The Portland daily press., 1881-03-02
New York Fashions.
lHarper's Bazaar.

NOw l. VI d l. eto44O1os
[Harper's Bazar.l
The first spring dresses imported are short
suits with narrow skirts, on which are perma-
nently draped most voluminous over-dresses
The corrugated folds, involutions and curved
draperies of the soft stuffs used for overdresses
are marvellonsly graceful, and when to these
are added retrousse facings with new panier
effects, and the gay bayadere garnitures, the
dress becomes intricate beyond description.
The foundations of the dress are, however, un-
changed as the basque with trimmed skirt re-
mains the prevailing style. But the basques
vary from the simplest aud shortest now worn
to the long surtout-an English surtout re-
lieved of its plainness by French taste-and
this surtout is worn over skirt as deliberately
trimmed and draped as the shortest basques.
The lower skirt is more often pleated than
plain, and while some very snowy skirts are
laid in long single kilt pleats enriched only by
a wide border of trimming, many others have
from three to five founces visible at that part
of the skirt where the over-dress is drawn up
highest. These fiounces may be in box or side
pleats. but the latter are usually in clusters Of
triple pleats at intervals, and these are heaped
upon each other, and caught down half their
LENGTH and then allowed to spread out in
fan-iike frill. Sometimes the entire front of
the skirt is disclosed, showing five pleated
nounces, while The over-skirt is draped back to
the sides; at others the Greek over-skirt is
draped up on one side only, and that almost to
the belt, in order to show single pleatings that
90 from the belt TO the foot of the lower skirt.
The fiounces now used that are Shirred at
the top and folded below in pleats are also in
great favor, and most flounces are widely bor-
dered with the material used for trimming Or
the figured stuff that is in combination with
the plain material.
Bayadere stripes are the striking novelties
for combining with plain fabrics, and require
to be most carefully used and most sparingly.
These come in soft satin Surah, which is
twilled silk with satin surface like the fabric
milliners call satin merveilleux, and also in
fine woollen goods of the richest colorng,
ombre or shaded, with often metallic stripes
woven in, especially lines of gilt Steel
These stripes are used for the entire pleated
skirt lat least far the skirt is visible, or
else for bordering pleated skirts of plain stuffs;
also for flounces and for bordering fiounces.
The over-skirt of plain surface is not bordered,
its edges being usually turned under, out of
sight. and sewed to the lower skirt, but the
curved back drapery often has wide revers OF
the stripes up each side or else around the
curve at the bottom. The retrousse side pieces
like fiat paniers aud aprons, are usually faced
with these gay stripes on the turned-up part.
Some basques have striped retrousse facing
on each side, and some only on one side. The
basque shows the gay stripes in a pleated plas-
tron or else in folded narrow vest that may
trim its entire front or stop at the waist line.
The sleeves have the narroweSt possible fac
ings of the stripes. This PLAZA of combination,
noted for crossway stripes, prevails for various
materials; thus the basque and over-skirt are
~ .ztsl mad faar v>la
vest the collar cuffs, retrousses, sometimes
sashes, and the skirt or its Hounces, are of the
figured materials. Lengthwise stripes are
used in the same way; also checker-board pat
terms, blocks, plaids and plain Surahs of con-
trastng colors few brocaded trimmings and
combinations are seen, but these are no long
er displayed as first choice; the Egyptian bro
cades are, however, so quaint and antiquated
looking that they are very effective, especially
for trimming the white buntings aid other soft
wool dresses. lafa ass3 ra. r.
