Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1875 — Spring Suits. [ARTICLE]

Spring Suits.

Imported costumes for spring are made up partly of silk Sand partly of wool goods of light quality, either plain, plaid, or striped. The silk forms the lower skirt and sleeves; the basque and overskirt or apron are of wool. The two fabrics in a suit are usually of kindred shades of one color, though quiet contrasts, such as gray with brown or violet, will be much worn. The fashion of making French suits is similar to that in vogue at present. The basque and apron will prevail, yet the round overskirt and the polonaise will not be wholly abandoned. The close cuirass, smoothly fitted and plainly trimmed, remains the popular basque, yet some new basques have elaborate trimmings in the way of horizontal folds put on in vest shape in front, and graduated to a point behind. The neck is cut very high, and full} - trimmed; shoulder seams are very short; sleeves are close coat shape, and are often of different material from that of the basque; concave cuffs and clusters of folds or else shirred bands trim the wrists; a belt of some kind is added to most basques. New aprons are longer and more clinging than those worn at present. They extend within an inch or two of the bottom of the front breadth of the dress skirt and in some cases are without seams, being made of but one breadth of double-width goods, yet even these narrow aprons are drawn back to meet on the tournure, where a tastefully-draped sash gives the slight drapery now - considered necessary for the back. There are also aprons that are square on one side and rounded on the other, while another style is pointed low on one side in the Grecian fashion.

Lower skirts are not altered m shape and the first importations show commendable simplicity in their trimmings. A bias-gathered flounce, headed and edged with narrow side pleating sewed on as a ruffle—that is, with a rough seam on the under side —is the trimming of some of the handsomest skirts. The side pleating only is used on the apron and basque. The novelty in the favorite shirring is to shirr the flounce in lengthwise rows, making puffs downward in stead'of around the skirt. A French costume,of gray camel’s-hair over chestnut brown silk will be stylish in the first spring days for street, traveling, etc. The brown silk skirt has a teninch bias-gathered flounce edged and headed with knife pleating two inches and a half deep. The long slender apron of gray camel’s-hair consists of but one wide width; it is edged with brown silk pleating and drawn up on the tournure, where a sash of brown silk doubled is knotted and draped capriciously, instead of being set stiffly in a bow or loops. The simple basque of gray wool is piped with brown silk, and has silk sleeves; it is entirely without pleatings or pockets, has a high standing collar and medium-sized buttons of brown polished wood. Another spring suit has a basque and apron of delicate gray shaded plaid wool, with sleeves and lower skirt of plain gray wool. The fashion is the same as that just described, and the sash, bows, and’ pipings are of violet gros grain. To be worn with this is an English walking hat of gray chip, w’ith scarf and feathers of violet.— Harper’s Bazar.