FASHION NOTES

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 345, 18 July 1885, Page 10

FASHION NOTES

SPRING FASHIONS

The -visiting or promenade dress is of soft English silk, in a rich reseda shade with beautifully simple yet effective back drapery. The dainty little jacket is of the Zouave shape, with coat-sleeves, and is trimmed with a cunningly devised embroidery of old gold and silver thread, with a slight mixture of the reseda cord and some small straw ornaments introduced as centres, the advantage of which is not only their novelty, but their lightness, and the fact that they cannot tarnish. The vest entirely consists of the same embroidery, and very handsome it is, besides being entirely out of the common. A dinner dress is of the same soft silk in a tint that can only be described as beige or biscuit, which, by the way, bids fair to be a reigning favorite this season. The drapery mixed with it on the skirt is of ecrw.net embroidered with gold and watercress green chenille, and to preserve the entirety of the tints this is laid over cream silk, which brings it into exact correspondence with the main fabric. The skirt is finished off with a cockle shell ruche of the beige silk, lined with watercress green, and the elegant drapery behind has a revers of velvet of the same shade of green at the side. The combination is a most happy one, for it gives all that is chic in French .taste, tempered by a modest sobriety peculiarly English. The mantle sketched by our artist is called the Iris, and is made of an. indescribable

with a velvet back adorned with rows of gold braid, and a velvet collar also trimmed with gold braid. The velvet ends are finished off with chenille ornaments made specially for tlie purpose. There are streamers of ribbon from the throat, and round the neck and down the front there is a ruche of frayed silk. This mantle is also made in black lace and faille francaise. Another manfle called the Myrfcille is one of Pingat's models, and looks behind like a shoulder cape with Chantilly flounce, between the scallops of which are bead ornaments. The Scipion in ])lomb beads is on a foundation of satin veilleux, and the shape is given by a series of double-beaded tabs headed by oval buckles. This is tied in the front. The liermione is made of stripes of black yak and faille francaise, and a delightful carriage or dust cloak is made of a kind of brown wool canvas over thin crimson sarcenet, with a thick ruche of frayed brown silk round neck and sleeves. This is most deliciously light, and a five-pound note will not only pnrchase it, but there will be some silver change.

Green is quite a fashionable colour. All the dresses now are made with high, straight collars. Velvet is greatly used for trimming all materials. Large sashes are added to the backs of many skirts. I Watercress-green is gaining favour and is by no means an unbecomming or trying colour. Natural flowers are much worn ; the stalks are first dipped in water, then hidden with damp moss, which keeps the flowers fresh. Bodices made of jet crocheted on silk show off the figure to the best advantage over black or over colours. Beads play a most important part in dress. For young women jackets are much more worn than mantles, the stockingnette or elastic cloth, trimmed with yak lace, jet or braid being popular. Black is almost universal for out-door toilettes, and next to it in favour are dark mousse and myrtle green, chesnut brown, and navy blue. You will observe that all these colours go well with very dark red en-tous-cas which is universally used by elegant women. Even boys wear jackets pleated in the middle of the front and back, and fastened much below the waist with a wide belt. Some have the front only very finely pleated, so as to form a plastron, with a narrow revers fastened down on each side with a row of small buttons. Knickerbockers have come into fashion again, and boys wear them with various kinds of jackets up to ten or twelve years of age. Bead collarettes are much worn ; they are large, and describe large points, reaching to the shoulders. Elastic cloth jackets and elastic silk jackets, beaded and plain, both for indoors and outdoors, are admirable wear, becoming to nearly all figures, and saving a vast amount of trouble ; they are bordered with jet passementerie and fringe. Some are trimmed with large circles of cut jet, set in a bead frame. They are al?o adapted to evening wear. The latest style of American frock is that which is gathered below the waist into a bag-like puff, with a ribbon sash tied at the side ; the top is cut out into a point, trimmed with a strip of insertion and border in embroidery, and shows an inner plastron of finely-gauged material ; the skirt is finished by a pleated flounce, or rather it is entirely formed by if, since it proceeds from under the sash ; the sleeves are finished by deep cuffs of the same embroidery as that round the plastron. Another style is a plain, half -fitting jacket, finished below the waist by a wide belt, which conceals the heading of a deep flounce pleated in hollow pleats, and forming the skirt. The jacket opens in front with long peaked revers, and shows a pleated plastron. The model we saw was of beige cashmere, •with plastron, belt, and sleeve- facings of nut-brown surah. The hat to match was of beige straw, trimmed with brown ribbon. It can also be made of pale blue linen, trimmed with dark blue ditto. The velvet frocks for girls of twelve and fourteen should be made, if for morning, short, with plaited silk flouaces below the hems ; the skirts plain, having five rows of inch wide silk braid round them, and ten rows up the front, loose jacket fronts, plain backs bordered with fringe; soft red silk blouse vests, beneath the jackets. If for evening, a plain full skirt, close-fitting bodice, with basque at back, laced in front, and a double row of lace turning down from the throat. The petticoat for a Norwegian peasant girl should be short, of dark stuff, with horizontal stripes in red and green, easily carried out with ribbon or braid. A scarlet cloth sleeveless jacket, festooned in front with silver, with silver belt, and trimmed with silver and green beads, worn over a white chemisette, high to the throat, the sleeves to wrist. A large white linen apron reaches to the hem of skirt, and has rows of red and green embroidery. The white linen headdress is not unlike a fez, and has a pendant point and tassel ; the hair hangs in two long plaits. There is a red stomacher, with plenty