LONDON FASHIONS

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2705, 8 December 1882, Page 3

LONDON FASHIONS

[From the “ Queen.”]

It is yet too early in the season to report with definite certainty what changes there will be in the fashions during the forthcoming winter. The indicatious are that there will be no startling transformations. Fashion is in a tolerant mood,- there are no iron rules nor sudden changes to recount; the transitions from one style to another are almost imperceptible, and considerable latitude is allowed for the exercise of individual taste.

Mantles are to be largo and of rich materials, and many are sufficiently long to conceal the dross beneath. They follow the contour of the wearer’s figure more closely than last winter, and yet they are cut with large tournures in view. Considerable ingenuity is noticeable in respect to this combination of dress improvers and slenderness ; some mantles have the centre seam left open to within two inches below the waist at the back; others have a wide double box plait in the centre ; and two box plaits left round and not flat pressed, are to be seen below the waist line of other mantles.

Dolman effects are aimed at in the sleeves, also square-elbow sleeves that appear to be abruptly folded upwards from the waist. Of Ottoman silks, velvets, matelasses, and brocades mention has already been made. With respect to winter mantles, the newest fabric that has appeared is Ottoman plush, both in dark seal-brown and black. This rich material has a corded ground, and on it are plush figures of close thick pile representing detached flowers and leaves. It is trimmed with chenille fringes and ruches, which match not 'only the color of the

plush, but the design upon it, and there is no doubt but that chenille harmonises well with plush. But feathers and fur sometimes take its place, and black beaver fur is to be seen on black repped plush mantles.

The linings are most gay. Plush lining of rich color is used for plush mantle, but it is too heavy for the purpose. Printed satin is better, and is quite novel for cloak linings. It is also beautiful, for the roses, dahlias, leaves, &c,. scattered over its cream, red, blue, or olive ground look as though they were hand-painted. Quilted satin is still sometimes selected for cloak linings, but no longer in cream or black, but in such colors as strawberry-red, shrimp-pink, nasturtium, orange, or some dull green shade. The carriage cloaks for evening wear are splendid ; take two examples— the first of dark red plush, bordered with chinchilla; the second brown Ottoman plush in front, and Russian sable at the back, the lining capucine plush. Pelisses are to be worn, made in either cloth or velvet, and the trimmings will be fur or elaborate braiding. The models from Paris are rather for present wear, and are of Ottoman silk with incised satin figures, trimmed with Spanish lace, lined with strawberry-red satin, and fastened with large flat jet buttons. Another is of plain black satin, trimmed with chenille passementerie that looks like embroidery, and edged with fluffy chenille fringe, headed by a row of the sleek chenille dignified with the name of “rat’s tail.” The newest cloth cloaks from Paris are of repped cloth, which is tufted on the wrong side; they are made with a velvet or satin waistcoat, extending the length of the front, and are trimmed with about fifty rows of soutache, sewn on with the edges touching, and this forms a solid border, that has the effect of a wide braid. In form they are very similar to the cloaks worn last year, and it would be easy to modernise one of the latter, by changing the trimming, for which there are now so many facilities. The large passementerie leaves, made of braid, are easily sewn on, so are the velvet appliques, ribbed plush being used for the collar, waistcoat and border. Indeed, never were trimmings more abundant for both dresses and mantles, nor so handy, for they are sold ready made, and require only stitching on. The new passementeries have exactly the effect of braiding; they are made of mohair or silk braid, used with an edge upwards (“ knife edge,” in technical parlance), and formed into wheels, stars, leaves, and other familiar patterns, as well as into more ambitious geometrical and architectural designs. They are sold in widths ranging from two inches to half a yard, the former for edging collar and cuffs, the latter for the skirt. A handsome variety is made of satin cord, softly stuffed and pliable. The soutache sets, for ornamenting bodices, jackets, and sleeves, are most popular. Chenille plays a most important role in trimmings this season; it appears in loops, rings, balls, and drops, in the new passementeries just described, and in the fringes, both in thin and thick strands, and also in twisted like'eords ; the netted chenille tabliers, studded with jet, are rich looking, as are the rolling collars, made of the same material.

A still handsomer trimming, however, is silk embroidered velvet in open designs, and sold in widths, commencing at three inches. The lower edge is scolloped, the upper edge, where it is sewn on, is plain. The feather trimmings would require a chapter to themselves ; cooks’ plumes, marabouts, and all sorts of domestic fowls lend their plumage to the manufacture of trimmings, and to the ornamentation of bonnets and muffs. The newest muffs have half a pheasant or a bird of paradise in the centre.

There is great variety in buttons, although they are not conspicuous ornaments this season. For indoor dresses, small ballshaped crocheted buttons, or wooden moulds covered with velvet, are used. For outdoor garments there are large buttons, that look like tortoiseshell, but are really made of horn; there are flat buttons of colored metal; and there are combinations of metal and pearl in tints like colored silver.

The new“material for brides’ dresses is repped satin—lustrous satin, woven with flat cords or reps from selvedge to selvedge. It calls to mind Eadzimer and cotele, or ribbed satin, but is known as “ Ottoman reps.” Ivory white in color, alike on both sides both as regards the reps and the lustre, it is a handsome material; but cream satin still obtains sometimes with pearl-beaded tulle, and sometimes with those remarkable brocades, which have large detached flowers, &c., on velvet of the thickest pile. The flower trimming is not now limited to orange blossoms, but the French fashion is obtaining of wearing white lilac, clematis, spirea, and white roses as well. Lace flowers are a novelty in Paris for brides; every petal of roses or lilac is made of modern, inexpensive Mechlin, mounted on natural flexible stems, with velvet leaves exquisitely shaded and veined with gold. Flower fans are now carried in preference to bouquets.

In bridesmaids* attire there is a decided change, in fact there are some fashionable weddings were the usual bevy of maidens, ranging from two to twelve in number, are left out altogether. An innovation in bridesmaids’ costumes is that of dressing them in four different colors instead of all alike. This new fancy, it is said, was suggested by a restored fresco of Botticellils at the Louvre. A fiancee was visiting Pai’is for the purchase of her trousseau, and saw tho pretty procession of four girls in mauvej and green, painted four hundred years ago" for the Villa Lemmi, near Florence. She' appropriated the idea, and her bridesmaids wore in mauve and green after Boticelli; and now wo hear of another party of dissimilar bridesmaids who are to wear deep crimson, bright yellow, lilac, and green. The dresses are to be made exactly alike, and by the same dressmaker. A perfect fit would seem to be one desideratum in dressmaking, and many of the best dressed women of the day prefer a tailor-made bodice to any other. To meet this want, Messrs Benjamin, Ulster House, Conduit street, have opened a new department, where not only cloth and other woollen dresses arc arranged, but silks and satins. Among a variety of handsome materials are light blue broche, now corded moires, brown and dark green striped satins, and dark blue matelasses. In Queen’s cloth there are many well-arranged costumes, and this material blends with plain and check woollens. Some are made with skirt and bodice in one opening in front. Most of the skirts have cither gatherings or box - plaitings reaching half their depth. An excellent travelling dross owes its origin to the kilt; the skirt is kilted, and round the bodice are the same double tabs associated with the Scotch jacket. The new ulsters have treble box-plaits at the back, and the new Park ulster has also those same box-plaits at the sides, which gives ample room for large skirts. A useful cloak has box-plaits, surmounted by a cape caught up in the centre of the back. Browns and smoke colors are most in vogue. Besides useful travelling cloaks, the firm are making black matelasse and black brocaded cloaks reaching to the hem of the dress, also with capes.