Page images
PDF
EPUB

over a skirt of plain batiste; or, better still, of foulard or taffetas to match. A toilet thus composed will be cooler and fresher to wear, as well as more stylish and fashionable than grenadine.

There are also brocaded and damassée batistes, all very new in style, and of all fashionable Watteau shades of colour.

But what will certainly prove a great boon to ladies in mourning, obliged to wear deep black through the summer, is the black batiste, unalterable in colour, and as pleasant to wear as it is durable and good. The plain batiste is to be had in different qualities, the finest being equal to gauze in texture. For robes du matin and petites toilettes, there are the black batistes with pretty little white patterns, spots, almonds, flowerets, fern leaves, tiny feathers, and so on. For more dressy toilets, nothing can be more elegant or tasteful for mourning than the black batiste guipure, either striped or checked. There is a variety in which the texture is open work throughout, and another in which the stripes or the squares of the pattern are alternately as fine as guipure, and as glossy as satin. The glossiness is caused by the texture of the material, which is finely ribbed. As for coloured batiste, an under-skirt of the plain batiste, foulard or taffetas, black of course in this case, will be required.

A tablier and cuirasse bodice of black batiste-guipure over a slip of black taffetas will compose an extremely pretty and lady-like toilet. It requires no trimming, but if a more elaborate style is preferred, tablier and cuirasse may be edged with a narrow plissé, or else with black thread guipure. In any case black guipure or lace will be a nice finish round the throat and wrists, and with a parure of cut jet, the toilet will be complete.

And now, to return to coloured dresses, we were shown at the Grand Magasin du Louvre, some very tasteful dresses of toile and batiste. These dresses are not exactly ready-made, but they are all ready to make; the trimmings are all made by machinery, and fit to be put on; the necessary quantity of material is given for skirt, bodice, etc., and a full-sized pattern and an engraving of the toilet is added, so that the dress can easily be made up at home. One of the dresses we saw was of pale blue zephyr a light kind of batiste. There were two plissés about seven inches deep for the skirt. Plain tablier, with two wide loops and square lappets behind; and for the trimming a wide bias of a deeper blue, and a plissé. We should mention that all the plissés were finely striped of two shades of blue. The bias was put on all round tabliers and lappets, but the plissé round the tablier and at the bottom only of the square lappets. The bodice had a deep plain basque, round in front, pointed at the back. The trimming, a bias and narrow plissé, was carried up on each side in front, so as to simulate an open jacket, and the middle part was buttoned like a waistcoat.

Coat sleeves, with wide parements of the darker blue batiste, edged round with a striped plissé.

Another was of grey batiste, trimmed with the same material, checked grey and blue. Skirt trimmed with one

deep kilted flounce, edged about an inch from the bottom with a two-inch wide bias of the checked batiste. A similar bias was put on round the edge of the Watteau tunic. This tunic is cut Princess shape with the bodice, it is bridled across the front part, then caught up in loose folds at the back, forming a deep shawl point. There is a large square pocket of the checked material, edged round with a narrow plissé upon one side of the front of the tunic. The revers upon the coat sleeves are also checked and edged with a plissé, and so is the standing-up collar with deep-peaked revers upon the bodice. The same model looks well in flesh-coloured batiste, with check trimmings streaked with crimson.

Light fabrics, such as grenadine, or gauze, plain or striped, are made up into tunics, tabliers and cuirasse bodices, but invariably worn over a silk skirt, or rather a silk under-dress, with low bodice and sleeves. Even where there is a complete dress of the thin material, it must be worn over silk.

Beading is not so much in vogue as in the winter, but it has been replaced by pailleté, or spangled tissues. Tulle and blond spangled with straw is now more fashionable than beaded tulle for tabliers and tunics. And for summer balls and fêtes there are lovely gauze dresses, in cream colour, pale blue, pink, or mauve, slightly spangled with silver or gold threads. These gauze dresses are very elaborately trimmed; the train is covered with narrowgathered flounces. In front there is a deep kilted flounce, above which is disposed a small tablier of bouillonnés and tiny plissés. The side pieces or robings dividing the train from the tablier are covered with bias folds of the material. The bodice is ornamented with a plastron of diminutive bouillonnés and plissés, and with bias folds to form bretelles.

We are glad to see the soft and brilliant taffetas silk, so much prettier and more effective than faille, come into fashion again this summer. Another improvement is in the colours which are no longer chosen of the fané style, but either very dark or light and bright. Silk requires much less trimming than lighter materials. A tablier of plissés, or bouillonnés, and the large Bulgarian pleat at the back will suffice. Bodice in the cuirasse style, very long waisted, and kept down by whalebones.

The new summer bonnets are once more profusely trimmed with flowers. Oval shapes are preferred for straw bonnets, the border sloped and a coronet of spring blossoms under it. Fine rice straws, both in black and white, are the most fashionable of all. With all the close shapes, wide lappets of white tulle are worn; white tulle voilettes are also very bien porté, they have a softening effect, and are very becoming to the complexion.

DESCRIPTION OF OUR COLOURED FASHION PLATE.
WALKING COSTUMES.

1. Dress of silk and cashmere in two shades of blue. Rasterre skirt of silk, with Bulgarian fold at the back, trimmed in front with a very closely pleated flounce, sixteen inches in depth, having five cordings at regular intervals. Cashmere polonaise, forming a very short tablier, which is trimmed with pleatings, and fastened under two long ends at the back, which are a continuation of the back of the bodice, made with a seam. These ends are also trimmed with pleatings, as also the loops above them. Turned down silk collar; cuffs to match, with pleatings round the outer edge. Batiste and lace lingerie. Italian straw hat, with low, flat crown, and narrow flat brim. Under the brim is a bouillonné of white tulle with butterfly bow of blue ribbon, and rosebuds. Blue ribbon round the

crown. Double bow with falling ends at the back. Small Alsatian bow in front, with a rose and foliage.

