Year: 1861

There has been a complete change in form
and trimming of dresses, and one which
will create some commotion among ladies
short and ladies tall, ladies stout and ladies'
small. This change has not been brought
about without a struggle. For year past
the leading queens of beauty and fashion,
those women who lock lovely in any bonnet
and every dress-have endeavored to intro
duce the gored skirt, formerly worn by their
stately grandmothers. Their efforts were
unavailing for a time, and many ladies
hoped the thing would fail But the devo-
tees OF gored skirts persisted, and the year
1861, Spring and Summer, will witness
their triumph. The gored dress will soon
be the rage, and from specimens seen yester-
day, one feels compelled to say that it must
| be extremely becoming, especially to tall
! figures. A strange fact in relation to these
| gored dresses is this They have not been
worn since the days of the American Revo-
luton. Our patriotic grandmothers of
those glorious days wore them, ard now this
unique fashion has returned to adorn the
daughters of another day OF Revolution
Truly, this is a noteworthy freak of fashion.


But the gored dress Of our time is slightly
different from those of the past. The dress
of eighty years ago had bat two breadths in
the skirt, and the waist was directly under
the armpits While the one of 1861 has
from six to seven yards width around the
bottom of the skirt, and a corsage elegantly
fitted being neither too long nor too short.
For morning neghgs, the skirt and corsage
are cut in one piece, with a tight or half
bishop sleeve For dinner dress the corsage
is detached in front, thus relieving it of its
morning robe appearance. The sleeves and
skirt are richly and elegantly trimmed
From three to eight small founces are worn
9n the bottom of the dress-the corsage very
high and plain. and sometimes open at the
throat, surplice fashion. Ladies must re-
member that all elegI mt dinner and evening
dresses will be made with the open flowing
sleeve. All neglige and promenade dresses
will have the tight pulled or the half open
coat sleeve The mousquetaire collar and
cuffs will be very much worn for morning
costume, but small linen bands will be fash
ionable.


The new dress goods for the coming season
are very chaste and beautiful in pattern. In
silks and baIeges the ground eolors for pro-
menade are various shades of gray, brown
and green but the grays seem the fayorlte
colOrs. English bareges will be made in
gored dresses, having one large hOunce On
the bottom of the skirt. English grenadines
"a much more elegant and expensive fabric
will be made in seven or eight hOunces.
THE CLoAKs AND HANTLEs.


The cloaks for the season will have moth
| ing startling new except bias circular, very
long and very full, which has hood of an
indescribable shape, and which. as the say
Ing is, must be seen to be appreciated.
new article Tor Summer wear is the
! Grenadne shawl. There are not many OF
these pretty shawls imported, but they will
form very gay feature in Summer fashions.
They are to be had in pure white, black,
with brocaded border and raised leaves OF
the most striking colors, and also in blue
and brown.


TIE B0NNETs.


These beautiful thlngs-the bonnets-are,
thank Heaven, no smaller than those worn
in the past season. The new Paris shape is
very distingue, but It will disappoint some Of
the ladies who are trying to introduce the
fiat Marie Stuart fronts. The new shape Tor
the season is worn very high, close to the
lower part of the face, and slopes very much
from the "tip" to the crown. Ruches will
be worn still, but not generally. Tho hair
will be worn in curls and in braids in the
bonnets as was the fashion before ruches
came in vogue. They will however, still be
worn in some Of the most stylish bonnets.-
The trimming for the bonnets will be simple
-lace and small 4 Iwers, in clusters and IN
loops on the top or Us nearly on the top oi
the bonnet, 'as it is possible to get them. -
Fancy straws will be very much worn this
/ Cor;n, opd Summer 4 great MANY costly