|
Vol. XLIV PHILADELPHIA, DECEMBER 1863 No.6. |
||||
|
COLORED FLANNEL PETTICOATS. -- The fashion, within the last few winters, has been adopted by many ladies of wearing colored flannel petticoats instead of white ones; and there is so much in favor of the colored flannel that we can scarcely wonder at the preference shown for it. After white flannel has been washed half a dozen times, unless it has been very skillfully treated, its beauty will have vanished, and it will have assumed that dusky yellow hue which we are most of us but too familiarly acquainted with. Now colored flannels undergo the washing ordeal with much greater fortitude, they retain their brightness and brilliancy of shade and tone, and seldom deteriorate in color. The petticoats are frequently scolloped out round the bottom with wool or silk, and Knickerbockers frequently accompany them, made of the same material as the petticoat. Pink and scarlet are the favorite colors. The flannels which are printed with a Persian or Turkish design over them are very suitable for invalid or morning gowns; they are made in one piece without any seam at the waist, being confined with a silk cord and tassels instead of a waistband. Occasionally these flannel gowns are faced with silk of the prevailing color of the design upon the flannel; this is quilted, and the gown is left open in front, and in which case an elaborately ornamented white cambric muslin petticoat is worn underneath; rows of narrow graduated tucks, and insertion embroidered in satin stitch, usually forming the ornamentation to the white petticoat. TO PRESERVE THE HAIR. -- Ladies desirous of improving scanty or weak locks, or of keeping abundant tresses in good order, should, every alternate day part the hair from the top of the head downward, beginning on the temple; in doing this, raise the scurf slightly with a tail-comb, brush the division both ways briskly, rub in some pomatum with the finger, and repeat the process, making the divisions close upon one another all round the head. Grease the points well afterward, and examine them every two or three days, clipping off any split ends a little above the division, with a slanting cut; then, if anxious to lengthen your hair, you can dispense with a hair-dresser's assistance. Brushing the hair a little on retiring to rest in a direction contrary to the way it is worn in the day, is also beneficial. There can be no doubt that continual care and attention are necessary, not only to improve, but even to preserve the hair. Where it has a tendency to become dry, the owner should use a little pomatum constantly. Oil is not so good as a semi-fluid pomade. The crimping of the hair, which has been so fashionable for some time, whether by plaiting or twisting upon hair-pins at night, is very destructive. Hair should, upon no account, be plaited at night; but, if very long, may be put loosely into a crochet or netting-cap, which is too open to be unhealthy. It is hardly necessary to say that fresh partings should be made every day, and the hair cleansed with a wash about once a week. A CHARMING NEGLIGE TOILET was lately made for the Princess de Metternich in Paris. It consisted of a plaid green and white poplin skirt, upon which there is no trimming; but the skirt was very long, and measured at least seven yards in width. An embroidered white percale waist coat with a Valenciennes lace cravate in front; a green velvet jacket embroidered at the edge with steel beads; narrow sleeves similarly embroidetred, with a heavy necklet consisting of a double row of large embossed steel beads round the throat, one row falling low on to the waistcoat; a blonde cap with violet and green flowers and ribbons; no strings. The princess wore green Morocco slippers and white silk stockings, dotted with tiny violets. Plaids are very extensively employed in almost every variety of French toilets. The Rob Roy, the Stuart, and the Macdonald are all in great favor.
|
DRESSES
are likely to be made with much less trimming than heretofore during the
autumn and winter; but the skirts are made more than ever with a train.
The widths are gored at the top, so that the skirt may be nearly plain
at the hips, and fall wide and full round the bottom. Crinolines
are made of a shape to correspond -- narrow at the top and expanding gradually
downward; petticoats should also be gored to fit well under the dress.
