The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-09-07
.urums FABRIcs AND coLoRs.
Prevalence OF English styles =
Dress OF Elderly Ladies'.

The commercial sacrifices that
have held a conspicuous place upon
the counter affairs of the great dry
goods houses since stock taking day
have been swept away before the
rush OF new fall goods. These are
rich in color and in the "fancies" of
very heavy weights, settling the
| STYLES for the winter in favor of En-
glish modes, with their severe out
lines, rather than the bepanniered
and befounced fashions of Paris.
The English redingote, with plain
dress skirt will suggest itself at once
as the proper making for wOOlens
as heavy as the cheviOts and CASH
meres for mems wear. A man dress
maker on Race street has shown in
his window during this week an adj
mirable illustration of this style. 1t
is long pelisse, perfectly plain
garment, meant for a wrap during
the intermediate season, and COM
pletes walking toilet. 1t is shaped
like a tight redingote, has but few
seams, and all of its fullness
is massed in plaits at the mid
die seams of the back. 1t
covers the figure from neck to
foot, and may be buttoned down the
entire single breasted front, or may
fly open from the waist in front,
and the top may close diagonally. II
is made of any dark suiting material,
is lined Throughout with surah for
the face and wadded silk tor winter
wear, and is bordered all round with
a full ruche of the material. Com
bination goods for these pelisse cos
tunes are shown. The underdress
is of solid color, the pelisse of the
same fabric, on which is brocaded in
contrast large shaded balls, plums,
leaves, berries, and so on. These are
placed at wide intervals and do not
look near so outre as this descrip-
ton would incline one to believe.
The fabric is twilled like a heavy
flannel, and the colors are dark,
grove tlnts, the figures oftenest IN
one or two lighter shades OF the
same color, though contrasts are not
wanting. Ficeile Gray and Gotta
balls.are on a dark blue ground,
straw berry red or green, black, or
brown grounds, while on brown,
which is a blessed peacemaker
among the colors, are seen old gold,
cream and cardinal red figures.
These new materials cost from
$3.50 to So per yard, and are full
forty-tive inches in width.
Cashmere will continue to be as
popular as ever. One city house
alone has ordered 500 patterns of
embroidered cashmere for its retail
counters. The designs of embroi-
derry will be very bold and effective,
resembling closely applique work i'll
Irish point designs. Alpacas, it is
rumored, will be restored to favor,
and thanks to Lady Beehive, the
English manufacturers have consent
ed to abate something of It's time
hOnOred witness and to increase its
always excellent luster. In several
of the wooden fabrics wide stripes of
contrasting color will be used for the
killed undersbirt, the darker color
being chosen for the overdress.
Black and cardinal will be hand
some and popular contrast in these,
as i'll richer materials. A style of
dress which is evidently destined to
success this autumn is that which has
skirt entirely plated its whole
length, falling loosely over an I'M
derskirt of light texture (alpaca or
satine), and this last finished
with one or two fine plaitings of
silk or satin that show beneath the
kilted skirt. The long basque is
pointed or rounded, and scarf is
tied either over or under it, and
tying forms the back drapery. The
plaits of the killed skirt are held
down firmly by means of two or
three tapes on the inside, to which
every plait is tackled, while below the
knee the plaits hang loose. This
style combines wooden and silk fab
RIGS admirably the basque and kilt
of wooden, the plaltings on the foot
of the underskirt, the scarf, and
whatever puff or folds trim the neck
and sleeves being of the silk. Com
binations of color as well as material
would suit this style equally. The
new colors are first ficelle (flax gray)
and the natural fur tints, which are
condidered very stylish with rifle
green and golden brown; telegraph
blue, so named after the blue tele-
graph paper used in France. This
is also called electric blue, and diff
ters not at all from the cadet blue
already popular. Reseda, the green
of mignonette, is revived, and Chan
dron and all the Gotta tints will be
very popular.
1t is difficult in these days of killed
| and fiounced skirts, jersey calicOes
and bunched-up panniers, to arrange
costumes suitable for elderly ladies,
graceful as well as fashionable, light
to wear and yet of handsome mate
rial. A princess polonaise worn
over skirt with two or more f1oun-
ces is perhaps as effective a solution
of this question as any. 1t is light,
easily adjusted, and capable of be-
ing arranged to suit almost any
figure. The skirts are preferably OF
silks and satin, and the polonaises
of cashmere, broche silk, satin mer-