Year: 1873

Black silk costumes, says a fashion


journal, are the most important part Of n


amodistn's impoftations, as almost every


customer buys at least one siich suit II


year. Among those examined at the


best houses we find the lower skirt


made usually with two side cores and


one full back breadth, though there is


still fancy for using only one side


gore and two full back breadths, These


skirts are not lined, as IL makes them


too heavy, but are faced with crinoliae


three-eightbs of n yard deep, with a


narrow overfacing of silk, and the edge


is bound with worsted brazil II the old


fa,hiohed Way. The top OF The skirt is


sewed to the belt with scarcely any


gathers in the three front breadths, but


n deep pleat is laid under the side


seams; the back breadths are fulled in


French gathers or gauging. The skirt


is made long enough TO lie on the floor


at least "A quarter of yard, but French


dress-makers have an excellent and sim


pie plan for shortening the dress for


the street. rs Partisan ladies hnye too


mush gotid taste to wear long dresses


on the sidewalk. Their plain is to sew


a tape casting inside the skirt, begin


ming an inch below the belt on each


front seam, extending it gradually low


er backward, SO that II will lie q Quarter


OF yard below the belt at the placket


opening in the middle of the back. A


drawing string is then put in each cast


ing, and when the skirt is put on these


are tied tight behind the person this
draws the skirt up in puff on the
tournure, and shortens it gracefully,


without hopping or dipping. For skirt
front in wrapper fashion by pulling six
or seven lengthwise bias bands or puffs
from the belt to the loot on the three
front widths, while the back is covered
with hounces. A band down the second
side seam does away with the use of
bows to conceal the ends of flounces.
Four straight breadths of silk are
enough for founce on the three back
breadths. The lower edge of founces
is finished by a bias facing over an inch
wide, with one or two very small piping
folds put in the upper part of it these
are sewed in with blind stitches. All
sewing g-machine-work is objected to on
silk dresses, and the entire costume,
not excepting the skirt seams, is sewed
by hand. Over-skirts OF silk, and pol
onaise skirts, should not be lined, as
their soft drapery is their beauty; to
make them bouffant they must be worn
over a tournure. The round apron
over-skirt has strings low down in the
second side seam to tie it backward
a sash loop and end made of part of a
width of silk are put in each of the sec
ond side seams, while larger loops with
two ends are behind. There il an at
tempt to do away with all wrinkled
apron fronts, making three fiat straight
breadths tied smoothly down; large
square pockets are set ON such aprons.
Basques have less pleating behind than
formerly, and are more nearly square |
below the waist. Two tiny folds of |
piping edgethe basques of elegant black
silk suits that are elaborately trimmed
elsewhere with Jet and lace. Instead
of vests and MORE antique collars, the
stylish trimming FOR the front of basque
waists is now Medici fraise of the silk,
bias, double, and eide-pleated, to stand
upright around the neck. 1t stands
three inches wide just behind where the
pleats turn and form a box-pleat, and is
graduated narrower halfway down the
front of the corsage, where it slopes in
TO bias band that passes up the fronts
in vest shape. This standing fraise is
very becoming with the high coiffures
now in fashion. Coat sleeves are close
and tight, and ve,v simply trimmed
with bias bands like straps, or else with
L plain silk cuff, lined with stiff found
alton. Jet trimmings on French dresses
ire SNOWY and very light, being made Of
silk net with fine cut beads set in the
neshes jet ribbons, galloons, and
aces sprinkled with jet are more stylish
han the vine passementeries, so long
n use. The goffered fringe-a kind of
'rimped silk tape-and the fringes that


ire tied in the edge of the garment are
most fashionable. Lace is used for
the stately princesse dresses.
200 is asked for black taffeta suits
made of silk worth SO or 81 yard if
ace and jet are added, the price is $500
n more.