shown in percales,
especially in the blue and white patterns of old
Nankin. The merchants have shown their
ialth In these colors and designs by importing
them in great quantities; these goods are said
to wash well, especially in these clear blue
shades. Plain grounds with a border in con-
trasting color are also liked in this soft-finished
percale, and dark grounds promise to be par
ticularly useful, sach as dark solid green with
pale blue arabesques for the border, seal
brown with French gray border, or dark blue
or garnet with gray or cream color for the
These are 30 cents yard.
The new patterns of Valenciennes lace with
plain meshes and heavily wrought points are
imported for trimming batis,e and lawn
dresses. There are also new Hamburg en-
broideries that copy the designs of the braid
trimmings that ladies have been crocheting of
late for cotton dresses.