Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1889-08-14
LONDON BALL GOWNS.
Details of Those Worn by the Best
Dressed English Girls.


From the London Queen.]
read from time to time great many de-
scriptions of ball gowns, and have several
sistance; but still the actual construction of
the gowns worn by the best dressed girls at
the innumerable balls now taking place in
London 1 do not see described in print.
Some are made by the best dressmakers and
by leading firms who have established a rep.
utation for such ratment; still a large num-
Der require to be rearranged at home, and
often entirely made by those to whom the
idea of wearing anything that does not ex-
actly please fastidious taste would be alto
gether unbearable. In good dressing the es-
sential poin! is style. We all know that wo
men who are handsomely dressed often never
attain to this, and that it frequently happens
that those who dress simply have most style.
Dickens said ''style meant back" style
means carriage doubtless, but 1t means much
more, viz, wsll-cut clothes, we'll put on,
with certain adjunots known only to the ini-
tiated.
At the present moment ball gown just
rests on the ground, and, If made pEmpire,
is shorter in front than heretofore, showing
the dainty shoes. The foundation, which is
best in either silk or satin, but may be sa-
possible to lay down any rule as to the exact
size of each of these. The back is over q
| yard in width, aud the front and two cores
should be about forty eight inches, but the
| Dimensions entirely depend on the figure of
the wearer. The hem Is lined with stiffen-
ing (viotoria lawn), so that it gives substance
to the hem, and this stiffening ia carried up
about half yard. There is small killing
/ or pleating of the foundation material at the
edge, and another of tulle over it, but this
| is not done when there ia a ruche on the out
side of the edge all round, style which
with Empire gowns is much favored.
The disputed point Of steels or no steels ia
met in this way: Some of the Paris gowns
have no steels, but in lieu psttiooat is sent
of the skirt, founced and frilled up the
back, with hard, stiff, narrow pleated
f1ouncss, which are as firm as steels, a mat.
tress at the top, all without undue protuber.
ance; ball skirts are at the least two and one
half yards wide, they look full and stand
out well. Unless there are some means o
keeping the skirt out, tulle becomes fimsy
and two small steels are the rule, deftly in
serted with a pleating of horsehair, or {
crescent shaped pad just at the waist.
The tulle Is put on quite fat at the band
the edges c1t, tapsd and sewn over, mo-
turned in, which would be too bulky. Th'
foundation is either mounted into band
like an ordinary skirt, or simply piped,
which plan has many advantages, among
Il
Whether there are steels or not, I consider
the best dressed people insert a 1ouncet
piece up the back Of ball gowns, eacl
aounced edge with lace. and they wear un
der it pretty short white silk pstticoat. Il
the gown is raised there is then no fear, In
holding ii up when getting in and out of tn
carriage, that the petticoat will droop.
have all this time been describing tn
fundamental principles of ball gowns; bu
there are other points. Just now nearly ev
ery skirt is made with the back perfectl,
plain, one layer Of net next theafoundation
and two full wells of tulle over that. It
possible at Defendants and at Redmayne'
to procure net to exactly match tho tulle
be the color what 1t may, and these nets Civ
far more substance than when only tulle l
| used. I will further on describe the prevail
ing makes of fashionable shirts; but, as
rule, the fronts are slightly draped, and hav
loose panels and side sashes. In the 8
| called Empire gowns the fronts are perfectl
, | plain, with hardly more than one veil Q
tulle over the silk or satin foundation; the
have thick ruche at the foot with aowe,
Nesting in it. Sometimes there is pinke
silk ruche at the hem, and over this lisse {
: tulle falls full and all round alike.
The bodices of Empire gowns mostly fol
a over, crossing back and front, and ending !
a wide sash belt; they start from beneath Il
y arm, continue on to the skirt, terminating
d long ends at the left side. These sashes q
Il 40 dean they mount to the bust, and are tic
. at the back in large bow beneath tt
= shoulder blades Half the bodice is often
a one material, half of another. the sleev
n different. Pointed bodices, laced at Il
d back, coming up high on the shoulders, al