The Portland daily press., 1883-08-03
Caprices of Fashion.
Boston Daily Advertiser.l

New bath robes of white or ecru Turkish
towelling, have borders of embroidery done
in dark cashmere colors.
Red or gold colored satin fans are decorat
ed with the birds that are in favor for en-
broidery, and their ivory sticks are gilded.
White silk grenadines for afternoon toilets
have stripes of black velvet, are trimmed
with balck lace frills, and are made up over
white silk.
| American straws are now made so fine
and durable that many ladies prefer them to
| the mere glossy English brads.
| Antique silk guipure lace is again the
fashion, and is very handsome over black
gros grain. The designs of flowers, leaves
and stripes are again seen, and there are al
SO quaint figures of birds, dragons and ami
mails woven in these rich guipure laces.
Olive is the favorite color for dark straw
bonnets, and they are trimmed with cream
white or pink crinkled crepe, and clusters Of
shaded olive feathers.
Black net or lisse with printed lace edges
| is used for the neck.
The newest linen collars are merely a
| straight band of doubled linen of very fine
quality, with narrow scalops, and embroid-
cry along the upper edge.
The white laces for the throat come in
three or four shades of ivory white, deeper
cream and the still deeper shades of ecru
and fax gray.
For those who like puffs at the armholes,
they are now cut to stand very high, and the
shirring is put below the puff instead of
above it, and shapes it closely to the arm.
Fans for ladies in mourning are made of
black gros grain silk with dark shell sticks;
when the wearer has laid aside her mourn
ing these fans may be decorated with hand
painting.
A novelty in fans is the use Of both paint
ing and lace on one fan, the lace serving as
sort Of frame for a large painted landscape
In the centre, or for two or three medalions
placed at irregular intervals. Chantilly.
Point de. Venise, Valenciennes, Duchesse
and Spanish laces are all seen in these fans,
and some coras combine two kinds of lace.
Tortoise shell sticks are used for black lace,
and pearl sticks for white lace.
Iron is to be the novelty this season, Hang
ing lamps, candelabra, andirons, tenders
and other articles to be made Of finely
wrought iron in rich designs, are already
being imported for the holiday trade. The
articles will be unique and costly.
The sheer null squares that are so pleas
ant to wear this warm weather as necker-
chiefs, now have printed vine of natural
colors just above the hem, or large flowers
strewn all over the square. Morning glory
vines are very prettily represented, and there
are roses and pansies Of large size printed at
intervals on others.
Blocks, tabs, Vandykes and crenelated
edges of every description are universal for
dress trimmings. They appear as founces,
overdresses, polonaises, corsages, pelerines
and sleeves, The most effective have a
thickly pleated fall of lace or silk set under
meath the blocks or points, to set out the
tabs and define the edges more Closely
Embroidery in silk or beads is as fashiona-
BILE as ever, and hand painting on rich silks
and satns is most artistic and luxurious in
effect. This coming autumn and winter,
hand-painted garntures will be the height of
iashlon, and they will certainly never be
common, as their price is far beyond the
reach OF the ordinary purse.
closely woven silk mitts are newer than
those OF the open lace pattern known as the
Marguerite gloves. They are embroidered
at each end with a light vine. that masses
around the hand and arm. They NAV be
had of various lengths, and in ali the fash
! ionable summer shades.
Almost all bodices for summer wear are
this season cut open in the neck for indoor
or outdoor toilets. For the latter, however
| the open space is occupied by plastron,
! representing waistcoat, or jahot Of lace,