Early Spring Fashions.
Fig. 1.—Morning and Evening Costumes.
March is a fickle month; one day dallying with Zephyrus in the warm sunlight, and promising verdure and flowers, and the next playing bo-peep with Boreas at every corner, and spreading a mantle of frost or snow over the fields where the early blossoms are venturing forth.
"Now Winter lingers in the lap of Spring,"
and the ladies should remember the trite maxim, when preparing to lay aside their heavy garments, that "one swallow does not make a Summer." A few sunny days, during this month, will allow a change of out-of-door costume, and for these Fashion has already provided; but generally the winter fabrics and forms will be seasonable till near the close of the month. The Promenade Costumes are the same as in February, and we omit an illustration of them.
In the large plate, the larger figure on the left, shows a beautiful and graceful style of Morning Costume. It consists of a robe of blue brocade; the high body opens in the front nearly to the waist. The fronts of the skirt are lined with amber satin, and a fulling of the same is placed on the edge of the fronts, graduating in width toward the top, and carried round the neck of the dress.
The sleeves are very wide from the elbow, and lined with amber satin. The edge of the sleeve is left plain, but there is a rûche of satin round the middle of the sleeve, just below the elbow. Underdress of jaconet muslin, trimmed with lace, or embroidery. The cap is of tulle, with blue trimmings.
The larger figure on the right, exhibits an Evening Dress of great elegance. A skirt of white satin, the lower part trimmed with narrow folds of the same, put on at equal distances. The sides are decorated with an elongated puffing of satin, surrounded with a fulling of narrow blonde. Over this is worn a short round tunic of white tulle, encircled with a frilling of blonde, and decorated upon each side of the front with two small white roses, surrounded with green leaves. The body plain, pointed, draped with white tulle and lace, forming short sleeves. The small figure in the group shows a pretty style of dress for a little Miss. It is of dark blue cashmere, the skirt trimmed with two rows of ribbon-velvet. The cape is formed of narrow folds, open in the front, and continued across with bands of velvet. Pantaloons of embroidered cambric. The bonnet is formed of narrow pink fancy ribbon.
Fig. 2.—Morning Costume.
Figure 2 represents another pretty style of Morning Costume. It is a high dress of pale blue silk, opening in front nearly to the waist, which is long and pointed. It has a small cape, vandyked at the edge, and trimmed with a narrow fringe, having a heading of velvet; the sleeves to correspond. The skirt is long and full, with three broad flounces deeply vandyked, and edged with two rows of narrow fringe corresponding with those of the capes. The top flounce is headed by a single row of fringe. Underdress and undersleeves, jaconet muslin, trimmed with lace or embroidery. The cap is black lace, with a tie and falls of the same. A full rûche of white tulle entirely surrounds the face.
Fig. 3.—Velvet Bonnet.
In bonnets there are a great variety of new and elegant patterns. The front of the brims continue very large and open, the crowns round, low, and small. Figure 3 is rather an exception to the extreme of fashion It shows a very neat style of plain bonnets suitable for the closing winter. It is of ultramarine velvet, with a broad black lace turned back over the edge, and a deep curtain. A very fashionable style is composed of Orient gray pearl, half satin, half velours épinglé, having a very rich effect, and decorated with touffés marquises made of marabouts. Several very light and elegant bonnets have appeared, made entirely of blonde, and ornamented with pink marabouts, and sablés with silver, which droops in touffés upon the inclined side of the front, while the other side is relieved with a bunch of pink velvet leaves. Another style is very elegant for early Spring, represented in Figure 4. It is made of light green fluted ribbon, a plain foundation, over which, at the edge of the front and toward the crown, is the same material, vandyked in pattern. The bonnet front is waved. Bonnets of white silk (Figure 5) trimmed with lace, quite small and ornamented in the front with small bunches of flowers, are fashionable for a carriage costume.
Fig. 4.—Ribbon Bonnet.
Fig. 5.—White Silk Bonnet.
The season for balls is nearly over. Dresses for these assemblies are made of light material, and with two or three skirts. One charming model is composed of white tulle, with three skirts trimmed all round with a broad open-worked satin ribbon; the third skirt being raised on one side, and attached with a large bouquet of flowers, while the ribbon is twisted, and ascends to the side of the waist, where it finishes. The same kind of flowers ornament the sleeves and centre of the corsage, which is also trimmed with a deep drapery of tulle.
Feather trimmings are now much in vogue, disposed on fringes of marabout, and placed at the edge of the double skirts of tulle.
For Head Dresses, flowers and lace are in constant request.
Fashionable Colors are of deep and mellow hues; white predominates for evening use.