The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-13
Black Silk Dresses.


are being made up in short costumes
for the house and street for early
| spring. The jet black silks are chosen
for these, and in the gros grains the
cords vary from the very fine threads
to those that are very thick. In otto
man silks the medium reps are chosen,
as the thickest reps would look too
heavy for spring dresses. The trim
mings used are self -pleating, puffs, and
! gathered frills, with let galloon and
lace. The jet galloons are from two to
three inches wide, and are of crocheted
silk in diamond, block, star and wheel
patterns rather than in vines; and in
stead of being of what is called solid
jet, they have fine cut beads strung
about in the pattern; the edges of the
so. The guipure and thread laces are
much used, but novelty that goes
well with jet galloon is new kind of
Escurial lace that has jetted roses and
leaves, with also corded Spanish de-
sign on square guipure meshes. A
single fabric is Used for the entire dress
and the designs .or making are simple,
showing no radical change from those
of the winter, except that they are more
decidedly boufant than plain dresses
have yet been made.
A basque with bouffant drapery in
pulled apron shape and pleated skirt
is the general plan for these dresses,
and this plan is susceptible of various
arrangements. The basques remain
sharply pointed in front, with short
sides, and either a position back of
StitIened box pleats that show their
whole length, or else they have but
terhy bow, ribbon fiots of many loops,
or large jet ornament. The long re-
verS collar that outlines = vest is in
great favor for these black baSques, as
the front of the dress may then be
turned in from the neck down along
the front edge of this collar, and may
be fillei in with tulle or net with dots
or lattice design wrought in beads.
This collar is turned over about three
inches in depth Just below the back of
the standing collar, and tapers to
point on the bust or at the waist line,
as is most becoming to the figure of the
wearer. Its only seam is in the rlid-
die of the back, and it may be entirely
covered with the beaded galloon, or
else merely edged with row of strung
jet beads. To fill in the space at the
neck when the fronts are not turned
away, there may be short and full
jabOt of Escurial lace placed Just below
the standing collar There should then
be pleated frill of the black lace in
side the silk standing collar, and the
nolloy. ChNr11I olcn hn oY,ifa hiorb on1
entirely covered by the jet galloon.
For the sleeves there should be a full
iabot of the lace around the wrists, and
above this small beaded cuff, or else
q narrow pufed scarf of the silk. The
cpcheted small buttons should have a
few beads in them and should be of
ball shape.
For the lower skirt there should first |
be a narrow foundation skirt of some
inexpensive silk, and to this is sewed |
the pleating that represents the lower
skirt, and also the breadths that cover |
the upper part as drapery, and conceal |
the upper edge of the lower pleatings.
For the lower pleated parts there are
now many arrangements, and it is a
great object to get some new device for
these. One pretty plan arranges this
in side pleats the eighth of an inch wide,
alternating with four very fine pleats
that are caught in two punches of
about ten inches apart, and be-
low these fall as a flounce that is cut
in deep leaf points, which in its turn
droopS on a narrow pleated balayeuse
at the foot. Another lower skirt has
all that part visible below the drapery
covered with side-pleatings three inches
wide that are cut apart at the end,
then sewed double, and each piece is
turned up in loop, and gathered un-
der the pleat next to it; below this two
knife-pleatings are sewed to the foun-
dation skirt. Still another stylish skirt
of black silk has the front and sides
kilt of very narrow
pleats, while the back is covered by
the drapery which descends to the foot
in two large double box pleats, form
ing the straight lines and full effects
that have been used lately in cloth and
velvet dresses. For plain skirts that
are worn with low drapery pretty
finish at the foot is soft bias puff an
eighth of a yard deep when finished,
shirred toleave a narrow standing ruff
fie at the top, and falling below on
gathered or a knife-pleated ruffie an
eighth of yard wide. Some of the
wide pleatings of lower skirts are shir-
red lengthwise near the edge of each
pleat to form mch-wide frills for
space of a fourth of yard, and are
permitted to fall below as flounce.
Two soft pufs are around the foot of
other plain skirts without either pleat-
inc or frills.
Many of the new apron over-skirts
have three straight bresdths in them,
being as wide at the top as at the
bottom, or else they are sloped slightly
on the back of the side breadths. These
aprons are gathered in two rows across
the top instead of being sloped to fit
and this gathered part is
sewed to the lower skirt an inch or two
below the belt, or, if the figure is very
slight, it may be sewed into the belt
with the lower skirt. The lower edge
Of such aprons is turned under out of
sight, gathered like the top, and sewed
to the lower skirt, with
he edge dropping over like puff on
The pleated skirt below it. This full
ong wide apron is then tucked at three
,r four places along the selvedge seams !
hat join the front middle breadth to
he side breadths and made to droop in
'oft irregular poufs; at its back edge it
S laid in close pleats and carried very {
ar back on the lower skirt, where it :
oins the drapery of the back. Two
in boxpleats at the back form
ong back drapery that may be shaped I
n two sharp points puffed all the way, i
,r else merely puffed at the top by a t
:ingle bunch of pleats in each seam j