Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1875 — The Latest Fashions? [ARTICLE]

The Latest Fashions?

GIRLS’ DRESSES. There are few novelties to record for children’s dresses, but several improvements of designs already popular have been noted. The picturesque sailor suit and the neat kilt dress have undergone modifications, and sometimes the marked features of both these suits are combined in the same dress. For instance, seaside and autumn dresses of dark navy blue or of black flannel are made with kilt skirts formed, in true Highland fashion, of plaits that extend from the belt to the hem, pressed flatly, and meant to be kept in shape their entire length. The basque is fastened behind with a fly for buttonholes, and thus the buttons are concealed. In front a vest of light blue cashmere is set in, with a lap down the middle, on which buttons are placed, giving the effect of being fastened in front. This pleases the “ little women” by giving their dresses the appearance of being buttoned in front, and at the same time deprives them of the opportunity of frequently unbuttoning their dresses, as is their childish habit.* This pretty little basque has pockets behind, is bound on the edge, and trimmed with two or .three straight rows of blue soutache. There is no overskirt. A jacket to be added for out-of-doorsis loose and half-long, has a square sailor collar, and is trimmed with binding and braid. Two silvered anchors are on the collar, and the small round buttons up the front are also washed with silver and stamped with anchors. To be worn with this is a white Panama hat, with navy-blue ribbon band around the crown. The shape is something between that of the sailor hat and the Rabagas. The wide brim is slightly curled, and its edges are not bound.

Another suit which is being made up in the furnishing-houses for fall wear will serve as a model for mothers who are preparing their daughters’ outfits for schools. This is made of camel’s-hair serge, merino or empress cloth of the brown shades that are now in fashion for young girls. It is designed for girls from four to fourteen years of age, and is made of two shades of brown. The handsomest suits are of camel’s-hair, trimmed with rows of soutache and gros grain ribbon bows. The kilt skirt shows both shades of the color; the plain front is light brown, and on each side of it are four dark plaits, then four light ones, and so on all round the skirt; dark brown bows are down the middle of the front. The basque is fastened behind like that just described; the middle of the back and the vest are light; the side bodies are dark; the sleeves are dark, with light cuffs. The trimmings are three rows of dark soutache braid and a binding of silk braid. A long loose sacque of simple and graceful shape is to be added for the street. This is made entirely of the dark shade, is merely corded on the edge, has pockets behind, and is fastened by three long-looped bows in front. The Gabrielle dress remains in favor notwithstandingtlleiritroductibn"bf novelties. It is made up in its original simple shape in plain cambric, linen lawn, and gray linen for ordinary use, and in elaborately-trimmed piques with much embroidery, or nansook covered with lace for dress occasions. Gray linen Gabrielles are trimmed with bias bands piped on each edge with white; a belt of the same has a little basque attached that has the effect of an overskirt, and may be worn or omitted at pleasure. Those for a child of two years cost $1.75. Linen lawn Gabrielles, white dotted or striped with blue, crimson, black or brown, are trimmed with little fluted flounces of the material, and are very cool and durable dresses. ... Skirts of girls’ dresses are of medium length, falling below the knee, yet showing” much of the colored stockings that are now worn with all dresses, even with white. A pique Gabrielle, with a brown sash tied low on the hips, plain brown stockings, or else brown and white striped stockings, and a cottage cap of lace trimmed with brown bows, is fashionable summer and autumn dressing for small girls. Rose or blue sash-ribbons are sold for about half the price now asked for spmber brown, and are bought by mothers who like bright colors for their little ones, no matter what the fashion may be. Braid will be much .used for trimming children’s wool dresses for the fall and winter. This is not put on in elaborate floral and vine patterns, but simply forms a border or rows of many straight lines. Sometimes the wide Titan braid will be used alone; in other cases it will be mixed with soutache. Another favorite pattern is tliat of a colored row of soutache with one or two straight rows on each side.

BOYS’ CLOTHING. Suits for small boys are trimmed with rows of very small buttons and of narrow braid. Dark blue cloth, gray Thibet and black twilled “worsteds” are used for suits that will be worn late inthe autumn. For the present season white or blue flannel and shepherd’s check are most used. The handsomest sailor suits are of white flannel, trimmed with blue soutache. They have the regular sailor blouse and short trowsers. A single row of blue braid is around the square collar, on the cuffs, down the front hem of the blouse and on the outside seam of the trousers. A leaf is outlined with braid on the breast pocket, and there are chevrons on the sleeves. A dark blue ribbon sailor-knot is at the throat and silver buttons with anchors upon them fasten the blouse. Price SB. There are also pretty suits of grav linen made in sailor fashion, trimmed with inch-wide bands of black or blue cashmere edged with white braid. This band trims the collar, cuffs and the outer seam on each leg of the short knee pantaloons. Price $5.50. .A cluster of six or eight small buttons isTlaced at the end of the outside seam of the trousers, but there are no buttonholes, as the seam is closed and the pantaloons fit the knee closely. More dressy suits, with the blouse long enough to cover the hips, are made of shepherd’s check, which is fine twilled wool in black and white pin-head checks. A loose belt of the material is fastened on by straps on the sides. The edges are bound with black silk braid. White pearl buttons fasten the blouse. Price SB.

The newest kilt suits for boys are of black worsted coating precisely like the twilled cloths worn by gentlemen. These have pretty little jackets, with separate vests that are made with two points in front, and are trimmed with black soutache and small buttons. Suits of gray Thibet cloth have brown buttons and braid. Very handsome kilt suits of gray cloth have two rows of gilt buttons—bullet-shape—down i the front of the skirt, instead of the Highi land bows formerly placed there. NayyI blue cloth kilt suits are trimmed with i black buttons and braid. Deep square i collars of white linen are worn with these ' suits, and the neck-tie is a narrow cravat of folded white lawn, such as gentlemen i wear. * • • | Boys’ hats are of Milan straw, with high ' crowns and,curled brim- They are white, brown or black, and havq bands of blue or black ribbon.

LADIES’ HATS. A new round hat introduced late in the season is of English straw and is named after an English actress. It has a high crown sloping narrow toward its top, where it is flat, instead of being pointed as in the Alpine shape; the edge of the narrow brim is turned up all round. The trimming is a scarf veil of dark blue, black or gray tissue, or else it is of plaid silk to match the costume with which it is worn. This is not as generally becoming as the French walking hat or the popular toque; indeed, its sole merit is its novelty. BLACK FAILLE WRAPS. Sacques, jackets and long cloaks of black faille or of Sicilienne will be the popular wraps for autumn. They will be .made of simple shapes, and richly trimmed with thread lace arranged in jabbts and cascades down the front and back, and in full frills on the edge. Later in the season the trimming will be removed, and the garment will be lined with squirrel-lock fur. These wraps were worn last winter by ladies of fashion, and will be generally adopted next season. ■ ' FALL TRIMMINGS. Quantities of plaitings, many rows of lusterless braids and fringes, are predicted by French journals as the fashionable trimmings for fall and winter dresses. The plaitings are all turned one way, but are in clusters, being separated by a single wide plait. Fringes are exceedingly elaborate, having netting, tassels, balls and crimped braid all combined.— Harper's