The Portland daily press., 1881-09-15
lHarper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.

The richest wooden fabrics imported this
season have strips of plush an inch wide or
more, shaded in the color of the wooden ground,
or else in contrast with it. The wooden fabric
must be heavy to hold the plush, and is almost
equal to lady rs cloth, though usually twilled or
woven III armure figures This comes twenty
four inches wide, and is sold for So 80 yard
Ii is used for the skirt of the dress, while plain
armure is imported to match for the oyerskirt.
At the same prices are twilled woolens, with
several gay colors mixed in the plush without
the shades being gradual Very gay striped
wool satines are shown with the alternating
stripe of twilled wool; these are 81 80 yard
for goods forty-six inches wide; if the plain
stripe also has a satin lustre, the price is W.
Bordered Cheviote are new this season and are
OF very light quality and gay colors. The prln-
cipal part of the goods is in small indistinct
checks, while the border is wide well-defned
stripe. This is forty-sx inches wide and costs
50 so yard. Lower priced Cheviots, ranging
from 81 % upward, have inch stripes OF Prus-
sian blue, or bronze, terra Gotta red, seal brown
and myrtle, usually showing two or three tones
of one color; Others show heavy diagonals, like
the cloth Of men s coats, or else the surface is
smooth, and presents somhre yet rich tone,
produced by threads of dark colors varied with
brighter ones.
The first importations of Autumn dresses re-
tain the narrow round skirts aud bouff ant drs-
perry worn during the Summer. The skirts are
only trile over two yards in width, and in
many instances have but four breadths In the
skirt, as the side cores are now very broad.
Therfullness is massed at the back by voumin-
Gus pleats confined to three or four inches
across the back of the belt, while the sides and
front gore have darts at the top to do away
with all fullness. The foundation skirts are of
low priced silks, even in simple Cheviot suits,
and their scantiness is entirely concealed by
the elaborate killing, box pleating and drape-
~ of the outside fabric. q To make these skirts
more bouffant steel spring, like those OF
which hoop skirts are made is placed IN cas-
ing across the back breadths; this casing is the
same hitherto used for tying back the fullness,
and the hoop is now arranged in it permanent
", making it curve outward instead of cling
ing to the figure.
In some skirts watered silk is put on the
foundation to represent lower skirt as far as
any lower skirt is visible beneath the drapery,
and then MORE is laid in such large double box
pleats that only nine pleats are required around
the entire skirt. In other cases two or three
groups Of pleats are allowed to extend up one
side to the belt, while the drapery nearly con-
ceals the opposite side. In still others, espec-
tally in armures, Cheviots, and other servicea-
BILE woolens, the skirt is a genuine kilt being
laid in side pleats from yoke down to the
foot, and simply bound at the foot with plush,
or else widely bordered with watered silk. A
few of the great box pleated ruches are still
used of soft Surah or of wool to head border
of plush or of velvet. For the fiat fronts OF
dresses OF rich stuffs like plush or moire all up
per drapery may be dispensed with, or at M ost
form panier fullness instead of an apron. For
instance, two breadths of moire or of plush
will be made to meet at the belt in front, and
fall gradually open toward the loot, disclosing
inner peatDgs of satin Surah, or OF cashmere,
or embroidery, or velvet; these two breadths
then extend far back ON the sides quite plainly
to meet the bouffaItly draped back breadth OF
Surah OF of cashmere. On other fronts much
wrinkled aprons are used in various depths,
but the lower edges of these, as well as OF all
back drapery, are concealed by being turned
under and sewed permanently to the founda-
ton. This does away with the former fashion
of having the overskirt separate from the lower
skirt, making three pieces in every suit. Not
q single costume of all those imported Tor the
autumn has more than two pieces, as the lower
skirt and drapery are invariably combined
For the back drapery two breadths OF SATIN
Surah or one of wide cashmere Will be re-
quired. These are pleated in narrow space
at the back of the belt, the sides are sewed in
straight, OF else the pleats are concealed as
much as possible, the bottom edge is turned
under out OF sight, and is not trimmed, and the
middle seam is caught up in two or three lrreg-
ular groups OF pleats that are tackled to the
foundation skirt
The Greek drapery opening over box-peated
skirIs is retained and there are aprons deeply
SHRED below. the waist The row of flounces
ND the left side so much worn during the sum-
rner is now transferred TO the back of the skirt.
There is little change to record i'll the shape of
basques, as they still have double box pleats
behind. are of medium length, and may be
single breasted or else double, with Directoire
collars and vests either of plush or OF MORE
The fashion of having the basque different
from the skirt also continues, but instead OF
brocades it is now made Of MORE, or OF striped
stuff, of plush or of velvet else it is OF satin
Surah or of cashmere, with MORE skirt or with
plush. The quaintest fancy for waists is the
revival of The antique pointed bodice, sharply
pointed in front and back, very short the
hips, whaleboned as thickly as a corset waist
and the edge finished with frill of embroidery
or of lace put on very full around the points,
but more scant on the hips. Sometimes this
bodice is laced from the throat TO the sharp
point and in most cases pointed vest is set
on, and there is similar pointed piece in the
back A great many dresses have plastrons
either pointed or square, and there are many
with separate vests. Fewer gathered sleeves
are shown than last season, as the materials
are now too thick for fullness abott the arms.
The simplest shirred, folded or pleated frills
and inside cuffs are on the most stylish dresses.
The first dressy costumes prepared for early
autumn are those OF satin Surah combined
with watered silk, and trimmed with the new
Saxon open-fgured embroidery done on the