THE SLEEVES are now always cut with a seam to the elbow; for afternoon wear they are not stitched up, but are left loose as far as the elbow, where they are caught together with three small bows made of similar ribbon velvet to that upon the dress. The lace of the under-sleeve should be carried up as far as the elbow, and be left to fall through the opening; in all cases, the white muslin under-sleeve must be cut after the same pattern as the upper taffetas one, the shape of the sleeve itself being almost tight to the arm, any fullness underneath it produces a clumsy, awkward effect. Epaulets, made of either lace or gimp, are much used at the top of sleeves. A band half an inch wide, of the same color as the trimming upon the dress, is now generally stitched round the top of the bodice, instead of a piping; this band possesses two advantages; it causes the bodice to fit closer and higher around the throat than with the simple cording, and under a fine lace collar it produces all the effect of a neck ribbon. FOR YOUNG LADIES, jackets will be very generally worn with white muslin chemisettes, and pointed Swiss bands underneath them. The jackets are made in two forms, either they are rounded off in front and are cut straight at the back, being sufficiently short to allow of the waist band being visible. or they have a postillion basque at the back, which proves a very becoming addition to slight figures; but in both forms the fronts are very short and are rounded off. These jackets are generally made of the same material as the dress, or should the skirt be minus the bodice, then black silk or a colored cashmere (assorted to match the dress) is employed, and these materials are trimmed either with guipure or black gimp. The chemisette may be made either of white muslin, tucked or puffed with rows of embroidered insertion down the front, or, instead of muslin, foulard (white or buff), trimmed with black lace or braided, may be substituted. The hussar waistband is usually worn over a high white bodice, and is newer and more dressy than the Swiss band, the small gilt or silver buttons adding so greatly to the effect. EVENING DRESSES FOR YOUNG LADIES are usually made in thin white muslin, over colored skirts, (blue, mauve, or pink,) and are trimmed with either white or black lace. The best taste, however, is to use black lace only when the dress is worn over white. Over the colored under-dresses, white lace should always be employed. Sometimes muslin is used instead of silk as a lining for both skirt and mantle, and although not so rich-looking, it is far less costly. A sash should always accompany this style of toilet; it should be long and wide, and fringed at the ends, and the silk of which it is composed must be of a superior quality. The Scudery sash is very popular, and newer than either the Swiss or Postillion belts; instead of being tied with a bow, what the French call a chou (cabbage), and which is a sort of rosette, is formed at the top with the silk, and the long ends hang from underneath; this style of sash is usually fastened at the left side. GIMP is the most fashionable of all trimmings; it is made in the most elaborate and richest designs, and although they are costly, they impart a very rich effect to the dress. Epaulets, pockets, revers for the fronts of dresses, and ends of sleeves are made of gimp, and are extensively used. Gimp is also arranged round the skirt in scollops or waved lines; gimp palm-leaves, Maltese crosses, and lovers' knots, are frequently sewn flat at each breadth of the skirt and sometimes a strip of gimp is carried up each breadth to the waist. Recently we have seen the front breadth of silk dresses trimmed with rows of gimp, finished off at each side with tassels of a miniature fanlike form. For this style of trimming nine rows of gimp would be required, the bottom row measuring half a yard in length, and each row would be graduated somewhat as it ascenmded the skirt. The gimp is also sewn round the Zouave jacket, or upon the postillion basque according as the make of bodice might require. Frequently also a narrow gimp or black guipure is laid upon all the seams of a high, close-fitting bodice. STEEL will be largely introduced into gimp and into all embroideries uupon materials. Embroidery of all sorts, both in silk and wool, braiding and soutache of all descriptions will continue to be worn during the autumn and approaching winter, therefore industrious women will do well to commence betimes to ornament their winter toilets. THE NEW PETTICOATS are exceedingly pretty; they are made of a soft woolen material, closely resembling cashmere, and should match precisely the color of the dress. They are self-colored, but to prevent the monotony of both upper and under skirt being of the same shade, there is a band of black or a contrasting color introduced above the hem of the petticoat, and upon this band there is a tasteful design woven in silk. The narrow black and white striped petticoats made of a French material, with the stripes running downward, are much patronized; many of these are trimmed with narrow scarlet or
|
Magenta
flounces; these are gauffred, and sewn on with a heading and edged with
narrow black gimp; one or three floounces in this style may be worn according
to taste. The black cut velvet forms an inexpensive trimming for
this style of petticoat. Knitted under-petticoats will, it is expected,
be much patronized during the coming winter; they are made of white and
scarlet wool, and prove very warm, as they cling to the limbs.
