The Portland daily press., 1882-12-05
Dress for Winter Wear.

I,ondon Life in a recent issue, says-Comfort
is or ought 10 be, one of the chief requisites OF
apparel intended for winter wear. Unfortu-
nately many people study the fashionable first,
the becoming next, and the comfortable last;
aud this in spite of the facilities afforded by
recent inventions of combining the three.
Woolen fabrics are both light and warm, and
whereas our grandmothers, in selecting win
ter gown, weighed the material in the endeav-
or to calculate how warm it would be. pur-
cbasers nowadays reject the heavy and select
what feels utterly woolen, and shows texture
even as we'll as soft. Aberdeen tweeds are
this year, as last the only wear. Tailor-made,
with that inimitable cut which only good
tailor can accomplish, they are delightfully."-
becoming, and as lady-like as their wearers
will permit. Redfern has invented new way
of draping the small short tunic which lends
yet another grace to that graceful garment.
1t is scarcely to be described, inasmuch as j.
consists Of little rippes and burrows, produced
think, by some mysterious arrangement OF
tapes at the back By these means the folds
can be let down when the dress is not In wear,
so that every time it is put ON they come out
fresh, with none of that flat, everyday look
which they might assume if less skillfully
managed. Another novelt of his consists in
making the front of the bodice, or the waist
coat, button up to the very neck by means of
two buttons, with corresponding buttonholes,
placed on the collar. This imparts finish
which one is surprised to see produced by
means SO simple.
Perhaps the most becoming style to a stout
figure is that in which the waistcoat is but
toned on to the fronts Tor apparently buttoned
TO them) at either side, by means of about half
dozen buttons similar to those which button
the front of the waistcoat itself. These begin
about three inches below the waist and end
three inches above. I should like to sketch
this for my beloved readers, but even were my
editor to allow sketch to appear, know any
thing might accomplish in that line would
but libel what meant to praise.
Coorhas wonderful effect in rendering the
| effect of costume warm or cold. This is, of
| course, particularly true of the mere appear
| ance, but in some cases it influences the fact
as we'll. White, for instance, is said to be the
warmest color for winter wear, as it is to be the
| coolest in summer. Black attracts the sun,
but in sunless weather it is COO enough. So
far as mere aspect goes, the warmest effect is
Obtained by ombination of such tints, for in
stance, as a deep brown, lighted up with crime
son and showing faint suggestions of soft blue
or amber. In tweeds these combinations are
lot only legitimate, but almost invariably sue
cessfu The usual form of outdoor covering
| worn with these tweed suits is a dolman ga ne
silk. These tit to perfection on the shoulders
and if the waist is little vague the garment
is frequently more becoming on that account
Dinner dresses are be very rich If fabric
for some time. The brocades in plush, velvet,
satin and silk ere foriate of design, the blos-
sums beng very large These tend to dimip-
ish the apparent height, and are rather mis-
take on small woman for that reason On
tall, large woman, they are excellent. he
pettcoat is invariably of different material
dined last week in company with a peacock
blue plush train, brt cadeG lin design of roses
with leaves, the Train drawn away in pauitrs
frum petllcoat of peacock blue silk An
evening dress was of wall flower red brocade.
cut i'll square train, ana worn over pett,-
coat covered with alternate ruchings of pale
pink silk and HouDcines of cream viii lace.
The ruching, being cut in points like iy,
leaves and very thick, was delightfully."- effec-
tive. Another evening dress had petticoat
| of amber satin with panels of amber MORE
| edged with frilled lace. The overdress was OF
| amber crepe-de-soie, the folds caught together
with brown leaves and tea roses
A pretty tea gown was of palest blue India
muslin, heavily irilled with cream-tinted lace
and knots OF pale pink ribbon scattered over il
at infre ouent intervals. Another was of corn
coiored satin profusely trimmed with cardinal
ribbons intermIxed with corn color A bunch
OF various tinted pompons was placed at the
neck slightly to one side. These pompons are
valuable as being SO soft OF texture that the
colors come out in them with excellent effect
They are better on dresse than in hats where
they are apt 10 be little abrupt and surprs-
ing. saw, for instance, hat at Brighton in
which two scarlet, two amber and two brown
pomponS must have wondered how they came
TO be planted in the midst of SO much black
ness as was afforded by straw and velvet
pompon should not, like poppy in corn, owe
It's ELECT TO decided contrast. 1t should rath-
or be made available as happy harmony.