The Portland daily press., 1885-07-15
FASHIONS.
What to Wear and How to Wear 1t.
[Harper's Bazar.1

lHarperS Bazar.l
DRESS FOR ELDERLY LADIES.
Black and white India silks and foulards
are made up for the afternoon and visiting
dresses of old ladies, and black lace toilette.
are worn by them on full-dress occasions.
The figured silks for those who have quiet
tastes have usually a black ground with
white figures, lines, or flower sprigs, while
those who prefer lighter dresses have the
ground white, with black only for the small
figure upon it. If a color is ventured upon
brown grounds are chosen for the dark silks,
and lavender or violet for lighter dresses.
For the light woollens that are needed for
warmth in summer the black or gray Eng
lish buntings, albatross summer camePs hair
and veilings are used
The summer silks of old ladies who are in
clined to embonpoint are made with polo
naise and edged fatty with gros grain ribbon
an inch wide stitched on just underneath the
edge Of the silk. The fronts of the polonaise
are fitted by two darts and a cross seam to
make them lie smoothly ON large hips. This
garment is buttoned from the neck down to
about six inches below the waist line, and
falls open thence in sharp long point on
each side. Two tiny folds or tucks may be
taken each side of the buttons and holes
down the front and around the points The
edges of the points are then turned under
and are held by the ribbon trimming, which
is stitched on by machine. The back is in
basque shape, with the fullness of the skirt
made of two or three pleated breadths that
may be sewed on underneath the basque at
the waist line. Slender ladies wear basques
of grenadine or of black lace made with shir-
ring at the neck and waist, also belted fan
waists. These are made with high stand
ing collar of velvet or of pleated lace instead
the thin neck is still further hidden by vel
vet ribbon nearly an inch wide being passed
around it, and fastened by a small brooch, or
tied in bow on the left side. For wash
dresses the linen lawns with black figures on
white ground are made with a belted waist
and round skirt for old ladies-a plain fash
ion that is now in favor with their grand
daughters. Seersucker, in its dark blue
and white stripes, is made with polonaise
that has its pointed sides edged with white
Hamburg embroidery, and the skirt with
which this is worn has two very deep gath
cred ruffies all edged with the scalloped en-
br0idery.
Mantles for old ladies are of black repped
silk and combinations of velvet with lace in
large shapes that come down over the tour
nure in the back and have pointed ends in
front. Black lace and the transparent bead
ed bOnnets are worn ON formal occasions
and with these bordered wells of real lace are
again coming into favor. The straw bOnnets
are OF close shapes, larger than the capotes
worn by younger women, but when we'll
fitted on the sides of the head they are COM
Portable enough without having the cottage
br1m that formerly concealed the handsome
gray hair, which is arranged in waves, or on
Pompadour roll above the forehead. Break
fast caps to conceal plainly dressed hair are
OF null and lace III round shapes or in Fan
chon points, with bows of lavender, pale
blue, or rose ribbon, White tulle with
ruches, or black Brussels net with real lace
Is similarly arranged for dress caps.
HOW TO JOIN SKIRTS TO WAISTS.
With the short basques now worn 1t is a
difficult matter for those who have small hips
to keep the dress skirt from slipping too low
and showing the belt To prevent this sew
three fiat buttons ON the belt of the skirt and
three loops to correspond on the inside belt
OF the basque with butt0n-hole worked
lengthwiSe in the middle of each One loon
is placed in the middle of the back, and the
others are on the under-arm seams. This
arrangement has also the good effect of tax
ing the weight off the hips, and is most use
full in heavy wool dresses
REvERs DRAPERIEs.
There is quite fancy for revers draperies
For short apron front the fabric is pleated
on the right side high on the hips, curves
down in front, and its left half is turned up
ward In q reyers and pleated to the top and
pdOh. Luo lldIcIldl lOT SUCH u1dpery must
be alike on both sides. To correspond with
this the back drapery is made crosswise with
selyedge at top and bOttOm). The lower
sides being turned up to the top, nearly meet
ing IN the middle, and trimmed with band
OF velvet down each edge; this gives a wide
revers on each side, and this is pleated or
gathered to the belt
TO RENEW DRESS WAISTS.
Basques that are worn or soiled in the
front about the button-holes can be fresh
ened by having narrow vest of velvet, or
striped goods, or of plain fabric, tucked hor-
lz0ntally, set in single piece down the front
aud buttoned down each of its sides. The
material of the basque can be cut down each
side Of the frayed front, and turned back to
form with interlining) place for the button
holes. The vest measures only three or four
inches across the top, and tapers nearly to a
point below, unless 1t is necessary to have 1t
wider TO conceal the worn parts of the
basque; and buttons are set on the vest. For
waists worn under the arms a jacket front
may be added in Zouave shape, and this con-
ceals or replaces the shabby places. Some
times the front of worn basque may be
Sloped off to represent loose Jacket and
new vest of different material, either pique,
velvet, or Jersey webbing, may be set under
Meath Wide sash draperies of ribbons or of
soft silks are now arranged over the edges
OF basques that are partly worn, and are
tied in full loops and ends behind. Broad
watered ribbon will thus renew beaded jer-
sey, or gay Roman sash may be used in
stead. A still simpler way when the basque
is defaced about the hips and is Old-fash-
Toned In the back, is to convert 1t into styl-
1sh round waist by fastening the belt of the
skirts over 1t, and adding belt or a sash
ribbon.