The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-16
[Harper's Bazsr.l
New York Fashio MS.

The severe English styles adopted for street
toilettes should find favor with people of small
means because they dispense with elaborate
trimmings, and are of such simple designs that
they can easily be made at home; indeed, moth
ing detracts so much from what is now consid-
cred good style as the meaningless and fussy ad-
ditions third-rate dressmakers put on street
costumes with the avowed intention of making
them more dressy." 1t is in their plainness
and their fine fit that their beauty lies, and all
the outlay of money should be put in the fab
ric and in the workmanship that gives l.eatness
of finish. The pure wool stuffs worn at pres
ent are within the reach of people with small
incomes, provided the cost of the material is
the principal expense, instead Of being, as it is
too often, scarcely half as much as the price Of
the trimmings and the dressmaker's BILL 3For
the cashmere, Jersey cloth, camel's hair, cloth
finished flannel, and lady's cloth suits that are
worn in the street and house alike, trimming is
absolutely unnecessary, and If insisted upon, it
consists at the utmost of some rows of inexpen-
slve braid, or collar, vest and cuffs of velvet.
The doublo-width cashmeres, costing from 81
to S1.50 yard, may be had in all the fashions-
bic budueo VI OAOCtAAC OluC, iiAO SIC0bt ecAfo
Gotta, condor brown, and jet black. Seven
yards will be enough for the dress, and il trim
ming is desired, there should be added a half
or three-fourths yard of velvet of the same
shade for the turned over collar and square
cuffs, or perhaps for very narrow vest inserted
between the scalloped edges of the cashmere
basque fronts, or else for covering the small
button moulds that fasten the waist, and are
placed on the sleeves, and in two rows below
the waist line in the back. The basque should
be fitted very high about the neck, short on
the shoulders, with low darts that make the
bust dropping and slight, and dispense with all
padding. The back has a short side form be-
ginning in the armhole on each side, and the
middle forms at the back are wide at the waist
line. Flatly pressed position pleats may be
added in the middle forms il the figure re-
quires fullness, as this gives a more finished
and dressy appearance than closing the seams
their whole length plain over the tournure; the
latter plan is, however, very much in favor
with stout ladies, and is in keeping with the
Jersey fashions, and looks particularly well
when there is panier sash drapery that hides
the plain edges of the basque.
The INEXPERIENCED dressmaker is warned
against letting these simply shaped basques
have an appearance of being tight or snugy
fitted. Those made by French modistes and
London tailors are ssclear cut" following ev-
cry outline of the figure, yet are evidently
loose and easy in every part, without compress
ing the figure in the least. Sleeves are now
made very close to the arm, with the front half
much longer than that u ader the arm, and this
makes the armhole large and high, giving Free
dom and comfort. A cluster of gathers at the
elbow is absolutely necessary to give the proper
roundness there, and join the full front to the
palmer under arm gore. Holding the top of
the sleeves in gathers in the armhole is mat
ter of taste, and is most becoming to very slop-
oh t1ar NH la 1 oAl TO fhn halo @A
square broad shoulders. The velvet vest for
such dresses may be placed under scallops that
are corded or piped on the edge, or else it may
lap over the basque fronts in Breton fashion,
being edged merely with cord or piping fold,
and is sewed down permanently on one side,
and fastened by hooks and looos on the other
The standing cadet collar may be made of the
material, or of velvet, and the same is true of
the turned-over Byron collar. The skirt of
such dress is now most often made over a
closely gored foundation skirt of alpaca, cotton
sat'ne, farmers satin, or of inexpensive silk; /;
the silk foundation is, however, losing favor
because it is usually of poor quality that is not
nearly SO durable as the outside fabric. This
skirt must be covered with cashmere to the
depth OF a fourth of yard, and it may have
narrow pleating set on it also, but this is no
longer considered necessary. The skirt breadths
of cashmere are attached to this skirt about an
eighth of yard below the belt when the dra-
pery is high and in panier fashion, but for
these breadths may begin lower, as it is only re-
quired that they be well covered at the top.
1t becomes more customary each year for la
dies to provide themselves in the autumn with
a woollen suit like those described above, and
to wear it always when out-of-doors until De-
cember, when a heavie wrap is needed This
wrap is now a long cloth cloak of heavy quality
made with square sleeves, clinging closely to
the figure, and completed by collar and cuffs
of plush. These are to be had in all the dark
colored cloths as well as in black, and are con-
sidered nice enough for best wraps. The fur
lined circulars will be worn again by those who
| can afford them, but they cost twice as much
the long cloth cloaks. Braided pelsses fitted as
| to the figure are imported for slender and stout
alike, and the shops are filed with the flannel
! and cloth pelisses that are edged with pinked
ruche of the material; these useful garments
cost from $15 to $50. and are worn over skirts
of black or contrasting color, according to fan
cy. The jackets for young ladies are in the
cadet shapes SO often noted, or else are double
breasted, and are made of Jersey cloth that
has tufted wrong side, giving it considerable
warmth; these cost from SIG to $40. English
homespun cloths and Cheviots are chosen in
very dark checks and motted colors for long,
square seeved wraps to be thrown over other
wraps in the evening, and for travelling.
There is also excellent service and great COM
fort to be found in the soft long shawls, wheth-
er of the striped India patterns with nice
touches OF color, or in the sober gray or dark
blue Scotch sbawls Of solid color; these cost
from $14 TO 500.
The tasteful fancy at present for house
dresses is also an economical one, as it consists
| of jacket of one color with skirts of another.
| Thus dark wine-coored or an electric blue
basque of cashmere or cloth may be worn with
black skirts, colored skirts of silk or OF wool,
and also with the dark plaid woollens. Ladies
| who like to sew on braid in patterns tim these
| jackets fancifully, while others prefer parallel
| rows OF braid or else very narrow black passe-
| menterie that resembles braiding, while still
| edges without trimming. Instead Of the Jer-
sey-shaped jacket, that with battlemented
| edges is now much used, or else the front
| edges are plain, and the four forms OF the back
have the seams left open to the waist line, and
| are made to form four squares, with the trim
ming passing all around them.