FASHION NOTES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 234, 7 March 1885, Page 8

FASHION NOTES.

By "Jenny When."

The whole front of a ball-dress will now fee a mass of beaded embroidery, or a spangling of jet or anything sparkling. Waterfall backs are still to exist, but the same system that obtains in rich silk and satin dresses will be copied in tulle and net. 'Very handsome skirts are made of white broche velvet, and the tunic of varieties of Sicilienne or quite thin fabrics. A beautiful dress has the front of moonlight beads inter-mixed with chenille, the harmony of black steel and black broche being perfect. Long points to bodices are the fashion ; also the sleeves of transparent lace. From the throat to the waist is a gathering of figured net worn generally just now.

In ball dresses the tablier is still to be the order of the day, not much change having taken place, with the exception that no longer are we to have the ballet style of skirts.

An admirable material for drapiisg is crepe de Chine, covered with an outline brocade formed of the same tone. Nothing lends to itself more perfection of colouring than crape.

A new kind of gauze is much. used,. viz., with plush tufts and loops of tulle. A pretty black gown had draperies of this in black and gold over black satin, and large yellowbows down the side.

The other evening I noticed a very pretty ball dress. It was composed of white tulle combined with white brocaded silk. The trimmings were composed of little silk balls hanging by a thread, and beautiful coloured flowers.

Bonnets are made of cloth and velvet exactly matching- the dress ; in fact, they are made of a piece of the dress itself, and merely require feathers or some of the many portions of birds now fashionably worn in addition, and these are generally placed on the top.

A beautiful tea gown is made of sapphire plush, opening down the front over white satin, white lace, and loops of satin ribbon. The rest of the dress is cut en Princesse, and bordered with black fnr. The sleeves come to the elbow, and there is an abundance of B russels lace upon it.

A pretty dress for a young girl is a short white silk, bordered with a pinked out ruche, having a deep heading. Simple draperies, back and front, were arranged in white crepe de chine. A long looped satin bow one side was secured to the bodice, and the skirt of the bodice was cut square, back and front, and had elbow sleeves, with the new fan -like fulness at the shoulders, and was draped with the poult de soie.

How fashionable black and red remain; I noted at one of the fashionable establishments in Queen-streets a rich poult de soie and plain train simply looped at the side over a red front, with a narrow lace flounce at the edge, and a wide one above reaching to the waist, put on full. At the side it has a long looped bow of ribbon velvet, and the bodice had a long point with a puffing of red on either side of the front forming a gilet.

A very nice dressing gown is composed of a fine serge, with lining of old quilted silk; old gold heliotrope. Make it with rather loose sleeves, so that you turn them up to the elbow with the quilting. Have a small pointed hood lined and faced with quilting also at the back. Let the back breadths on with a puff like a tea-gown. White woollen cords are used to the neck and waist with turn-back ; the fronts with revers of quilting from neck to feet.

A ball toilette is composed of orange velvet, pale blue satin, and pale blue tulle. The bodice and train are velvet ; the scarves and draperies on tile train are tulle. The tablier is cream satin, with painted or embroidered nasturtiums. The skirt consists of- three kiltings of pale blue satin. The bodice has double points, and the waistband is fastened at the side with a diamond buckle. The berther is Alencon lace, and point lace crosses the bodice slantwise.

For evening wear for young girls, cream, and ivory white are chiefly preferred; and tucks round waists and broad sashes are again, revived. For simple wearing, nun's veiling, spotted with small patterns in broche of the same or other colours. The skirt is tucked at intervals or regularly quite up to the waist., or with, insertions of black lace put in between the racks to make it less monotonous. Surah, in the same way, makes light effective toilettes., jilted skirts of this silk are still worn iina^'tunics of veiling, biitjfc; the tucks are theif|^test revival, and the tunic is put on fulled into the waist, and then caught up under and sown to the.. skirt, thus falling in one large bbiivillon frßni the ' waist, which then needs no basque. A certain fullness about the bodice is necessary, and either is confined by a waistband or a pointed Swiss belt, but whatever design is given on the tunic, whether in colours or not, the sash should follow the ground in. plain cream or white. This same sash, though it may be of varied width, must always reach nearly to the hem of the skirt, and the loops must be half a yard long.