THE NEWEST LACE COLLARS are very much larger than those worn for the last few years. These collars are in the form of a pelerine, and will somewhat enliven the sombre shades of the browns and grays now so much worn for dresses. They are called Anne of Austria pelerines, and are made of modern Venetian point lace; these are the production of Madame Grandillot, the lady who has revived in France the art of making ancient guipure. Other collars are of a still newer form, and are called La Villiere pelerines. They are made of cambric starched, and they descend in two insertion, each separated by cambric of the same depth as the guipure. Round the entire collar and round the throat there is guipure. A bow of sky-blue or cerise velvet terminates the pelerine, which is fastened down the front with four small linen buttons. The under-sleeves to be worn with this collar are made in the same style. THE LATEST STYLE OF CLOAKS are called in Paris Scotch cloaks. They are not only of the real Scotch plaid colors, but of every sort of fancy plaid, the brightest colors being generally chosen; a good many are red and white; some have hoods and long tassels made with a sort of fringe, with round soft balls of wool. Nearly all are trimmed with the same fringe, as with chenille, with small round gimp balls. BONNETS are made with the crowns much less sloping toward the back than formerly; this gives an opportunity of placing the trimming otherwise than on the front of the bonnet, where it has been so long worn. HATS are very popular, not only for children, but for young ladies; and black velvet, or black, brown, or gray felt, will be worn by them. The feathers which have this season been introduced for the decoration of hats are exceedingly beautiful, the plumage of so many birds being now called into requisition for the purpose, and ladies are not content with one kind of feather; a mixture is frequently proferred. We have seen lately long blue ostrich feathers, with peacocks' eyes inserted at intervals along them; the feathers were long, and the shade of blue was the azuline, a richer tint than the turquoise; the peacocks' much smaller than that at the end. Many feathers are now fastened in front, so as to strike straight across the crown. All trimmings, whether they be destined for bonnets or head-dresses, are now arranged as if they were intended to give an additional inch or two of stature to their wearers; "straight up" seems the order of the day. THE HEAD-DRESSES are particularly effective and pretty; they are simple and yet tasteful. The field and wild flowers, which for the last three months have been worn upon bonnets and hats, are now popular upon simple head-dresses. A black ribbon is twisted carelessly yet gracefully round the head, and upon the top a bonquet of scarlet poppies and oats are placed; a black lace lappet mingles with the flowers and hangs down at the back. Water-lillies, geraniums, clematis, and mauve-colored roses are also frequently formed into tasteful head-dress with black lace; sometimes what the French call a herisson of blonde is added to the flowers. We should smile were we to translate literally, and to speak of hedgehog of blonde in English; the simile is comical, yet nothing gives us the same idea of the bristling erect appearance the blonde should present as does that harmless little animal. There is no new form in the wreaths which have been fashionable during the autumn. They are still worn high and pointed in front, and are mounted upon gutta percha, which presents the appearance of a natural branch. This should be twisted and entwined carelessly, so as to look as unstudied and natural as possible. The blue convolvulus, and the wild rose form effective wreaths; the blue convolvulus with its brilliant coloring, graceful leaves, and twining stalks and tendrils, being expecially suitable to such a style of head-dress. Thick gold cord is sometimes employed for mounting flowers upon, instead of gutta percha; it is more brilliant, but not so natural-looking. THERE IS A NEW STYLE OF HAIR-NETS; they are made of thick twisted cord with velvet or chenille flowers in the front, and from each side two ribbons are carried round to the back where they are tied in a large bow which falls on to the ncek. For this style the hair must not be arranged too low at the back. Ribbons have never been manufactured with so much taste as is at present displayed in them, and no dress is sent home unaccompanied by an immensely wide sash.
|
||