The Portland daily press., 1883-03-27

skirt bouffantly draped is the favorite de-
sisn for thenew spring silks, but this simple
plan is varied in divers ways, and illustrates
many of the new features. The upper part
of the corsage, the top of the sleeves, and
the fronts of the skirts seem TO be the points
of attack for trimmings. There are plas-
irons of velvet or of embroidery, or else veil
vet Directoire collars notched and pointed to
the waist line on most of the basques.
The sides are short on the hips, and have
one, two or three piping cords, or else they
are turned upward aud faced across, or there
is embroidery or lace placed along the edges
to roll outward and hang with points down.
The small fiat buttons are wooden monlds
covered with any scrap of the silk, some OF
the buttons showing the brocaded figure,
and others merely checked.
Sarplice effects of pleats from the Shout
ders, pointed low on the bust, are seen on
many of these dresses. The skirt falls IN
soft pnffs that disappear under a cluster Of
gathered tlounces that are pinked In leaf
like points; these are finger deep, straight
of the material, very full, and lap half their
depth; two rows of shirring and a standing
pinked frill are at the top of such group OF
floances.
Vatican morning dresses promise to be as
popular as the Mother Hubbard gowns have
been of late These wrappers have broad
double box pleat beginning at the neck be-
hind, fully defined as low as the hips, and
lost below in the drapery of the skirt. This
box pleat may be detached from the
waist and Joined to the skirt, or it may be
sewed in with the middle seam of the ba, k
of the waist. The garment may be closely
fitted to the waist by two darts, or else the
back alone is tight, and the fronts are held
in place by velvet ribbon strings that begin
in the nnder- arm seam and lie in front in
long looped bow. The India silks and
French foulards with rose garden patterns
and branches of other large bright-hued
flowers strewa on pale blue, shrimp, dark
blue, or strawberry grounds, are used for
very elegant Vatican wrappers, and their
only trimming is jabot OF Oriental lace
down the front, with frills in the neck and
wrists, with perhaps narrow knife-pleat-
ing of satin or velvet at the foot. For SIM
pie wrappers the pretty cotton satteens are
used in say designs like those Of foulards, or
else the solid eolors are chosen in pale sky
blue, strawberry red or ecru shades, with q
collar and deep cuffs of Irish point embroi-
derry or of Russian lace for trimming.
Ladies who make up their wash dresses at
home will be safe in repeating the easily
laundried simple styles that have short ruff
fled skirt, deep round apron overskirt, and
an unlined basque cut with square postll-
ion back, very short sides, and slightly
pointed front. This is prettily made up in
sky blue cotton satteen with gathered ruff
fles of the material, or in tiny checked sat
teen of the strawberry shades with flounee
of Irish point embroidery on the lower skirt,
q similar frill on the deep apron, a vest, col
lar, and cuffs of embroidery on the basque.
There are white nainsook dresses made in
this way for ladies who are dressing In
mnnrpin0 and fha Yrin,ninvS uafharaf
rutlles of the nainsook finished with an inch
wide hem, above which are three narrow
tucks. The thick Russian embroidery trims
more elaborate nainsook dresses made in this
simple style, or with the overskirt caught up
very high on the left side; a jabot or fiounces
of the embroidery trims the space left bare
on the lower skirt, or else there is chain Of
loops or bows of ribbon down the left side.
White cotton satteen is being used for chill
dren's dresses to alternate with those Of
pique.
Black llsle-thread and silk hose continue
in favor, to wear with dresses of any color
and for almost any occasion; even infants
socks are shown madeof black silk or thread.
Solid colors and stripes of two shades of one
color or in contrast are most fashionable,
and hand embroidery is done on the most
costly stockings. The plain solid colors come
in all the new shades of red-strawbeTy,
raspberry, shrimp, etc.-with military blue,
eeru, tan, cardinal, gold, sapphire, and the
new sage and stem greens. There are .lso fine.
striped stockings in all eolors to match cos
tunes. The game Balbriggan stockings are
used under silk stockings by ladies who do not
like the colored stockings next the flesh OF
do not find silk pleasant TO wear. Lisle-thread
and heavier cotton stockings come in all the
new plain colors or in peneiled stripes
Of two shades Of white with col
Tor, or in ineh-wide stripes of blue,
bronze, gray, wine-eolor, and other red
shades, or else they have tartan effect Civ
en- by having dark ground striped at inte-
walls with two or three bright eolors. Ribbed
stockings are chosen for children, as they
are more durable, and also give roundness
to their slender limbs; those OF dark colors
with white or unbleached feet are excellent.
Children's striped stockings are imported
with light grounds and dark horizontal
stripes.
Turkey red twiiled cotton, striped Gre
tonnes and Scotch ginghams are made up
| as Balmoral petticoats to replace in the
| spring those of wooden goods now worn.
| These skirts are made wider than they for
merry were, and are finished with yoke at
| the top when meant for stout figures, while
for those who are slight they are attached to
a loose band two inches wide when doubled,
and tape string is run in this band to draw
it up small enough for the waist. 1t is well
to add button and bntton-hole also. To
make the skirt light of weight the trimming
at the foot is a single narrow box-pleated
fiounce, or else three or four tucks, each
two inches wide are used without a fiounce
The striped Scotch ginghams come In clean
shades of blue, lengthwise, and an inch
wide, or pink with gray, ecru with brown,
or black with white The gray red and
white, or blue and white striped cretonnes
are pretty, and will wash well. For those
who prefer little more warmth, alpaca and
heavier mohair and stuffs are used in light
gray and black, and there are also farmers
satin skirts of dark twilIed wool with lus-
trous surface.