2. Silk and foulard costume. Ras-terre skirt in havana brown silk, trimmed with small gathered flounces, the upper one of which has a heading. Tablier in foulard striped lilac and havana, fastened back under a bias foulard how with falling ends. Cuirasse corsage in lilac foulard. Double collar, turned down and turned up in foulard and silk to match the dress, with small bows of ribbon at the opening. Pleatings and bias on the sleeves. Open collar in muslin and quilled lace; cuffs to match. Italian straw hat, with turned-up brim. Coronal of pink poppies under it. Pink feathers on the top, and lilac ribbon bow at the back.

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

Skirt of violet cashmere, trimmed with puffings of the same material, very closely pleated flounces, and bands of violet grosgrain silk. The back breadths are very full and decidedly trained. Sleeveless jacket of violet velvet, puffed sleeves of cashmere, ending in a deep frill at the wrist, with a narrow band of violet grosgrain silk.

[merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small]

Trained skirt of fawn coloured beige, the front breadths arranged in flounces, headed by puffings and narrow bands of beige. Jacket bodice with closely pleated frills; sleeves puffed to the shoulder with narrow bands of beige. In the front a bow of grosgrain ribbon.

SYLVIA'S LETTER.

MY

Y readers may be interested to hear that a contributor to the " Examiner " thinks we give undue prominence to the question of dress in the pages of THE YOUNG ENGLISH WOMAN. The writer finds it "disheartening to perceive whole departments of the wide realm of literature entirely given up to useless and needless details. in matters of fashion," and thinks the "system of asking and answering questions respecting dress in public most unsatisfactory." Now, dear readers, is it fair for somebody to enter our Work-room, and listen to our quiet little chatter over ways and means to "gar auld claithes luik amaist as weel as new," and then go home and write an article about us? We did not know there was a "chiel amang us takin' notes"! But the lady is very inconsistent, for in the beginning of her article she deplores the extravagance of dress in the present day, and in the end she condemns our Work-room, which is devoted entirely to the true spirit of economy, in teaching ladies how to make and alter their own clothes.

The writer in the "Examiner" also finds fault with our contributors for using French words in describing dress. She seems to be unaware that these terms originate in Paris, together with the fabrics and fashions to which they are affixed, and that they are as much technical terms as are the Italian words used in music, such as "allegro,' ""andante,” “andantino," and so on.

But a lady who confesses, as this lady does, that her "ambition for umbrella cases is best satisfied by oilskin," can hardly be a judge of what is fitting and tasteful in dress. An oilskin case infers an alpaca umbrella, and an alpaca umbrella usually indicates in its female owner those more strong-minded attributes which soar far above considerations of looking as pretty and pleasant as nature will let us. Even for our umbrellas we like to have silk cases, when the weather permits us to carry these useful articles in their compact shape.

Nevertheless, the lady with the oilskin umbrella case wants to see us display "some æsthetic feeling." Let us be grateful for small mercies, and thank her for not having said "eclectic." We confess that our great desire is less to be æsthetic than to be useful. If we can combine both it will make us very happy, but as long as our subscribers apply to us for help in the little details of every-day life and every-day work, we are glad to give the best advice we can. If people get angry with us for not being æsthetic, we cannot help it. The lady says she "has no wish to suppress utterly the journals that help Englishwomen to be as well-dressed as the women of other nations." This is very kind of her. We may go on in our little groove, even though we are not æsthetic.

Somebody writes to Sylvia this month, and thanks her for her advice about a dress which was to be remodelled, and says that, owing to Sylvia's advice, her dress is a success, and she has been saved the expense of buying a new one. Sylvia is not ashamed to confess that the receipt of this little note gave her great pleasure, and that she would rather possess the consciousness of having helped somebody out of a difficulty than even of having been the author of the article in the "Examiner." Indeed, I should have been sorry to have written the line which contains the sneer at "English feminine lack of intelligence." I find no lack of intelligence among my countrywomen. Sometimes, no doubt, the questions asked are trivial, but it is often easy to see, from the childish, unformed character of the writing, that the querists are very young; and who does not love to help the "little ones? confess I do, and when I get a letter commencing, "Dear Sylvia," and asked confidingly for advice on some point that is knotty to the applicant, but childish in the extreme to such as the writer in the "Examiner," I forget all about æsthetics in the desire to be of service to my young correspondent.

I

After this taking-up of the gauntlet thrown at our feet, I must pass on to our usual remarks on what is likely to prove useful to our subscribers during the coming season. I described some spring dresses and fabrics last month, but I may as well record my impressions of those I saw at BAKER & CRISP'S, 198, Regent Street, as my notes may be of use to our readers.

A large stock of ready-made costumes is kept at this establishment. There are very pretty lawn dresses, trimmed round the tablier with close pleatings and bias folds piped, in all colours. This trimming is repeated on the bodice and sleeves, and the skirt is also handsomely trimmed. The price is remarkably moderate, the whole dress being sold at 29s. 6d. An engraving of this costume will be sent on application.

Black and coloured silks are also kept ready made, trimmed with puffings or gatherings down the front, and simulated tablier at the sides. At the back, an arrangement of silk the whole length of the skirt gives the proper effect to the dress.

Alpaca costumes in brown and grey are also kept ready-made, fully trimmed with flounces down the back breadths, bows and close pleatings down the front. The beige costumes, in two shades of grey, are really ladylike, and the dresses at two guineas and a half in beige and checked mohair are very handsome at the price. This firm also sells tablier and cuirasse bodice made of Hamburg net, which is an imitation-and a very good imita

« PreviousContinue »