Year: 1877




The dresses made for old ladies by fashions
bic dressmakers differ very little from those
made for the young. The polonaise suit and
the Princess home dress, however, arc especially
liked by old ladies who are fond of dress. as they
make rich-looking and stately costumes. The
best fabrics are chosen by these experienced
buyers, aud the most marked feature is the di-
minished trimmings. Thus for full dress are
with silk, or else Of plain velvet and silk, made
without a single founce or drapery Of any sort
Rich passemcntcrie, frinecs, and laccs are nscd,
but not abundent'y. Although black seems
to be losing favor with younger Indies, it
is worn On all occasions by the old, and the
fabrics arc now so rich that they
make sufficient variety without any change
in color. Satin, brocaded silk, embossed
velvet, plain velvet, and plain silk arc chosen
for rich dresses; two of these materials appear
in each dress, and these are combined III new
ways By making alternating cores and side
forms extending the whole length of the dress,
instead OF as hitherto having the dress Of one
stuff and the accessories Of another; they are
now so mingled that it cannot be said the dress
is OF one kind, but Of both.


For palmer house dresses and for suits there
Is nothing SO popular with old ladies as the soft
clinging caslmerc-a fabric they were familiar
a.
Sometimes these are now made with the cuirass
and 1ong-1oopcd ovcr-skiTt very simply trimmed
with bias folds Of the same, or else with knire-
?)eatings OF silk The lower skirt may be per-
fectly plain, but the fancy for trimming has reach
cd even the plaincst people, and there arc few
old ladies nowadays who object to the 1ounces
that were formerly thought TOO frivolous While
black is generally preferred for the street By old
ladies, the rich dark soft shades now In vogue
are much used in the house. With the rTay
nrntfE hav rr1 ~
]ects OF admiration. there is no dress more be-
coming titan the rich plum-colors and seal
brown woolens SO fashionable at present When
black Is worn in the house, grandmamma re-
daughter, does, by bright knots OF ribbon on
her cap, and cunniug1y contrircd bows at her
throat.


The caps worn by old ladies nowadays are the
most tasteful found in books Of the costumes
OF the last hundred years For the morning
they arc made OF clear white muslin, with full
mob crown, a ruche Of pleatcd muslin or of
lace, and bow Of soft violet or palc-bluc rib
bon in front and back. They are SO simple tnat
they are easily made and laundrcd, their
wire passing around tic head. For more @
drcssy afternoon wear white net in 1Ic-
ures or else plain Lyons tuilc is used, with tulc
ruches for trimming. The crown is not as full
as in muslin caps, ard there are wide strings Of
tullc, with the ends pointed and the edges fin-
ished with the narrow ruche. These strings are
worn banging; only very old ladies now use
strings to tic under the chin. For full-dress
occasions the cap is formed of the fine real lace
barbes and pointed coiffure pieces that arc I'M
ported III round point applique and Falcncicn-
ncs, and are richly trimmed with lace, and per
haps few flowers. The drcary black lace caps
worn generation age and their kindred lead
dresses are happily bani.hed, or at most are
worn only BY those who arc not courageous
enough to wear their own natural gray hair. but
resort instead to wigs false fronts, and hair-
dyes Indeed, caps arc no longer considered
the speciality of old ladies'; for while the young
est matrons find them becoming, and, in fact,
they often form part Of the brides outfit.
they arc not VOTE at all by many old ladies WHO
hare abundant gray hair, Or by those who eau
afford to buy the gray switches that cost from
80 to SIS


The long cloaks Of the present season are the
wraps in which old ladies delight. For the
wealthy are fur-lined silk circulars or sleeyed
c1oaks that reach to the ankles, and cost from