Italian and fancy straw; but we must observe, that the latter, to be really fashionable must be of that elegant and expensive kind called paille guipure. The form most in vogue for the chapeaux is the Pamela; the brim is round and more open than they have recently been seen, and forming a kind of plain bavolet at the back of the crown. Flowers, disposed in wreaths or tufts, are most in request for rice-straw chapeaux. Field flowers are a good deal employed; so also are coquelicots and blue-bells; a mixture of delicate garden flowers, with green grapes, or other small fruit, is likewise very fashionable. Feathers, particularly willow plumes, composed of the beards of marabouts, are more in vogue for Italian straw chapeaux. Feathers and flowers seem in equal request for fancy straw, but they are of a small kind, as têtes des plumes, arranged in a half-wreath or a bouquet étagé. Cashmere scarfs seem to have resumed the vogue they enjoyed in the early part of the season. They are indeed well calculated for the commencement of autumn, being at once warm and light. We have seen also some very rich silk shawls, of sombre hues, flowered in relief, and a few satin mantes, which our fair readers will recollect is an envelope between the pelerine and the cardinal, longer than the one, smaller than the other, and somewhat similar to both in form. They are made in green, deep blue, and black, and trimmed either with black lace or éffilé; but though lace shawls and muslin mantelets are now in a decided minority, they are by no means laid aside; on the contrary, they are quite as much adopted as they were two months ago, when the days were warm. Coutil continues its vogue for sea-side dresses. Some of the prettiest are striped in blue or green stripes upon an unbleached ground. A favourite form for these robes has the corsage made quite high, and trimmed by a very deep jacket; so deep indeed that a small pocket appears on each side of the front of the jacket; the corsage is always made quite high; and we observe that those entirely closed down the front seem to increase in favour; the majority are embroidered in soutache; this is principally the case with those that have the corsage open in front. A good many of those that are closed are trimmed down the centre with a row of fancy silk buttons on each side; and at a little distance from the buttons is a velvet band, cut strait on the inside, but slanting, and in sharp dents at the outer edge; it is very broad at the bottom, but narrows almost to a point at the point: this is a very novel style of trimming, and has a good effect. Though light materials, as muslins, barèges, &c. are still adopted in promenade dress, silk robes are more in request, and a good many are trimmed with velvet. We have recently seen several of striped and shaded gros de naples, the corsage half-high, with a rounded point drawn a little full at the shoulders, but tight at the bottom. The sleeves are rounded at the bottom, and surmounted with crossed jockeys. The skirt is trimmed with two deep biais flounces, placed at some distance from each other; three rows of very narrow velvet ribbon, corresponding with the colour of the stripes, encircle the top of the corsage, the round of the jockeys, and the bottom of the sleeves, and also border cach flounce. We have seen some dresses of plain green, blue, and violet silk, similarly trimmed with velvet, a shade or two darker than the silk. The peignoir retains its vogue in half-dress. We may cite among the most fashionable those of taffeta, striped alternately in white and lilac, or else blue or pink with white; the corsage is made half-high, and the fronts cut in dents, which, buttoning in the centre, form slashes displaying the chemisette. Long tight sleeves, similarly ornamented from the shoulder to the wrist. Three rows of ribbon striped horizontally in the colour of the robe, and fringed at the edges, are disposed in the style of volants round the borders, at semi-distance from each other, and set on with very little fulness. Another and very fashionable form for silk robes in half-dress has a tight corsage, half-high on the shoulders, and open to the waist, and trimmed with a small demi-pelerine, edged with fringe, and forming a revers on the front. Some of these robes have no trimming round the borders, others are decorated with one or two deep flowers, edged with effilé or cut in round dents. Tarlatane and organdy have now superseded crape and tulle for evening robes. The corsages are for the most part à la vierge, though those cut very low are also fashionable, though not so extensively scen. The majority of both are pointed at the bottom. The sleeves are always short. Double skirts have lost nothing of their vogue; a favourite style of trimming for them is an embroidery in coloured worsted of a wreath of flowers and foliage. Sometimes the flowers are of one kind only; but we have also seen them of different sorts. Slight silks, particularly taffetas of light colours, are very much in vogue. Caps are very much in vogue in dinner dress. We may cite among the most novel those made without a head-piece, and with a very small caul covering only the back of the head; it is bordered with three narrow rows of point d'angleterre all round, and placed a little higher on the cars than in the middle of the head. A pink and white ribbon, striped horizontally, in very narrow pink and white stripes, is twisted on the edge of the trimming as high as the temples, where it is terminated by two tufts, each formed of three fringed ends. Evening head-dresses continue, to be principally of hair decorated with flowers. Fashionable colours are the same as last month. 