LATEST LONDON FASHIONS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2333, 24 September 1881, Page 4

LATEST LONDON FASHIONS.

t“ The Queen.”] Somewhat costly, though elegant, additions to the toilettes of the present day are the large bouquets carried by bo many ladies at evening parties. It is quite wonderful how flowers enhance the effect of a costume. For instance, an exquisite gown of creamy white satin is finished to perfection by a huge bouquet of tea roses, of the game soft tint as the dress itself. Another lady carries a bouquet of marguerites, loosely put together with delicate grasses and ferns—the very elaboration of art, although looking as if carelessly plucked from the fields. Large bunches of crimson and yellow roses, with a bodice bouquet to match, are also very popular, and light up a black gown wonderfully well; or white flowers, such as stephanotis, with maidenhair fern, are most effective. To vary the universal ganged hodioos, a popular style of trimming just now is to have a drawn chemisette laid on the gown back and front. We recently noticed at Messrs Eedmayne’s a costume made after this fashion, especially suited for a young girl. It was composed of Prussian blue cashmere, and the short skirt had one deep kilt only. The bodice was plaited down the front, and had a half-belt round the waist; the back was gauged, and finished with a broad silk sash and drapery of cashmere; a drawn silk chemisette, with cuffs of the same, and some bows of silk prettily completed it. Another gown, of a soft clinging material, in a dark shade of brown, was made in rather novel fashion. The short skirt had a succession of killings, bordered with a stripe in lighter shades, the kilt, which fell from the waist, being considerably deeper than the rest, and shaped to the figure; a drawn bodice, with waistband, collar and cuffs of the stripe was worn with it. A dark brown nun’s cloth was also effectively made up, the kilts being edged with red and brown striped skirting, and the ganged bodice trimmed to correspond, with bows of red satin at nock and waist.

There is no doubt that moire or watered silk is again taken into favor, after having been abandoned almost as unjustly as satin. Its reinstatement is owing to the discovery that white French moire combines most happily with light white wool, and muslin and lace ; the shimmer of the moire under the muslin satisfying the taste of the day, which goes in for bizarre lights and shades. Dresses made of pale cafe an lait moire (more milk than coffee) covered with Spanish lace of the same color, with broad sash and largo bows of either purple or brown ribbon, have been among the most stylish dresses recently worn at London fetes. These watered silks must not bo confounded with moire antiques, with two or three large waves covering an entire breadth, but they have small rippled designs in stripes, with indistinct water lines losing themselves in each other. But newer still are the ombre watered silks of two or three contrasting colors, such as dull red with blue or with olive, or else pale pink and red, or brown with red. These are used for the skirts, or else for the tabliers of cashmere or Surah dresses, also for the bodice trimming. Polonaises in one form or another are again much worn, and there are several new materials manufactured expressly for them. Black Spanish lace in arabesque designs, well covering the thin meshed ground, makes up into most useful polonaises to be worn over black and coloured silks, and they look extremely well over ecru, grey and yellow silks. They freshen up a half-worn dress requiring a high silk lining, but the sleeves may be simply of lace. Frills of Spanish lace and bows of watered ribbon trim such polonaises. Black China crepe, embroidered all over in black in Oriental designs of pagodas, birds, butterflies, and the favourite flowers of the East, such as chrysanthemums and peonies, is another suitable fabric for polonaises ; likewise nun’s vailing, worked in open silk embroidery several inches deep, as the selvedge. Instead of frills at the wrists and neck of dresses, they are sometimes finished with a puff of the Surah used for trimming. To make this puff fluffy and soft-looking, it is first plaited then doubled, and the plaiting is pulled out in the middle of the puff. A single wide ruche at the foot is a favorite trimming for the skirts of simple drosses. This ruche is five or six inches wide, and is laid in treble or quadruple box-plaits, folded very deeply, and each cluster of plaits placed an inch away from that next it. It is then stitched in the middle, and the edges are allowed to fall forward and almost meet. Many collars sewn around the neck of dresses are now wired; this is true of dresses that are high about the throat, as well as those of opening low on the bust. For instance, a high-necked dress of cashmere, trimmed with watered silk, will have a standing collar two and a half inches high behind and curved to the front. A wire is placed inside the collar at its upper edge, and the collar is then rolled over to turn down half its depth in the back. This is a very neat fashion when two materials are used in the collar, such as cashmere on the outside and watered silk for the lining that is rolled over at the top. Lace is a great feature on summer dresses, and there are many novelties, especially in colored laces. Spanish lace is not only worn in black and white, but in cafe an lait and ficelle or twine. Printed muslins are trimmed with pink and pale blue laces, and twine lace —very fine, but still twine—in its natural color is to be worn during the early autumn. It will be called Spanish fringe, after the pack-thread ornaments used in Spain on the trappings of mules. There is no more fashionable trimming for sateen dresses than English embroidery worked with cotton of the same color as the sateen. And summer woollens, such as nun’s veiling and mousseline de laine, as well as the more substantial Indian cashmeres, are now all embroidered in the same manner. A description of a pretty dress of this sort, worn recently at a garden party, will serve as an example. The material was pale lilac satin Surah. The strait skirt was covered all over with English embroidery, worked on violet faille ; the work being open, the lilac skirt showed effectively through the interstices. The edge of the skirt was bordered with three flounces, the short over-skirt was well drawn back, and the bodice was of dark violet satin Surah, Gathers are noticeable not only on skirts, bodices, sleeves and mantles, but now they have found their way to bonnets, and gathered or drawn tulle bonnets are in vogue. These have usually projecting poke brims, ihe tulle gathered closely on wires, and the crowns have three frills of Spanish lace, dyed to match the tulle, falling backwards towards the neck. A cluster of either dull red poppies or of half-blown roses low on the left side, the tulle being either pale blue or pink. Fayal lace is new for trimming hate ; it is mounted in fine plaits, row upon row, covering the brim, the crown being surrounded with flowers intermingling with a lace scarf. Straw hats of large size, with sloping Mother Hubbard crowns, have frequently the brims faced either with green velvet or ombre satin in gathered tucks. The crown is then surrounded with alternate pink and olive-green ostrich tips. The favourite feathers this season, however, are shaded red, pink and red together, for pink remains, without doubt, the general colour for washing dresses. Trianon toilettes, in shot silks of tender colourings, are made for wearing at spas and

for what are termed outdoor •* toilettes elegantes.” The favourite shades are turquoise, coral pink, old-gold, amethyst, and peacock blue. But for simple seaside and country wear plain batistes, printed muslins, cream colonnades, with tiny red or blue motifs in embroidery, satins with printed designs of eccentric characters are all worn. Long Suede gloves without buttons are drawn about the sleeves, and natural flowers are fastened at the shoulder and waist.