The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-07-14


The season is sufficiently advanced
to enable us to Judge with some ac-
curacy what will be the prevailing
fashions during the summer. We be-
gin to think of washing-dresses and of
light materials. Embroidery, in its
various forms, is likely to be more than
ever in request, especially for muslins
and cambrics. Some of the effects in
this way, already to be seen, are most
pleasing. A dress of batiste, pink, pale
blue or ecru, with tablier embroidered,
or covered with rows of embroidery, is
as becoming,as any ball costume could be.
According to the present programme
of fashion, lady of varied tastes has
plenty of opportunity of indulging
them. She may have one dress of very
and bouffante; she may have one con-
sisting of first jupe, secon1 jupe and
tablier, or tunic, and another of straight
severity, being nothing more than the
single skirt covered with one or two
wide kits, and headed by simple scarf
drapery. With this diversity, she is
quite in the fashion. Extremes meet,
and the fashionable lady may almost
wear anything. The same laxity pre-
walls as to combinations of materials.
Fabrics of various textures are harmon
lied together upon the same costume;
wooden stuffs and cachemires with silks
and velvets, one color with another,
and stripes, with squares and flowers,
AS example. we may take a jupe of
striped silk under polonaise or tunic of
broche or figured velvet.
The bodice continues to have the high
collar. the high sleeves, the long pointed
basque, and robe cut away more than
ever from the hips. And these charac-
teristics, with the exception of the
pointed basque, apply also to the out
of-door jacket, which grows shorter and
shorter, until in many cases there is
little to be seen of it below the waist
Very becoming these short jackets are,
especially when they fit to perfection
and incase a beautiful figure They are
generally in colored cloth, dark blue or
green, and may be profusely braided
with fine silk braid, or with broad
braid in military form, or trimmed with
fiat gold or bronze braid of about an
inch in width. Gold braid on the myrtle
green cloth is effective. A jacket OF
this pattern resembles as closely as
possible the body of riding-habit
There is style and character about it,
and also something which suggests that
it should be worn with simple dress of
wooden material rather than with silk or
satin.
Whether decree of fashion from in.
visible quarters has gone forth that lace
must be worn, or whether certain ladies
have taken il into their heads stimuli
taneously to adapt beautiful lace they
may have by them to the present re-
quirements of their toilets, we cannot
say, but it is certain that great deal of
lace is being worn, and it is often of n
character to lead one to suppose that it
has not been bought expressly to meet
the exigencies of passing costume,
which is put on to-day and tomorrow
cast aside. Exquisite specimens of lace
in the shape of tablier tunic and flounce
are to be seenupon costumes which have
no claim to full evening dress.
We might suppose that In certain in
stances some of these beautiful lace eff
fects have been produced by cutting up
bridal wells or other treasures of the
kind; yet we can hardly indulge in such
n supposition in face of certain statis-
tics lately published by the Gaulois, rel
alive to fashionable lady's toilet ex-
penses. Among other items laid down,
E124 is the modest sum fixed upon to
cover her annual account with her lace
mercer.
At a fashionable wedding at Ste
Clothilde recently the prominence given
to lace upon day costumes was very APP
parent. A lady, not belonging to the
wedding party, wore plastron and PAN
iers of white lace over a striped silk
dress of the shade known as shrimp
pink, and trimmed with maroon vel
vet. The lace was of superlative quail
ity and had about it an air of age which
added to its richness of effect.
Another lady wore an overdress of
dark blue velvet and broche, and tunic
and fichu of white lace; and this. too,
was of a costly kind. Another striking
dress was entirely of black lace; and
another of satin broche, with copper
ground and large flowers in dull gold
Many of the bonnets were entirely or
Pottdny Va AoCc, ouu AIMING TIC uoW-
ers chosen for their decorations we no.
ticed that preference was given to vi
Diets and pansies. An elegant half
mourning costume consisted of black
satin polonaise over jupe, covered with
white lace flounces. The bonnet worn
with this was of black velvet and white
lace, with feather of the most delicate
shade of mauve.
The redingote is not yet discarded;
it continues, together with the tight
jacket, the pelerine and the elegant
little visite mantelet, to divide the favor
of ladies. A visit to the Avenue des
Acacias at the right hourwill show this.
There ladies often drive in tight jack
cts and hats; but, when they are driven,
they oftener than otherwise wear the
49, L. -. l.