202 We must still resort to the German spas, and to Dieppe, and our other bathing places for the promenade dresses of our fair travellers; it is at those places also, and at their chateaux that we shall find whatever is most recherché in indoor costume. Our task as regards promenade chapeaux will soon be finished, for they are all of straw of different kinds, and of the gipsy form, with various modifications. Some are simply trimmed with ribbon; others with field flowers, a paquet of blue bottles, a wreath of daisies, or a sprig of white-thorn blossoms. The redingote form, both in coutil and silk, is most in request in promenade dress. We have nothing novel to announce in the forms of these robes, but some of the silk ones are rendered very dressy by the fancy silk buttons and various kinds of guimps, fringes, &c., &c., with which they are decorated. We see also a good many robes of unbleached batiste made à l'amazone, and trimmed with passementerie to correspond. A few, but very few, muslin robes are still seen in promenade dress,-they are remarkable for the beauty of their embroidery. We seldom see scarfs worn with redingotes, or if there be a scarf it is generally of a light kind, as barège or China crape. Those of cashmere of a large size begin to be a good deal seen with robes of every kind. Large mantelets of coloured silks, particularly black ones which had been laid aside for some time past, are again brought forward, and seem likely to be adopted during the whole of the demi saison. Redingotes divide the vogue with robes in in-door dress: we mean for demi. toilette. We may cite among the most novel the redingote marquise, com posed of Pekin, foulard, and other kinds of silk. A high and tight corsage, buttoned down the front; tight sleeve and a deep jacket cleft in compartments; a broad band of velvet always of a deeper shade than the robe descends from the throat to the bottom; a row of very large marcassite buttons is placed upon it at regular distances. This is a very elegant style of half-dress robe, and one that is likely to continue in favour for some time. Barège robes are also in request in half-dress; they are in general trimmed with flounces. Those of plain barège, trimmed with five flounces, each bordered with fringe points d'esprit, are particularly admired. Dinner robes are composed of India muslin and different kinds of silk. We can scarcely say which is most predominant. A good many of the first have the corsages rather more than half-high at the back; open on the bosom; plain on the shoulders, but drawn in with a little fulness at the bottom of the waist. The sleeve rather more than a half-length; of an easy width to the elbow, but very wide from thence. The corsage is ornamented with a revers formed of either lace or embroidery. The bottoms of the sleeves are similarly decorated; the skirts are trimmed with either flounces or bouillonné between rows of open work. Evening robes are principally of tarlatane, either white or coloured: they are for the most part trimmed with flowers, corresponding with those in the wreath or bouquet that adorns the hair. Fashionable colours have not varied since the appearance of our last number. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS. EVENING DRESSES. No. 1... Shaded poult de soie robes; a low corsage, tight to the shape, and very deeply pointed at bottom; a row of lace stands up round the top. Short sleeve rendered full by three festooned volants. Two biais decorate the border of the skirt. The front hair is parted on the forehead, and dressed in a profusion of ringlets at the sides; the hind hair is platted and brought round the back of the head. No. 2. White tarlatane robe over white gros de naples; a low round corsage, trimmed with a deep berthe of the same, beautifully embroidered. Short tight sleeve, and volants worked to correspond. Double skirt: the upper one descending considerably below the knee; both are embroidered round the border. Head-dress of hair similar to the one already described. HOME DRESSES. Green foulard robe; the corsage is high at the back, and very open on the bosom. The sleeves are rather more than a three-quarter length, tight to the arm, and finished at the top with a round manchèrón of two falls; the bottom is terminated by a flounce. Cambric chemisette and under sleeve. The skirt is trimmed very high with flounces; they are placed five, four, and three together, each portion being placed at some distance from the other. White poult de soie chapeau, a round shape, and moderately close brim, and ornamented with bands of pink ribbon, and a half wreath of flowers. HOME DINNER DRESS. No. 4. Pale lavender poult de soie robe; a low pointed corsage, trimmed with a deep berthe of the same. Short tight sleeves. The skirt is trimmed high, with flounces put three together; they are deep, laid on in light festoons, and each portion headed by a rouleau. The berthe is edged with a single narrow flounce. Tulle cap, a round shape, and rather high caul; it is bordered all round with two rows of blonde guipure, and trimmed with a guirlande à la Flore, composed of roses and other flowers. PUBLIC PROMENADE DRESSES. No. 5. Blue striped foulard robe; a high corsage, and sleeve a three-quarter length over one of muslin bouillonné. Shawl mantle of white barège, a threequarter length, very spacious at the lower part, sitting close at the top, and trimmed with black and rose-coloured passementerie and tassels. Green poult de soie chapeau, a round and rather large shape. The brim is edged with ribbon à la vielle, and the exterior decorated with a lace drapery, a tuft of white flowers and a long sprig of foliage. ... No. 6 Rose-coloured taffeta robe; a half-high corsage, and sleeve à la Louis XV. White gros de naples capote, a small round drawn shape; the interior decorated with knots and brides of white ribbon; the exterior with a wreath of exotics. Black lace mantelet à la reine, of a large size. No. 7. Robe of fawn-coloured barège satiné; the corsage very high at the back; the fronts disposed en gerbe, and very open nearly to the bottom of the waist, displaying the chemisette, composed of alternate plain bands, and embroidered entre deux. The sleeve is nearly long, and arched at the bottom, displaying a muslin under sleeve; biais tucks ornament the upper and lower part of the silk sleeve. The skirt is finished with two deep tucks. Chapeau of open fancy straw, a round shape, the interior trimmed with knots of rose and white striped ribbon, and brides of the same. The exterior decorated with a bouquet of roses of different hues, and small flowers; it is placed on one side, and attached by long ends of ribbon, which float on the other. No. 8. Blue and white shaded gros de naples robe; a half-high corsage, tight to the shape. Sleeve a three-quarter length, arched at the bottom, displaying an under sleeve of embroidered muslin. The skirt is trimmed with five flounces. The chapeau presents a side view of the one just described. |