Year: 1874

the dress IN color, and 1t it cannot be
obtained of the right shade, it is best to
dispense with it entirely. Two colors
or shades of color are not often combin-
ed In any way in these new street cost
umes; out when they are, the sleeveless
polonaise of brilliantine or basket cloth
is adopted, with sleeves, skirt, and the
trimming on the skirt of darker color,
and a thicker serge-like material. In
any case, the difference in color must be
slight. Walking dresses are made just
short enough to escape the ground.


WINTER CLoAks.


OF. wraps, the seal-skin sacGue, longer
than 1t was last year and half-ftting, is
great deal the most expensive. The
great demand for seal fur has given it
a fictitious value just at present; but
though it must depreciate somewhat as
it becomes less fashionable, it is SO soft,
silky and handsome that it never can be
considered common looking, and must
always be desirable. Besides, it wears
out, unlike the mink, which will last
lifetime; and this, with the fact that on
ly limited number of the best seal can
be taken annually, the matter being re-
gulated by Government, will help to
keep up the price of the genuine fur.
A good seal-skin set-muff, boa and
sacque-cannot now be bought for less
than two hundred dollars; but furs are
always cheaper after the holiday season.
Mink furs are SO out of favor that
muf and boa that would have sold readi-
ly for eighty dollars few years ago,
can be bought for less than half that
amount. Seal furs made up with a
bordering OF otter are considered far
more stylish than the plain, and cost ac-
cordingly. Velvet cloaks are not quite
SO expensive as the fur ones, and have
this advantage, that they can be worn
late and early in the season, while fur is
suitable only for mid-winter. Most
velvet wraps are now made in the shape
OF polonaise, close-ftting, but warmly
lined and wadded. The skirt has very
little fullness, and is not draped; and it
is simply finished at the edge with a
cord of medium size. The trimming, if
any, is of wide real or guipure lace,
headed by elegant jet pasementerie, and
put on like narrow cape. extending to
the bottom Of the waist in the back, or
in spiral shape finished with an orna-
ment of very fine jet. Other velvet
wraps are in the sacque shape, cut half
fitting in the back only. The tendency
is toward longer wraps, and a new out
door garment, quite close-ftting, and
coming below the knee, is mentioned
among the novelties. 1t is made of the
sarns material rs the dress, or of cloth
or velvet, boroered with fur, and has 4.
drapery, dolman-like sleeve. IF not so
coquettish as the little walking jackets,
these long wraps are warmer and more
comfortable looking.


A serviceable and handsome cloak for
every sort of wear is made in plain,
rather long sacque, trimmed lengthways
with rows of braid an inch or more
wide. The out side of the sleeve is
ornamented III q similar manner, but,
instead of perpendicular, the braid is
put OF bias, that is, from the front seam
running across to lower point on the
outside seam of the sleeves. Two rows
of the braid commence in the seam
where the sleeve is sewed in, and the
slope is SO gradual as to give something
of the appearance of an old-fashioned
pointed cap. The edge of the garment
is bordered with fur, or heavy fringe.
with a wide jetted heading is used. The
fur trimming can be bought at dollar a
yard. The fringe would not be less than
than two dollars. In this manner an
old cloak, though considerably worn,
can be remodeled into handsome and
stylish wrap. Where one cloak is to do
service on all occasions, it should be
black, which, with its sparkling jet en-
broidery, is far more dressy than any
other color. A very popular way of
making a black beaver cloth cloak is
sacque shaped, the fronts six Or eight
inches longer than the back. A collar
standing high in the back is an indis-
pensible feature of all cloth cloaks that
are not trimmed with fur, and frequent
ly the fur bordered runs up both sides
of the front, and stops at the neck. A
boa is then worn above the collar of
cloth. Jaunty little pockets are on all
cloaks. We lately saw clever lmlta-
ton of seal skin, different from and
superior to any cloth imitation ever be-
fore shown in this market. It was as
soft and silky as the real seal fur, and
hardly to be told from it. The price
was twenty dollars a yard, and a yard
and a half would make the wrap. 1t
would need wadded lining Of quilted
silk, and should be made up exactly
like a seal-skin sacque. It could be cut
and fitted at our best cloak-makers for a
dollar and half, and the lining silk
would cost about three dollars. The
buttons and fastenings, three more. so
that, made at home, the expense would
be under forty dollars, while made up
ready for wear it would be about fifty.
Such cloak would be Iandsome and
lady like looking. But we would eau
ton our readers against buying cheap
cloth imitation of any fur. 1t looks hike
nothing but what it is, fimsy, coarse
material that in a very short time will


be too shabby to be worn. lady who


can afford but the smallest outlay for a


cloak in 'sthese hard times" and yet


would have something she could wear at


theater or church, in town or country,


and look well dressed, should select


black beaver cloth, and trim it with


braid; figured braid is the newest, but
plain is much the cheapest; and vii


look about as well if a sprinkllng o.
beads are sewed upon it. Ii fur o.


fringe cannot well be afforded the edge
NAV he finished with a binding of braid