The Portland daily press., 1882-02-24
[Harper's Bazar,l
New York Fashions.

Winter; not only the instep, but glimpse of
the ankle is disclosed in walking. Experience
has shown that short skirts, in order to be both
comfortable and graceful, must be decidedly
short. When they are made long enough to
barely escape the ground, they are apt to drag
down and finally touch the sidewalk, and the
whole design Of the short skirt is spoiled IL the
wearer must lift it "a thing which most ladies
do awkwardly. The first Spring dresses are of
satin duchesse entirely, or else combined with
striped moire. Dark green, condor brown, and
black costumes are shown. For the colored
satins are new passementeries that resemble
applique embroidery, and are ornamented with
small pompons of silk, like those worn on bon
nets. For the black dresses there is nothing
newer at present than jet in solid passemen-
terie, the "satn jet" with satin cords), jet and
chenille fringe, and Spanish lace. The striped
satin and moire fabric is in great favor for
pleatings, and is used sometimes for the entire
front of the dress skirt, from the paniers to tho
foot, as well as for pleated foEnces, from three
to five, and sometimes seven in number, on
different parts of the skirt, according as they
are disclosed by the drapery above them.
Black satin stripes alternating with white
gros grain stripes in pleatings and founces will
be mach used for the skirts of dresses that are
otherwise made of black satin duchesse. Three
different widths Of stripes are shown in new
silks for this purpose, and the pleats are laid to
show only the black satin on top, with glimpses
Of the white beneath each pleat, like facing.
Entirely black stripes, or those of any ono
dark color, are very effective for pleated front
breadths when stripes two and half or three
inches wide are woven alternately of moire
and satin. Each stripe is Tapped to leave about
an inch Of its breadth visible as the pleat,
making the satin and moire show alternately.
This is Sewed on the skirt foundation beneath
the panier drapery, and covers the front breadth
and one breadth on each side. The peats are
pressed fatty, and basted at intervals on TIE
wrong SIDE About an eighth of yard from
the lower end tape crossing underneath fast
ems the pleats still more securely, and below
this they are loosened to fall like frill, and
this frill is finally fine ife-pleating two or
three inches deep, made of plain satin duchesse;
this frill is cut straight across the fabric, is
hemmea by blind stitches, and is sewed in q
regular seam (by machine) to the edge Of the
pleated 'front.' The foot of the foundation
skirt-which is usually of inexpensive lining
Silks simply hemmed or faced. The top of
these front breadths has crosswise draped
breadth of plain satin Understanding
between an apron aud paniers-laid in full
folds, and edged with jet fringe. The folds are
held in place by being tackled down the side
seams; and the back drapery consists Of two
full plain breadths held at the belt in double
box pleats, and falling down to the foot with
merely hemmed edges; or else these two
breadths are punched up at the top, form two
points below, are edged with fringe, and there
are four or i've narrow pleated founces filing
up all the spaces on the foundation skirt not
concealed by the drapery. The basqu6sis of
plain satin, quite short and even all around.
scarcely more than a finger-length below the
waist line, and is trimmed down each front by
a straight piece of the striped material shirrsd
at the neck and the waist line, and laid In
pleats on the bust and below the waist line.
The collar is high and standing, and there are
bullet-shaped crocheted buttons.
Another stylish arrangement for the front of
the skirt is that of having valance at top in
stead of the paniers going across; this valance
consists OF ten or twelve wide lengthwise pleats
of satin from the belt down, finished of like q
puff at the ends. Curtain-like curved breadths
are each side of this valance, going off to meet
the two bouffant back bresdths. The front and
side breadths below the valance are Of satin
and moire laid in pleats and finished at the
foot with shell trimming of satin.
Pulled fronts will also be seen made Of plain
satin laid in three or five large puffs held by
two or three rows of shirring, over which the
pHffs droop. These fall from the panier dra-
perry to the foot of the skirt. Others have bias
gathered founces, each two fingers deep, fin
ished on the lower edge with knife-pleatiag
two inches wide.
