Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-05-31

tiehtly-fittcd as they were last year
thew are carried up high and round in
the short shoulder seams, but they are
not full enough to require being gath
cred into the armhole.
Some Of the prettiest imported cotton
dresses are Of the wash Siciliennes in
stripes, and these are made with
position basque and V Of embroidery.
The skirt has deep apron front, with
an edging Of embroidery falling low on
deep-gathered hounce that passes
around the entire skirt, while two
other flounces cover the back above the
lowest hounce and disappear under the
edges of the apron. This style is
not new, but it is Frenchy, and
is found among the importations
of the best houses. Another arrange
ment Of skirts suitable for cotton sat
teens, with flower or fern pattern, has
a foundation skirt in which hangs a
hounce Of straight breadths, scalloped
OIL the lower edge and gathered at the
top in three pufls all around. Above
this is drapery that crosses in front,
and is very bouifant on the sides,
and falls into the back breadths
that drop quite low, though not to
the end Of the scalloped flounce. The
waist may be basque, or else round
and belted; revers are get on from the
throat to the waist line, and between
these some Egyptian lace may be gath
cred on the edge outside the button
holes to fall in soft frill similar
frill droops over the collar. When a
pleated skirt is liked for satteen or
Bingham it should be made like those
already mentioned as like boys kilt,
with plain space in front from which
the side-pleats turn away, and these
ide-pleats must not be laid deeply, or
the skirt will be too heavy.
PIQUE DRESSES.
Correspondents who prefer pique
dresses to those Of white wool are adj
viscd to make the skirt with the pleat-
ing just described extending back to
meet the long drapery Of the back,
which falls in two large box-pleats
from the belt. A short apron over
skirt may be edged with open Ham,
burg embroidery, or it may have
rows of white braid on it. An
Elton jacket trimmed to match the
Overskirt opens over vest OF
embroidery, and there may be soft
silk sash, or velvet girdle, or else an
embroidered belt, to complete it. Still
other pique dresses may have the lower
part Of the front Of the skirt entirely OF
embroidery, or else the whole front
breadth is embroidered, and the sides
and back are plcated. Very simple
tailor styles are used for pique dresses,
and these severely plain dresses have
inch-wide linen braid in rows for trim
ming. The colored cotton repped goods
known as Siciienne has the appearance
Of pique, and is better liked because it
is more pliable and Of much less
weight.
For lovers ofnOyelty there are change
able batistes, in which gilt is introduced
in dots all over the fabric, and in stripes
near the selvedge for borders. The
swect-pea color, showing both blue and
pink, is prettiest in this goods. The
silver and gilt borders are also intro
duced in Scotch ginghams and in white
cotton that is called India cotton. Old
fashioned cambrics in half-inch stripes
of three gay colors, such as blue,
poppy red, and olive or brown, are
again shown for gay oyer-dresses, with
skirts entirely of embroidered cambria.
| Among the most effective dresses are
those Of the old-fashiOned organdy lawn,
with delicate grounds of pink, moss
I green. or buff, strewn with large roses,
and as they are too delicate in fabric 70
be washed, the French caprice is to trim
them with black French lace. This
lawn is only % to IS cents a yard, and
makes a charming dress when Of pale
pink ground strewn with darker
rosebuds nearly blown, and trimmed
with black lace frills that are caught up
with loops of green velvet ribbon Of the
shade Of the foliage of the rose.