Year: 1874

WILL AAAls


time and consideration. and perhaps few
pins are used before the important question
is settled of at just what angle it shall
cross upon the bosom. and before the tiny
bouquet which apparently holds it there is
fastened. The effect is not only pictur-
csque but rich for the garment is edged
with Duchess point, and the heavy creamy
patterns of this lace look like frostwork as
they lie on the blue silk of the dress.
Then let the young lady brush her hair
back over little cushion, allow few
large curls to drop at the back, dash the
whole lightly with powder, and crown the
structure with one of those picturesque
broad-brimmed straw hats that turn up
here and down there, and adapt themselves
perfectly to the face beneath, and finally
let her put on a pair of long, white gloves.
and the happy man who fastens the tenth
button around her arm will feel that he is
only speaking unadorned truth when he
tells her that she looks like II picture, and
her female friends will bitterly feel that
he is right.


But all this pretty muslin and lace can





sea-shore, and fabric after fabric has been
tried for walking dresses, found wanting
and rejected, until plain flannel is said to
be the only thing which stands the test of
fog and rain. mud and dust. This would
be a good material with which to begin to
manufacture those loose Gabrielle dresses,
which the reformers tell Us are fitted to
become universal. \ loose Gabrielle fan
mel dress sets off a pretty figure and hides
half the deficiencies of one which is bad,
but its adoption is for The present forbid
den by the fancy for slenderncss. What
with the lofty top-nots and aspiring ruffS,
II woman's shoulders look sloping, and
the narrow backs of the dresses and the
high epaulettes add to the effect. One
very pretty dress, made for a young lady,
this season, was absolutely without any
trimming on the waist, which was of
foulard, with green stripes on white
ground; the collarette and Duchess sleeves
were of the same material. The green
silk unde:skirt was round. and trimmed
with four fiounces, two gathered and two
plated, the upper one being wider than
the other, and having lis plaitS held in
place by a flat band. The overSkirt WAS
simply curved apron. trimmed with
green SlIIDttl W Illl fi
strip of English embroidery, which was
also worn at the throat and wrists. These
dresses, composed of plain and fancy
silks, are much worn, and many Il woman
fondly thinks that she is economical when
she buys ten yards of the one material
because she has half-worn dress of the
other, and combines the two into a suit
which she does not need, Such ladies take
their old checked silk dresses and contrivo
prettily trimmed skirt, and then buy
enough black silk for a tunic, and, by
having that garment made with Il violin
back with the centre of checked silk, they
are sure that they are fashionable, and
say that they are prudent Others trim
old black silks with crosswise bands o1
black and white striped silk, and also fee
virtuous. The contrivanceS for refurbish-
| inc old dresses are numberless this season,
| but there are laws which govern the ad
| iustment of the hflf-dozen materials O.
which costume may he composed ant
unless these are observed the dress look,
| like patchwork, instead of forming Il har-
monious whole. For instance, she wht
wears a light, gauzy tunic over silk skir
/ is fashionable; she who dOnS a silk tuniC
over muslin shows that she is lost to fash
/ ion. Suppose, however, that, trying te
carry out this principle, n lady should ven
ture to wear a tilk tunic and a cashmere
skirt; she belrays her rustic innocence
Immediately. for in such Il case the skirt
should be of silk.


Among the pretty dresses made thi,
season, without any great regard to econ
omy, one is described which was intended
| for evening wear, and was composed o
silk of nameless shade, but precisely
matching light purple heliotrope blossoms


he trained skirt was trimmed wi thret
puffings of the silk separated by ruchings
The overdress WAS of white French mus
lin, having the waist made low. and the
sleeve pointed ruflle, reaching only abou
half way to the elbow in its deepest par
and caught up in front with a cluster O
heiOtropes. The skirt had II long aprof
front. caught up on both sides. The sasl
was of ribbon of very moderate width
and of the same tint as the dress, and wa;
passed once around the waist, fastened OF
the left side. and then tied on the rigI
and braided with long garland of hello
trope blossoms and leaves, eliminating il
streamers of the ribbon. Here and there
China grapes, = like wrinkled skins or
| SCllutti llith, HhlNHs WITCH ICti, <iiV SS
costly, but so durable that they seem cheal
when one reflects that they will outlast
dozen of the fimsy limitations. The ma
teral is used principally for oVerdresses
and is invaluable to ladies who thinl
themselves too stout, for its clinging fold
do not add to the apparent size of the flo
ure. and its peculiar tint is more becoming
than the more airy muslin.


This year. the straw bonnet, which ha
been for so long unseen, comes forward
again, and can be bought in any style 0
braid that may be desired. 1t is not prob
able, however, that its popularity viii
endure, for it introduces an extra color in
to the costume, and the tendency is rattle
in the direction of having the bonnet male
from the same material rs the dress anC
trimmed with ribbons and flowers. The
popular colors next season will, it is said
be mouse gray, n new shade Of reddisl
plum color, bronze green and dead tur
Quoise. These will be worn to the exclu
sion of the more brilliant shades, which. i
is said, only made their appearance for the
summer. Bright flowers will be worn OF
the bonnet, of course, but the wreatl
which now figures above the brim will b.
transferred to the inside.


The much vexed subject Of the arrange
ment of the hair is still an open question
While the ruffs are worn, dropping braid
are an impossibility, but soft curls are not
and they are frequently seen. Coils
braids and puffs figure with equal frequen
cy. but tortoise shell comb is alway
worn, both because it holds the bonnet il