DRESS AND FASHION IN PARIS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5420, 10 August 1878, Page 2 (Supplement)

DRESS AND FASHION IN PARIS.

We must apologise to our readers for repeating that there is no longer any room for doubt that'short costumes will bo adopted, at any rate for the season. The mode, originally introduced to save the fatigue of carrying ;v train, either in the band or raised at the side, through the long corridors of tho Exhibition, will be continued throughout the summer and autumn, for it will be found at least equally convenient for travelling and seaside costumes?.

Bub certain modifications will be at once noticed in these short .dresses. Xu the first place, they are less clinging than dresses with long undulating trains ; aud tho material at tho back is draped as elegantly as may be to .form slight puffs. Some of our leading houses have given tho name of Watteau to these costumes, . under the plea that they arc not uuliko the paniers of that period ; in other houses they are styled exposition or trotfcineuse toilettes.

The materials chiefly employed in tho preparation of short costumes are summer vigogne, Indian cashmere, Sicilienne, barege, and many other light thin fabrics which can be draped in soft pliable folds. Scarfs are well adapted as an ornament to these new costumes.

La mode, whose creative genius occasionally fails her, has not distained of late to borrow some ideas from Spain ; jewellers have introduced the small traditional spoon, covered with pearls, and modistes place this ornament on their most stylish chapeaux, and our elegantes arc learning to drape Spanish lace with something more than an attempt at Spanish gracefulness. This beautiful lace is much used m trimming dressy toilettes, and will also be worn in the shape of mantillas, fichu?, and scarfs. Spanish. blonde is also embroidered in relief with silk, velvet, and chenille, intermingled with threads of gold and silver. We are gradually coining back U> the shaded iand moire ribbons and waistbands of former years. Waistbands are made of gros grain, and worn with square buckles of Rhine crystals, antique silver, mother-o’-pearl, and deader engraved gold. Many of our arc.now making which can be worn with abort or trained skirts ; for instance, a new model, of Carmelite Indian cashmere, lias a pleated front of satin the same ;-i..ade, with a trimming on ■each side of a wide passementerie braid in jet and silver ; the braid is continued round the edge of the polonaise. There is a wide braid on the back, aud on the skirt, falling on the side of the tunic, with a satin rovers at the side. The sleeves are of cashmere, with revers of ideated satin. . '

There is an extraordinary choice of new materials tins season, * all equally pretty; amongst others may be specially noticed soie d’orient bouchee, a very soft tissue, with a cream-colored ground, crossed by threads of colored silk, forming loops ; this material employed iu combination with olivo and gavnetcolored'tuille, is very effective... It is difficult to note all the forms of chapeaux, for they are most varied; from the widebrimmed hat to the little bdb 6 capote, A charming little capote, covered with pur£e de pois faille, is trimmed with garnet-colored feathers. A more serviceable chapeau of black chip has the bound with black velvet, and is trimmed with cocks’ feathers, interspersed with small bright feathers, which look like jewels ; the feathers form a trail falling at the back. A white straw chapeau has a crown composed of differently colored roses, an(l strings of Havana-colored moins. Gilded-nhd silvered chapeaux are usually ornamented with a triple alsatiau b >w in the three favorite shades, red, blue, and straw color.. Several novelties iu gloves have been introduced. Sweedish kid gloves are still in great favor, but now appear with the initials .of the wearer embroidered on the back of the hand.

The skating glove, in undressed thin kid, forms a cuff which fits close to the arm ; the principal shades in which these arc made .are moss green, nut brown, mouse gray, slate gray, pearl gray, or any color to match tlio costume. The Rtfgeuce glove, laced at the wrist, is considered the most elegant of all for balls, receptions, .and dinners. In simpler gloves, those made of tissue, tho great novelty is tho gaut bracelet, which fastens on tho arm by a row of small buttons, simulating a bracelet. The renewable glove is in fine skin and easily washed.

Tho plain material which is causing the greatest sensation this year is a tissue entirely of wool, a. kind of mohair granite, of double width, and produced in all shades of mastic gray. The material known artisan mouaseux resembles neigeuse with a more silk and silvery,, appearance. Bonrrette of the shade known as “ forth, la mode” is much used. Amongst bourrettes we remark a new kind known in certain houses as peau de serpent, on account of its chenilled colored stripes; the price of this material is 2s. per yard. Another pretty novelty is tissu boucld, a species of bonrrio de sole on a very fine woollen ground. Others of the same nature are bouclette?, jardinibres in all colors on a mastic ground ; bouclette mor*. dore and pale blue on a dark blue ground, bouclette blanche and.old gold color on a pale blue ground. The.success of this fabric is undoubted, owing to its great beauty and variety. Fancy materials embrace all those.of which the designs are not in relief, no matter what these designs may be, whether stripes, fleurettes, spots, stars, &c. In chapeaux the capote reigns supremo, the principal shapes being ,Btnall and low, and bordered with gathered torsades of silk of various colors. In some the brim is bordered with bead*, then trimmed with - feathers ; others are trimmed with two kinds of ribbon, a wide and a narrow placed together and mixed -with flowers, the latter varying according to the season.— Marks Goucaud in Myra's Journal of Dress and Fashion.