St. Landry democrat., 1886-02-20
WINTER FASHIONS.
Rich and Elaborate Velvet Costumes WIN
Turquoise Embroidery.


Rich and Elaborate Velvet Costumes ""'
Turquoise Embroidery.
Velvet is the material for rich winter
costumes used for visits, afternoon re-
cepnous and theater parties. Beaded
passementerie, watered ribbon sashes
and fur are the trimmings for velvet
suits. The preference is given this
winter to very dark winter shades, both
in garnet and copper tints to Havana
brown and green for the velvet, while
the caprice for the moment is to trim
these oolors with black, adding very
wide sashes of black watered ribbon
on the skirt, trimming the basque with
passementerie ornaments made OF large
cut jet beads, and using similar orna-
ments with black fur in the mantle. For
theater toilets there are many dresses
of plain velvet trimmed with gold or
silver galloon, according to the color of
the velvet, or with galloons embroidered
to copy PLAQUES of colored stones on
gold ground. Thus there are gold gal
looms with turquoise embroidery, or
emerald, or ruby, or sapphire, or
blending of them. These velvet dresses
are opened at the front and slashed at
one side, to give view of a contrasting
underskirt of satin beneath. If lighter
shade is desired, the dress is trimmed with
one of the flower galloons. These are
composed of petals of all sorts of small,
fine flowers, daises, myosotis, vlolets,
Jasmine, chrysanthemums, etc.
Fancy the petals of any one Of these
pressed in mass and mounted on q
band of tulle; this is flower galloon.
They are made in various widths for
various positions, and are also used for
partially filing in the front of the cor
sage. In selecting velvet, that with
very short, thick pile is preferred, be-
cause it is more durable than that with
the long, heavy, nap. 1t is economy to
buy good velvet, putting all the outlay
of money into the material, without
adding expensive trimming, as new silk
velvet is beautiful enough of itself, and
any trimming set upon it mars the
pile, fattening is in some cases so badly
that it is difficult to restore it by steam
ing, 1t is the best plan to have the en-
tire dress of plain velvet, instead of
combining it with figured velvet as plain
velvet is always in fashion. In making
the dress, the pile must be turned up
ward, so that it will look rich when the
fleece falls downward and opens natur-
ally, instead of being fattened, as it
would if made to point downward, as
was formerly the custom. Wide plaits
On one side and low draperies on
the other are used for velvet
skirts to give them an appearance
of great fullness. There must first
be a silk foundation skirt bordered
all around with three-inch knife
plating of the velvet, and above this
some plain velvet is set on the sides
and front, beginning quite narrow at
the foot on the left, widening as it
crosses the front, and extending half
way up the skirt on the right side. Two
or three lengthwise side plaits then ex-
tend down the left side from belt to
foot, being made of single breadth of
velvet. For the front drapery three
breadths are taken, being sewed straight
next the side plaits, and having
cluster of four plaits at the top sewed to
the belt in the space of two inches on
the left side. These plaits widen to the
foot, where they spread out like fan,
and are simply hemmed. The re-
mainder of these three breadths, after
crossing the front, is then caught up in
plaits on the right side above the velvet,
which is sewed to the silk skirt, and
these plaits disappear in side seam
aext the back. This gives a long
apron effect, and, in order to make it |
fit smoothly at the top, two or three
small darts may be taken if needed.
The back is covered by three straight
breadths of velvet gathered or plated
to the belt and hemmed at the foot, be-
ing long enough to cover even the
foot plating. Boston Herald.