DRESS: IN SEASON AND IN REASON.
By A LADY DRESSMAKER.
As a rule there are not many changes of dress or cut to be chronicled this month. Everyone is thinking of the sales, and the truly wise and economical (of which there are a great many in these days) are more occupied in making the fashions subservient to their purchases, to either inventing or thinking of new designs in dress. We were never so rich in the way of materials as we are this year, though the most popular of all effects in woollen is the serge-weaving, which is mixed with everything—crossbars, and lines of velvet, silk cording, fancy braids, and borders which resemble patchwork in monotone, or inlaid wood flooring, or parqueterie. The serge with velvet crossbars and lines on black serge are very effective and handsome. Indeed, serge seems to have taken the place of cashmere, and is infinitely more becoming in wear.
Ladies’ cloth is also much worn in both dark and light colours. On these a selvedge of a different colour is left, which is sometimes pinked-out, or edged with a cord. These are trimmed with facings, cuffs, and collars of velvet, plush, and moiré, which is now much used for trimmings. Besides this, there are vicuna and camels’ hair, and a large selection of Darlington serges, and others in plain and in stripes, which are at once cheap, ladylike, and extremely durable in wear.
Nun’s cloth is still used with velvet trimmings, and a material called “wool crépon” is used as well for evening frocks for girls, and is trimmed profusely with woollen lace. Velveteen is not seen as composing entire dresses, though so largely mixed with woollens of all descriptions.
In colours worn by well-dressed people, heliotrope is still in great favour, and is really lovely in silks, satins, and the handsome cut velvets and frisés—dark sapphire blues, carbuncle, red brown, and a mossy green, with an earthy brown and a stone-colour, which are both useful, well-wearing colours.
Now that people are beginning to wear more colour than they formerly did, it is needful to consider harmony in colour more than we did. For young people this is everything. In wearing brown, for instance, it should be harmonised by a little yellow or a lighter shade of brown. In the same way dark-red must be harmonised with pink, and both shades must be seen together, so as to be quite sure that they will not “swear at each other,” as the French funnily express it. With grey a little pale blue must be put in somewhere in the bonnet. Stone-colour will harmonise with a pink, and heliotrope with a paler shade of itself. With grey, blue, and slate silver ornaments look best; but with brown, red, and green shades gold ornaments give the required harmony in colouring.
All very bright hues should be kept away from the face, as only the best of complexions can stand them near the skin. A portrait-painter once told me that the colour of the hair or the hue of the eyes should always be repeated in some part of the dress. But I fancy it may answer for painting, but not to be exemplified in everyday life and habiliments.
AN AFTERNOON VISIT.
Now that belts are coming in again, or rather have come in, it is well to remember that when the waist exceeds twenty-five inches round bands are not becoming, and pointed bodices should be resorted to, and if the front darts be cut very much bowed-in, an effect of slenderness is given to the waist which does not really belong to it. Frills at the neck and wrists are most becoming to thin people with long necks. Short-necked and stout people look best with plain bands of muslin or lace. High shoulders do not consort well with fur capes nor wide fur collars at the neck. The long paletôts or pelisses are very suitable to short people, as the straight lines add to their apparent height. But even in giving these few directions towards helping my readers to becoming and tasteful dress, I fully realise the fact that very few people take the trouble to ascertain what they look like, and perhaps would be grievously offended if they were to be told where the faults of their appearance really lay.
NEW BLOUSE POLONAISE.
Mantles, as I have frequently said, are all short, none of them coming more than a few inches below the waist at the back, though all are long in front. They are, many of them, much trimmed, though not too much. There are braces to the shoulders, or a kind of yoke of beading, or flat bands of beaded passementerie, laid on. Plush seems to be the great material for these mantles, and will be worn not only in the winter, but late in the spring. Some of these plush mantles are coloured, but very few. Sapphire blue, carbuncle red, and a dark mossy green are the most popular colours. They are trimmed with black jet—not a very satisfactory trimming, nor very elegant.
Hoods are seen on jackets and pelisses more than on small mantles. The new shape of sling mantelette is called “Pelerine,” and is nearly a cape in being all round of the same length; but the edges are turned under all round, and in front the linings show, which are of some pale, contrasting colour. The fronts are quite of the sling shape, and if a hood be worn with them it is lined to match. The newest hoods are square, and of the monk order—not gathered up in any way, to make them bunchy at the back. The newest shape of paletôt we now call a “pelisse,” but it is really nothing but a long paletôt, or tight-fitting jacket lengthened to the edge of the skirt. The newest cloaks of this kind brought out this winter have hanging sleeves, and a hood or fur facing, which wraps across at the waist, one end of the fur crossing the other end. The side of the skirt is often opened and then laced together with thick cords, but it may be also edged with fur. Very long cloaks are worn as wraps for carriage use, but only in that way; and for travelling, small mantles are much more fashionable at present.
Jackets are worn as much as ever by young ladies, and are universally plain and rather severe in cut. They are of two kinds, the first with a fur trimming, wide round the neck and shoulders and on the chest, but pointed at the waist, and tight-fitting both at the back and front. The other jacket has a tight back and loose-fitting front, and is either simply stitched round with the machine or bound with galloon or leather—the last the newest and most recherché of bindings. Pilot cloth is used for jackets, as well as Cheviot homespuns, also corduroy, Melton of various kinds, and numbers of fancy cloths under different names. The Irish Claddagh cloth, introduced by Mrs. Ernest Hart, and to be obtained in all colours at the depôt of the Donegal Industrial Fund, is becoming more popular for large wrap-cloaks, little children’s ulsters, and babies’ pelisses. Plush has been adopted as a lining for thin mantles of silk and wool, instead of wadded silk. It is far less clumsy, and quite as warm. In this way many ladies have made use of their handsome summer mantles, and made them warm enough for winter. On mild days no jacket nor mantle is used, but the long boa, or Victorine, or else one of the new large handkerchiefs, knotted on the chest and spread out over the shoulders. These large handkerchiefs are even to be seen worn on the outside of the small tight-fitting jackets.
