THE LADIES

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 46, 30 July 1881, Page 518

THE LADIES

WHAT THEY ARE WEARING AT HOME. (FROM OUR SPECIAL LADY CORRESPONDENT). London, June 16th. Dear Observer, — I hope "Eva" will not he offended at my questioning her on one or two minor points. She is generally almost as Avell informed as I am of the Paris fashions, hut, in details, seems occasionally misled. In one issue she has: "large enamel huttons are much worn on tweed dresses." I never yet saw anyone, well dressed, who did not have a preference for small and insignificant huttons ; to make a dress fit well they should he many and close together. On April 16th, she says : "kiltings are still fashionable trimmings." Pleated skirts still form the foundation for all tennis or walking dresses, and narrow kiltings are used to edge and save a plain long skirt ; otherwise, very little is used, unless where the head is gathered. I have also seen nothing yet of the Hitchcock tassel, hut perhaps this is like some others, an indigenous fashion. I am sorry to see the violence of the raid against Tarn o' Shanters. They were certainly justly condemned, but, even in dress, the liberty of the subject should always be observed. In this case, it seemed to me, as an outsider, as if by the tyranny of the majority, the opinion of the few had been suppressed. It is useless to pxit down any special vulgarity, it will only appear under another shape. We find everywhere good and bad dresses ; the former, when they need a new garment consider (1) the time of the year and its special pleasures and occupations, (2) the colour most becoming to their complexion, and (3) the style most adapted to their figure. A bad dresser, on the contrary, is always struggling to keep up with changes of fashion, and adopts each freak, going into the greatest extremes, and generally casting aside her things before they are half worn out, so that her expenditure is just double what it need be. The .dictums of "fashion" should not be regarded as laws, but merely as suggestions of which advantage may be taken or not. Nothing can be so vulgar as to adopt a colour, style, or fashion because " So-and.So has one." The charm of good dressing is that it indicates the refinement and originality of the wearer. She may adopt the ideas of another, but should never imitate lavishly. The small tight-fitting bonnet, called the "princess;" is by far the most popular head gear, and is very pretty and lady-like. The following are several that I have seen that looked very pretty : — l. A steel grey shaded satin with a crown of steel embroidered net over, the usual flat bow in front, and shaded satin strings, gathered where they begin and an inch or two from the end, bordered with a little steel fringe. This looked well on an elderly lady. 2. A princess shape covered with flat folds, about an inch wide, of salmon and terra-cotta, forming a sort of plait, shaded strings of piece silk. A form of this shape, covered tightly with velvet, plush, or sealskin, with a flat "folded" bow covering the front, and no other trimming but short strings of velvet or shaded silk, or long ones, of gauze, which can be wound once round the neck before tieing at the side, are easily made, and always look well. Many girls hare an old sealskin hat of their own or could appropriate a discarded one of their brother's, which, though disgracefully shabby in its present shape, would look neat and pretty when so metamorphosed. The latest bonnet from Paris is a small shape covered all over with roses, without any green, softened a little in front with lace laid over, and which, taken back to the sides, where it edges the Surat silk or crepe, strings, forms a kind of mantilla. These are very popular with matrons, while their daughters patronize Tuscan straw hats and bonnets, or large black lace hats. The usual costume of an average lady-like girl, in London, is a pale pink cotton or gingham trimmed more or less with cream lace, a tippet of black silk or satin, gathered from the neck to the shoulder with long ends, edged all round the upper part with a zigzag of black lace (when winter comes, doubtless fur will take the place of the lace), a black lace hat, Avalking shoes and black stockings, and "mousquitaire" i.e. buttonless Swedish kid gloves of a natural colour. I forgot to mention that the body of the dress is gathered, and a broad pink silk sash tied round the waist with a bow at the side. Large, trimmed black hats of net covered with black lace are very popular. They are easily made, being a large net form covered entirely with rows of ordinary black lace. They may be of almost any shape— the rim being bent about to suit the wearer. Almond, terra-cotta, peacock blue, and faded green continue to be the favourite colours. Almost everywhere we see the gathered bodices, which are very pretty. The bodice is gathered five or six rows deep roxind the neck and shoulders, and at the waist in front and behind is again gathered like a di'ess of fifty years ago. Sleeves are generally worn very narrow, without more trimming than buttons from the wrist to the elbow, or a frill, band of fur, or several Tows of braid at the Avrist. This style looks particularly well in cashmere with a pleated skirt and long draped top skirt, qnite simple, without trimming, " supported " at the back \yith six inches of bent whalebone, and a long piece-silk or sarsenet sash tied in a bow or knot at one side of the waist. Steel trimmingis much in vogue with those who can afford it, but is very expensive. The prettiest walking dresses are of shepherd's plaid or small checks in woollen materials of almond colour. Long, almond coloured gants de Suede, called "mousquitaire " gloves, are worn with black or almost any coloured dress. One of our London beauties, who has frizzy hair, had a sort of cart wheel of. diamonds in front and a humming bird with its wings extended on one side of her head, the other night. But as a rule very little ornament is placed in the hair, it is worn perfectly plain. Long sprays of real or artificial

' flo Avers are still to be seen on the left shoulder, in cA r ening dresses. Open Avork thread stockings in black or white are much used for evening Avear. Pointed and embroidered shoes or even plain ones are generally finished off Avith a boAV instead of rosettes or buckles etc. Moire antique in delicate colours is rapidly gaining ground. Materials with shaded stripes are a good deal used as trimming in various Avays ; gathered plastrons of shaded silk is the most effective way of Avcaring it. Muffs of black silk edged Avith black lace, or of the same material as the dress, gathered at each end, are the height of fashion. Although it is iioav what Aye call summer here, the Princes* of Wales carried one at the Fancy Bazaar in the Albert Hall, the other day. Driving coat ulsters, to match the dress, are Avorn in the morning for shopping or travelling. Closefitting, tailor-made jackets, of almond colour or black, and little capes to the elboAV, gathered from the shoulder to the neck and edged with fur, look Avell for young girls. What the French call "confections" of black brocade or Paisley, AA r hich may be edged Avith fur, are in favour Avith married ladies. Those who have old fur cloaks they do not knoAV Avhat to do Avith, I should advise to cut them much narrower in the skirt, and coA'er Avith the same material as their dress, sewing rows of braid all round the upper part so «as to look like a cape, and also down the front. If fur is put round the bottom of a jacket it should be nearly a foot wide. Black silk, Avith a perfectly plain skirt and tight fitting bodice Avith coat tails and sash round the Avaist, . is much worn by those avlio haA r e small Avaists ; the neck, cuffs, and down the front of the bodice should be trimmed with ruffles of lace. A tippet coming to the shoulder such as I haA r e already described, and black lace hat, are appropriate to this costume, out of doors. A very pretty Avedding took place the other day. The bride Avas dressed in a white satin princess dress with front of Avhite plush, a long

veil of tulle fastened Avith a knot of orange flo Avers on the left side of her hair and looped up Avith another spray on the right shoulder. The bridesmaids Avere each in a different shade of terra-cotta, the one next to the bride in very pale salmon pink, and the last, in dark Indian red. The dresses were of sateen, very simply made, trimmed only with a largo spray of roses to match on the left shoulder, and another cluster in their lace hats. Of course any colour might be chosen and shaded off in the same Avay. This plan has the advantage that each bridesmaid can have a colour becoming her complexion. This letter has taken so much time to Avrite that I have no time left to make illustrations.