The Portland daily press., 1882-11-17
New York Fashions.
[Harner,s Bazar.l

[Harper's Bazar.]
The return to repled fabrics has restored to
favor the black silks SO little used while satin
was the fashionable material. Satins have
now somewhat lost their prestige by the intro
duction Of poor qualities, in the same way that
silks did, and manufacturers have been COM
PEELED 10 produce repped silks with purer dyes,
and without the iute and other authorizations
that were formerly added to give them weight;
this can be more readily done at present, as
soft silks that drape gracefully are more suited
TO the costumes now worn than those with
thick heavy cords that form stiff and dowager-
like folds. In buying the ribbed ottoman silks
it is best to select tn ose with the fattened reps
that are now considered so stylish, as the pur-
chaser can see that these are not stuffed With
iute, as the corded ottomans are when of poor
quality. Merchants say there is no better way
of testing the purity OF silks than the simple
one of burning sample; ii it burns quickly,
flares and blszes, it is partly cotton, or some
other cheap stuff is mixed with it, if 1t burns
slowly and makes an ash, it is silk. The blue
black silks have given place to those of jet
black hue, and instead of the demi-lustre for
merly in favor, they now have full lustre al
most like that of SATIN indeed, the ottoman
silks in the finest qualities are SO glossy that
they are called repped satin. Faille and gros
grain will be much more generally worn than
the more costly ottoman silks, and these are
shown in clear grain, coal black, but without
the fullest lustre, as low as $150 a yard. Pom
sons silks are chosen when very rich and ele-
CANT dresses are to be made, and the black
Antwerp silks with heavy cords and great
width are liked for trains and for coaks, cir
culars and other wraps. The Audibert silks
come in ifftrent qualities, beginning with the
| Oriental brand, that has one-thread warp, as
| l..w as SIPS. The heavier Abyssinian and
Norma brands, with two and three thread
warp and satin face, range from 81. 80 to 81
| yard, and are of rich qualities that are hand
some enough to be made up in combination
with brocades or velvet, or the entire dress
may be of the silk with lace for trimmings.
The favorits combination for nice black
dresses this year are silks with velvet, or else
with the brocaded ottoman repped silks, as
plain ottoman is not sufficiently unlike eros
grain to combine with it. For the careful pur-
chaser, for whom black silk dress must serve
long while for nice occasions all the year
chief part of the dress of silk, which will re-
quire fl ON twelve to fifteen yards, with velvet
for the basque, and slight trimmings on the
lower skirt. Twenty yards of single-width ma,
terial is the quantity demanded by most dress
makers for such costume; but ladies who
| make their own dresses, and use the bias gath
er files that are now as popular as pleat-
iDgs, fluid they can do very well with smaller
l..1 49, IL.
over for new sleeves, or a balsyeuse frill TO
place frayed ruffie, or nerhaps enough for a
waist. II velvet is used for the entire basque
of a black costume, this basque will be found
very useful with 9th er skirs OF silk or OF WOOL
even though there may be no velvet In these
skirts The gros grain skirt may be entirely of
the silk, but pretty finish is given by box
peatipg of velvet at the foot of The skirt, upon
the top of which is the bias silk f0unce. An
Other good arrangement is this velvet boz
peatiDg at the foot of pltated silk kirt that
has length wise wide box peats from the dra-
perry down until they reach within two fingers
of the foot of the dress, when these wide leafs
are shiri ed straight across TO form kind of
houuce which falls on the velvet below it,
When brocade is selected for combining with
gros grain, the choice should be brocaded otto
man rather than one OF the brocaded satins
thai have been so long used, as the probability
is that the newer repped hrocades will continue
longer in fashion; those with the shaded ball
patterns, the separated leaves, roses, pears,
plums, linked rings, and oval figures. are the
more popular designs. These are effectively
used fol the simply shaped basque and drapery
of skirts of plain silk Economy and fashion
both now suggest the use of third fabric in
these dresses by adding remnant of velvst for
a front breadth of the skirt, draping the bro
caded ottoman side drsperles upon it, and US
ing velve6. which is so becoming when worn
near face, as Collar, either rolled or
standing, as narrow vest, and as cuffs. In
making u silk care should be taken to have
the outside rifle looser than the lining, thai
the strain may come Oh the latter.
nice black wool dress has become almost
indispensable in a lady's outfit, and is valued
alike by the young and old. For young ladies
the present fancy is to brighten black dresses
with facings and vests of colOred cashmere, or
to wear an entire basque of gay color, or else
jersey waist, but the greater number of
black wool dresses are now made in the simple
style ado ted for clotl dresses, as these are
more serviceable because less likely to go out
of fashion, and are inexpensive because they
require no trimming but stitching, or else very
simple braiding, The cashmere of nice quail
", and jet black without blue cast, is OF it
self so pleasing fabric that trimming is not
needed to enhance its beauty, but the tubular
braids, many rows of soutache, or small guam
tity of galoon made of twisted cords, or some
velvet folds generally added to camel's-
hair dIt sses. If combination is liked better,
or there are partly worn skirts of last season to
be reln0delled, the wool goods is used for pan
Ter pOlOnaIS6 or peliSS6 Will f6Ners, CULTS ana
collar of the material of the skirt. The Jersey
webbing that is sold by the yard is also -pur-
chased for waist TO be used with wOollen
skirts in single Widths this is now sold for
ST. so yard, and is made up with few seams,
and more snugly fitted than less elastic fabrics
as it cings and expands with the figure Some
Young ladies add collar, wristbands, and sash
of dark red, bright Turkey red, or turquoise
blue cashmt re to complete these waists; the
buttons are usually black and very small.
The woollen repped stuffs that are liked best
have the reps lengthWise instead of across the
fabric, because they are more easily cleansed
BY brushing downward these are similar to
what was formerly called Biarritz cloth, but
the reps are more prominent.
The Henrietta cloths that were formerly con-
fined to ladies dressing in mourning are now
used by those wearing colors when a very rich
fabric is desired, aud the trimming is the silk
Spanish lace with heavy corded designs
meshes of guipure. Shirring in broad masses
slightly shrred scarf draperies, or the fronts
ul4r Tucks around the skirt and on the over
quite rival the leDgth~ise pleais. This is es-
pecially true of Freuch dresses, as the Partisan
dressuakefs have lately made the entire front
ard side breadihs of half-inch tucks IN cash
mere costumes not only in black, but in eoiors.
The eff, CT is that Of horizontal oraiding, and
the edge is trimmed with ruche or with
marrow box plsating. Vests are worn IN sucn
varied shapes this season that they afford ex-
oelleDt ways Of freshening up partly worn
basque. A velvet, corduroy, velveteen, or
III al Ia 1afD