I have mentioned leather bindings on jackets. They are also used for trimming dresses by the first ladies’ tailors. The colour of the bands or bindings is usually of the lightest shade of the cloth used. Polonaises are growing in popularity every day, and the spring will probably see them well established in favour. The idea of blouse-jackets has produced the blouse-polonaise, which I have selected for the paper pattern of the month. It is draped at the side, but some of the new polonaises are draped at both sides. The edges may be lined with a light harmonising colour which will show when the wearer moves about. Thus a pale grey vicuna would have pale rose-pink linings. Polonaises are becoming fashionable for evening and dinner dress, and have high Marie Stuart collars and long angel sleeves. The neck-bands of dresses are as wide and fit as tightly as ever. They are generally of velvet, and the cuffs also, the latter being only as wide as the collar.
The bodices of ordinary gowns show no change in shape. The favourite front-trimming which has taken the place of waistcoats is a long revers front, the point of the waist to the neck. In fur-trimmed dresses this revers is of fur; also the cuffs, neck band, and a band round the skirt. Many dresses for wear in the house have ruches round the hem; but they are not suitable for wear out of doors, as they are perfect traps for dust. A new style is to put a dépassant (the modern name for a balayeuse frill) round the edge of the dress. This is about an inch and a-half in width, and is pleated in small single box-pleats, and is generally of silk of the same colour as the dress.
The sketch, under the name of “[An Afternoon Visit],” shows one of the new polonaises, which buttons across the front. It is of grey cloth, over a petticoat of very dark crimson. The young lady in the hat wears a walking-gown, trimmed with fur, which is put on with plain bands; the material is “ladies’ cloth.” Of the two figures in indoor costume one shows the method of making-up striped materials, and also the new “catogan knot,” with a puff of hair and a curled front. The other dress has a tucked bodice, with a draped front, which simulates a polonaise; the collar and cuffs being of velvet.
In “[The Serious Discussion]” we have several dresses, one for out-of-doors, trimmed with fur, and showing the method of trimming a short jacket which I have before described. The other dresses are plaids, and show the way in which plain materials are mixed with them. The bodice is of plain material, with a waistcoat-front, and cords and buttons. The figure at the back is an illustration of this month’s paper pattern, the new “blouse polonaise,” which is a very charming adaptation of the “Norfolk” or pleated blouse, now so much worn; it is both easily made and cut out, and is a very useful garment. It may be cut long enough to reach to the edge of the underskirt, and thus follows the fashions of the long lines now in vogue. In this way it is more graceful, but it may be cut shorter, and in this case the skirt must have the box-pleated frill at the edge, which is now called a dépassant. The material of which our illustration is made is one of the rough, hairy “vicuna serges,” of a light grey tone, with a darker grey stripe. The bands of the shoulders, front, waist, and collar and cuffs are of this dark grey, in velvet or plush; the first being the most becoming. The ribbon-bow is of the same hue of silk and velvet reversible ribbon. The hem of the polonaise is quite plain, and is machine-hemmed. The paper pattern consists of nine pieces, i.e., two sleeve pieces, back, front, cuffs, collar, shoulder-piece, and front-strap. The polonaise will require about ten yards of thirty inch material, and about half a yard of velvet and three yards of ribbon.
All paper patterns supplied by “The Lady Dressmaker” are of medium size—viz., 36 inches round the chest—and only one size is prepared for sale. No turnings are allowed in any of them. Each pattern may be had of “The Lady Dressmaker,” care of Mr. H. G. Davis, 73, Ludgate-hill, E.C., price 1s. each. It is requested that the addresses be clearly given, and that postal notes may be crossed “& Co.,” to go through a bank, as so many losses have recently occurred. The patterns already issued are always kept in stock, as “The Lady Dressmaker” only issues patterns likely to be of constant use in home-dressmaking and altering; and she is particularly careful to give all the new patterns of hygienic underclothing, both for children and old and young ladies, so that no reader of the “G.O.P.” may be ignorant of the best methods of dressing.
The following is a list of the patterns already issued, price 1s. each.
April, 1885, braided loose-fronted jacket; May, velvet bodice; June, Swiss belt and full bodice with plain sleeves; July, mantle; Aug., Norfolk or pleated jacket; September, housemaid’s or plain skirt; October, combination-garment (under-linen), with long sleeves; November, double-breasted jacket; December, Zouave jacket and bodice; January, 1886, Princess under-dress (under-linen, under-bodice and underskirt combined); February, polonaise, with waterfall back; March, new spring bodice; April, divided skirt and Bernhardt mantle, with sling sleeves; May, Early English bodice and yoke bodice for summer dress; June, dressing jacket and Princess frock, with Normandy bonnet for a child of four years old; July, Princess of Wales’s jacket, bodice, and waistcoat, for tailor-made gown; August, bodice with guimpe; September, mantle with stole ends; October, Pyjama, or night-dress combination, with full back; November, new winter bodice; December, patterns of Norfolk blouses, one with a yoke, and one with pleats only; January, 1887, blouse-polonaise, with pleats at back and front.