When black Spanish lace is to be used on a
black dress-Whether of satin duchesse, gros
grain, or camel's-hair-the prettiest skirt fronts
are like those OF full-dress toilettes. The front
and side breadths are trimmed upward from the
foot to the knees to represent four squsre-cor-
nered pieces, and the lace in full frlls or iabots
extends up and down these squares, but not
across the foot, which is merely hemmed or
faced, and falls on frill of lace and knife
pleating of satin that are on the foundation
skirt. To make more elaborate trimming,
solid jet passementerie in vine may he put xp
the spaces between the two frills or jabots OF
lace that go up each square. There is high
panier drapery across the top Of the front and
side breadths, and the two breadths Of the back
are made slightly bouffant. The waist has
basque front with two frills OF Spanish lace
across the edge, and the back is half-long
princess polonaise, draped in two bouffant
points by jet ornaments.
Polonaise effects are given to the fronts of
dresses in order to form panier drapery without
cutting the waist off as basque. The traight
fronts form two points as they are drawn back
to be caught up in pleats at the side seams.
The back is in polka style, being cut off about
four inches below the waist line, and two fully
draped breadths are added there beneath =
great bow of satin. This style is handsomely
made up in dark green or brown satin duch-
esse trimmed with the new pompon applique
passementerie of the same color, or perhaps
with few threads of gold introduced; this
trimming goes up each front and around the
neck, but the ends of the polonaise front are
merely hemmed. AS puffs at the top OF sleeves
have not been popular on Paris dresses,
slightly pulled cuff is now introduced. This is
bias frill slightly shirred, and tiny rufhe at
top, while the lower edge is sewed inside the
sleeve, and the puff then puff" downward to-
ward the hand. Inside the sleeve. where tho
puff is nearly fiat, is placed bit OF the passs,
menterie, showing three small pompons and
some applique leaves.
The genuine India foulards show lovely de-
signs of the white hawthorne branches so often
copied on Oriental porcelains, strewn on dark
"a Io-I Ito l0oE cr Qaf-
or. A border for trimming is on one edge,
showing birds and flowers on some, and bird
cages on others. Two groups OF birds that look
like hand-painting are found on each dress pat
tern; these are to decorate the front or else
each side of the dress skirt The cost is $50 the
dress pattern French foulards of the very
fine qualities sold for $1.50 a yard come in new
colors strewn with dots of two sizes instead OF
the single polka dot, or else with pear-shapeS
white flakes Pale blue foulard spotted W
pink, rose dotted with blue, sunfower yell
with red, brown, or blue dots, and white.
cream grounds with dots of every color, are
shown. For those who declare dots monoto-
nous there are sprigged foulards with pale blue,
buff, or cream grounds with white sprigs, or
else the grounds are white and the sprigs coll
ored.
Pongees and the Chinese silks SO much used
this Winter for young ladies' full-dress toilettes
are imported with embroidered selvedges Tor
trimming. The white Chinese silks and pongees
are in especial favor, and they are also shown
In MIG green, leHOn-COlOr, paio ioso anu SAy
blue.
Nuns yelling is the choicest wool goods for
Summer dresses, and is shown this year beau
tifully wrought near the selvedge in South
Kensington work of self-color, or with the open
Madeira work of the color Of the goods, or with
the close rich thick work of one color, or else
in gay jardiniere coloring, showing aesthetic
lilies, sun-howers, autumn leaves, forget-me-
nots, panses, or rose-buds in the borders.
These are sold in dress lengths, and are expen-
sivo, but there are sheer pure wool veilings of
dainty coloring or creamy white to be had in
double widths for 70 cents a yard. White Span
sh or Aurillac lace, or the new Oriental laces
will be used for trimming these stuffs, and the
designs for making are similar to those de-
scribed above for demi-season costumes for the
street. If economy must be considered still
further, these dresses may be made up over the
new foundation satines that have twllled SILK
on tho face, but are mounted on cotton, and
are called satin-Surahine. These are excellent
for Innings and foundations OF grenadines also,
and cost only 80 cents yard.
Striped Surah silks are imported In stylish
dark colors for Spring costumes These come in
contrasting green with yellow, red with green,
blue with brown, etc. and there are sunfowercr