The new basques are single-breasted and fit
as smoothly as Jersey all around the hips un-
I'll they reach the middle forms of the back,
where they are folded in two box pleats that
may be triple or quadruple, and are open up
the middle seam 10 show the layers of folds or
pleats. In order to keep the round basque
perfectly smooth over the hips, it is loaded by
weights of lead. The pleated plastron inserted
in Pompadour square or else with the lower
part curved or pointed on the bust, is the most
usual trimming for tie front, though there are
many folds and shirred pieces in long vest
shape. bow of narrow ribbon is tied in front
at the waist line across such pleatings, and
sometimes there are wide ribbons that
tie in one huge bow on the left side. Tive
standing collars are on dresses with striped
plastrons; one of these-the inner collar-is
striped, and passes all around the neck, while
the outer one, of plain goods, is confined to the
back, or at most begins where the plain ma
terial of the waist begins. Five box pleats,
each an inch wide, form stylish plaStron;
this is piped all around with the plain goods
A great many dresses have Byron collars of
striped stuff; others have a straight piece of
striped Surah like ribbon, six or eight inches
wide, gathered to the middle of the back of the
neck, passing around to the front, and having
a single loop and two ends to finish what re-
calls the neck ribbon of old times. Buttons
are small and inconspicuous these new
basques, being confined to fastening the front,
where they are often hidden out of sight by
the many folds, pleats and shirrings of the
trimmings Pockets are seldom seen on these
new garments, or on the newest outside wraps
Belts and hanging bag take the place of hip
pockets. The curved drapery is like that
known as hooped drapery, with the length not
caught up by pleats down the sides, but drawn
up to the belt and pleated there; the ends are
not cut apart below, but are in continuous
curve. There are quite as many long over
skirts as there are short ones, but the object in
all seems to be 10 "corrugate' them; that is, to
wrinkle into many folds the soft stuff that
lends itself SO easily to this graceful draping.
Sleeves retain the coat shape, and are most
simply trimmed at the wrists, with a tendency
to gathering up the inside seam shorter on the
arm than the lower part of the sleeve. Fac
iDgs and piping folds of contrasting colors will
play far more important part in trimmings
than they have ever yet done. For very dres-
sy costumes, great deal of lace, very fully
gathered, will be used; for black dresses Span
ish lace is chosen; while for lighter dresses,
white lace of the inexpensive kinds is colored
as dark coffee yellow, and is also used in
great quantities. There are some soft, crushed
looking rosettes of Surah, but the prettiest
dresses and mantles have many bows
each of many loops heaped upon each
other-of satin ribbon about two in
ches wide; these are at the throat and
waist line, in the cuffs, the back of the basque,
and on the retrousse sides of the skirt.
Shorter wraps of medium length with great
square sleeves are offered for the Spring. These
are of black satin Siclienne. or the twilled sat
in Surah, elaborate with lace frills and beaded
garnitures or else they are of light gray or
ecru cameps-hair shirred into shape with many
rows of gathers around the neck, at the waist
line, and on the sleeves Fringes and passe-
menterie trim these wool wraps.
New Spring jackets of CheviOts and other
English-looking cloths are nearly tight-ftting,
round, single-breasted, and medium long, and
are worn with n belt to which bag is attached
The bag does away with the need of pockets,
and the garment is as simply shaped as hunt
ing jacket Even the buttons of this jacket
are not large or numerous, merely buttonng
the 'front.' and are for use, not for ornament.
A turned-over collar has pleating of the cloth
erect above it, and the same pleating finishes
the cuffs, falling towards the hands. listers
of invisible checks, stripes and plaids, forming
a melaDge of color, are made SO short they are
called Ulsterettes. The large, wide, square
sleeves on all there garments are a sensihl5
fashion for a Summer wrap, as they are not
uncomfortably warm, and are most easily put
on and off.
New dresses of ecru, coachman's drab, or
dark blue flannel of sheer, sleazy quality fit
for Summer mornings are made entirely of one
material, without gay trimmings or combina-
tons. The belted basque is tucked all over
lengthwise, the material being first tucked by
machine, and the different pieces-fronts, side
forms. and back-afterward cut from it, and
laid upon the lining The tucks are third
of an inch wide, and a trifle more than their
own width apart The silesa lining has two
darts like any other basque, but these darts do
however, the under-arm dart that modistes find
it necessary to use now that the "cross basque
seam" at the waist is abolished. The back
has a short side form, and no seam down the
middle; the basque extends very long and
smooth over the hips, like a Jersey, and is not
trimmed at the end. The neck has Byron
collar, and the buttons are either gilt or steel
The belt is quite narrow, being only inch
and hall wide; 1t is laid upon morocco belt
to keep it smooth, and is completed by metal