Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1874 — Hints About Bresses. [ARTICLE]

Hints About Bresses.

A good model for trimining handsome black silk skirts js to have two bias velvetffounevs, each over an eighth of a yard deep, and head each by -a /ider silk flounce that falls over* the velvet rutile.,and is also shirred to form a dropping puff and standing ruffle. To complete such costumes is a polonaise with matelasse frpnt, velvet sleeves, velvet basqu® back,' and sashes trimmed with jet fringe. Another French design for black silks is that of having five rows of jet galoon extending dow n the front breadths to the flounce at the two ’ wide pleats, on which bows are set, trim the sides of tbe very edge; the back breadths are puffed above, and held in place by a sash; the flounce has a piped hem below, two shirred pulls above; and gets much wider behind. The erect ruffle at the top of the flounces is now doubled, or rather its edge is sewed in with the shirring, and thus a puff is formed. Black silk dre-sses with the. box pleated back breadths have on the front breadths a single deep flounce of the smallest knife-pleating, headed by a wide bias band of velvet. Worth’s dresses are full of suggestions to experienced eyes. For instance, on a handsome costume of black silk he has put an overskirt with deep apron front, forming sashes behind by folding double each of the back breadths of silk Hying them4n-a putted knot h-tglwm-the tournure and trimming their square ends with two bands of velvet and a series of Ills favorite loops. The front of the apron has a wide velvet border, and the original trimming down the middle is a triple box-pleat, very wide, held down by four cross-bands of velvet, and also finished below with loops. Trimmings of knifepleatings, shirred flounces, puffs, and bias bauds are seen in abundance on dressy black silks, ydt there are also house dresses of black silk made in the simplest manner, with scarcely any ornament. For instance, there are basque and single skirts of the heaviest black silk trimmed with a single bias band of velvet three or four inches wide placed, straight around thp skirt three iiuhes above its edge; pockets of velvet are set on the side gores, a velvet Medicis collar trims the neck, velvet piping edges the basque, and the sleeves have two narrow pleated frills falling toward the hand, with a small velvet cuff above. This is said to be the favorite home toilet with Parisian women us position and refinement. The trains of evening dresses are. increased in length, many of them measuring two yards, and even more. The waists are basques both for high and low corsages, though the pointed and chatelaine waists are still seen. Long pleated fan trains are in great favor for full dress. The bulk of importations for fulldress occasions consists of silk dresses with, trimmings and tabliers of brocaded gauze; white gauze striped with black velvet, blue or rose; new sleazy gauze that has a silvery sheen; and many accessories of tulle, both plain and embroidered with elaborate floral garniture. There is also much ducheHseHace in new patterns resembling the designs of Malines lace. For trimming the trains are deep floufieej-Of gauze,Tringed and festooned by having two lengthwise puff's at intervals! Silk flounces are narrow in front, and become sometimes three-fourths of a yard wide behind, and are made up of clusters of side pleats, often twenty-five in a group, alternating with wider pleats that have only three in a group. There are also many full, thick ruches of pinked silks in scallops, in saw-tooth notches, and in leaf-like points, with much shirring and wide puff's. Gauze over-skirts are. triple aprons fringed, or else deep, irregular aproney on which are laid pleated sashes formed of one or two breadths of silk laid in small flat side pleats. The middle of such a sash is laid on the right hip; one end crosses the apron to the foot of the dress in front, and is fringed out there, while the other drapes the tournure, and is tied in a longlooped bow on the left of the back. Thus arranged is a pale blue silk with a silvery gauze over-skirt and pleated blue sash; the flounce is in wide and narrow plsated groups. Basques are finished with loops and bows behind, and have in many cases Pompadour square necKs tilled with tulle folds. A sky-blue silk basque with Pompadour neck, trimmed with sheer white muslin puffs, folds and Yaleficiennes lace, is very handsome. Fresh aud youthful toilets of white tarlatan and of muslin are so simply made that young ladies can make them at home. The gored demi-trained skirt lias three knife-pleatings, lapped, each six inches and hemmed. The closeclinging front breadths have a tablier of loose, scant puffs held by three or five lengthwise ribboxs of blue or rose gros grain, or else black velvet, finished with a rosette below. Three narrow knifepleatings edge this apron and extend up the sides to a panier puli', which should be full and long yet slender, and held back by side sashes of wide ribbon forming two long loops and ends. The corset waist, laced behind, should be fitted smoothly and round on the hips, and have a pointed neck, low in front and back, but-high the shoulders, and trimmed with a Grecian bertha of folds Tiny pleated sleeves come from under the folds, and have a rosette on each. A white silk waist lining is necessary, and sometimes more pleatings are added on the back breadths. Lengthwise tabliers aie very much used on young ladies’ evening dresses. Large flowers are preferred for the garniture of dresses. Among these are soft, loose-petaled roses, so perfectly imitating nature that the lightest breeze blows the petals about. There are pink crushed roses and dark red Agrippinas, and white roses faintly flecked with pink. A deep fringe of flowers edges the apron and the bertha, and a long vine extends down the back from the belt to the edge of the train. Scarlet poppies are mixed with longt» brown feathery grasses and seed pods. 'Others are vines of the green leaves of the rose-bush, with clusters of rose' at intervals, and np two clusters alike. For young girls are garlands of lilies, azaleas, violets, acacia and clematis. Coiffures are half wreaths with pompons of herob s feathers for the left side. The aim is to trim the hair high in front.— Harper's Bazar.