The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1885-09-05
THIN BLACK DRESSES.
How They should BE Fabricated, and this
Materials Used for Innings, Etc.


As a skirt Of some black fabric,
either silk or mohair, is necessary un-
der thin black dresses, some ladies
have this skirt take the place OF
the foundation skirt which has come to
be thought indispensable in most cos
tunes. In that case the thin wool
skirt may be made almost as full as a
house-maid skirt, and very nearly
round; the back will consist of a full
straight breadth of the double width
goods, and each side of this is sewed
a half breadth, which is straight at the
front, but sloped narrower at the top
in the back; between these is the front
breadth, as wide as those on the side,
but sloped on each side toward the top.
The front of such a skirt may be sim
ply hemmed. but is made stronger bv a
facing, and on the outside is set a foot
pleating. Folds of the material cut
bias or else tucks three inches deep ex.
tend around the skirt, the lowest drop
ping on and concealing the heading of
the foot-pleating. 1t is a matter Of in
dividual taste how far up the trimming
may extend, but halfway to the belt
is a plan becoming to both short and
tall figures, while above in front there
may be an apron of many cross wrin-
kles, and at the back is a sash draperv
made by forming two deep loops and
two long ends of strips of the material
cut in two l%engthwise and hemmed all
around. For a more dressy skirt the
folds or tucks may be only a few in
number around the skirt, but extended
to the belt IN the left side. The very
deep over-skirt is then caught up to
the hip on the left to show the panel of
trimming, and this ovcr-skirt should
also be bordered with two or three
tucks or folds. For those who prefer
lengthwlse trimmings three wide box
pleats like panels should form the
front and sides, or else only one side
may have a panel of doubled p~leats,
and the drapery may begin very low on
that side and curve up to the hips oppo-
site. The back breadths are thenf full and
straight, with the sash drapery already
noted. These unlined skirts are liked
for their lightness and for their econo-
my-two things to be commended, as
mourning dress is both heavy and
costly. For the waist lining of such
dresses the twilled silk serges at one
dollar a yard are pleasant and durable,
but for those who can not afford such
luxurious Innings there are excellent
silesias Of very light weight, as glossy
as sateen. and which are black on one
side and white on the other. therefore
there is no crocking on the under
waist, as is the case with the all-black
cotton lining.
For grenadine dresses the plain sew
ing-silk grenadines are used over black
silk Innings, making an expensive
dress, and one that is not very service
able, as the fabric trays in the seams,
and the threads draw and slip. The
armure grenadines with diaper figures
are more serviceablo, and the old-time
canvas grenadines have again come
into fashion on account of their square
meshes. Pleated %hounces that have
first been tucked are used to trim the
front and sides of grenadines; above
these is a fan over-skirt in l%engthwise
pleats, or else a short apron or crossed
scarfs, while the back of the silk foun-
dation skirt is covered from the belt to
the foot by long breadths of the grena-
dine hemmed on three sides, tucked
across the foot, and made boutlant at
top by pleats taken on each side and in
a single luster in the middle. The
shirred basque is liked for ~grenadine
waists, as it needs no trimming other
than a series of small folds laid around
the high collar, with a tucked and
pleated frill on the sleeves. headed bv
similar folds. For slender figures the
shirring is in the back and front alike
at the neck and at the waist line, while
those who are stout or round -shouldcred
have this f~ullness only in front.
Another fashion is that of pIcating the
fullness on the shoulders in front and
again in smaller pleats at the waist
line; this leaves a V-shapsd plastron,
which may be covered with jetted net
lace or with rows of dull jet galloon.
-Harper's Bazar.