FROM

OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT.

BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS. November 28th, 1854.

CHERE AMIE, THE materials for dresses at present are mostly figured silks, taffetas in designs of medallions, droquets, popelines and moires; they are made either plain or with flounces edged by a fulling of ribbon, and generally with jacket bodies. The flounces seem to be limited to three, and the open bodies are preferred as showing the embroidered habit shirt, which gives a lightness and relief to the whole dress. For full dress the richer silks, in wide stripes and brocaded, are preferred. Lace is much used, the basque being trimmed all round with it; but nothing can be richer in effect than the silk dresses with designs of velvet in application, or as wreaths on the flounces; the sleeves and body not of a simple colour, as the stamped velvet trimmings, but shaded in colours corresponding to the colour of the silk. Merino is a material exploded as far as its name implies, but cachemire d'Ecosse and cachemerienne is but a name for a very fine sort, used much for children and young persons, and which may be greatly improved by trimmings of velvet, of which the designs are now so varied. A pretty style of sleeve for these dresses is open from the elbow to the wrist, with bouillon sleeve of the same under, besides the white muslin in bouillon also; and as these dresses are quite negligé they are worn with large collars richly embroidered. Sleeves formed of bouillons or frill seem likely to supersede the pagodas of last year, and the white under-sleeves for winter wear are preferred with wristbands.

It is quite certain that the basques or jackets will continue in vogue this winter, the only difference from those of last year being that they are lengthened. They are sometimes also placed to the bodies of low dresses, particularly if the material is of a rich description, not admitting of much trimming; these basques then form the sole ornament, the folds of the skirt, being flat and deep, giving a kind of support to them. They are variously ornamented with fringes, ribbon, feather trimming, and lace.

Many of the autumnal dresses are of shaded silks, having the flounces edged by feather trimmings of the same colour, a narrower one marking the heading. Accompanying these

VOL. 27.

are mantelets of moire trimmed with guipure and ornaments of chenille or velvet. The bodies with bretelles (braces) will be fashionable this winter, and are very suitable in velvet ribbons or silk embroideries; they are used as the last novelty in jacket bodies, which are embroidered in designs with bugles or silk in the form of bretelles, and edged on each side by lace descending en cœur to the waist, both back and front; the sleeves, formed of two large bouillons, drooping one over the other, separated at intervals by noeuds terminating with a pagode resembling the jacket or basquine. The bretelles will be used with very good effect on ball-dresses, for which purpose ribbons are arranged with beads, flowers, or bugles; some form a kind of wide ribbon of velvet foliage, fixed on the shoulders and waist by a bouquet of flowers with long floating ends. They are also made of ribbon edged with ruches or lace, or even of tulle of various colours, embroidered in white silk, lined with a coloured ribbon and edged by ruches of silk tulle, but they should be adapted to the toilette. Velvet dresses will be worn this winter, trimmed with rouleaux of feathers of different widths in three rows on the bottom of the skirt, and the basque trimmed to match.

A new description of pardessus, casaque, or paletot is made of black velvet fitting to the waist with basque or jacket, extending below the hips and finished with a deep frill of velvet in flutes, headed and edged by guipure; the sleeves are small at the top, increasing considerably at the elbow, and finish with frill and guipure as the basque. A large collar of white guipure is worn with these.

Children's dresses have undergone similar changes with those of ladies. Velvet, cloth, merino, popeline, Valencia, alpaca, plush, &c., are equally in requisition for these youthful belles, and partake so greatly of the prevailing style as to form but a modification adapted to their size and age. A distinct juvenile style seems abandoned; sometimes the frock is of velvet with large pelerine, or popeline with jacket body, or open body with revers, as given in our model, and evening dresses are of gauze with ribbon trimmings, or organdy embroidered in coloured worsteds.

Though as a general rule the round manteau or Talma is the prevailing form at present, it admits of much variety from the different styles of trimming: plush bands are, however, the newest, and the brilliancy and softness of their texture contrasts well with the cloth now so much in vogue for useful wear. Another style is the paletot with pelerine and loose

hanging sleeves and small collar. Little pardessus of velvet or plush, fastening with pattes and steel buttons, are worn. Pardessus are made of worsted plush with border of velvet, or of velvet with border of plush. Most of the new mantelets are with collars; those made of moire in colours, edged by a triple row of black guipure with nœuds of velvet of the colour of the dress between each row, are very pretty. The little pardessus of black or marron velvet are re-appearing; they fit to the waist, and are trimmed with wide lace; the sleeves are wide but short, the lace trimming, however, reaching to the wrist. A wide lace also encircles the body, forming

revers.

Morning or negligé manteaux are made of warm, useful materials, forming two entire rotondes or circles, one being as pelerine, under which the sleeves are concealed; they have small collars. These manteaux are lined with the same material as the outside, which is a kind of plush, only of another colour. Gray manteaux seem the rage in Paris for negligé wear; hoods are more seen than they were last winter; negligé cloaks generally have them terminating with a tassel.

As winter advances, all the varieties of fur appear in muffs, pelerines, borderings for cloaks, mantelets, &c. Sable, minx, marten, and numerous other kinds are used, but none are so aristocratic as ermine, which always retains its place among the more elegant toilettes, contrasting so well with velvets, silks, or cloth.

The fancy straw bonnets are still very much worn, ornamented either with ribbon velvet or plush velvet. Bonnets are also numerous, frequently with fronts partially_transparent; they are ornamented with either feathers or flowers. The feather trimmings are also again in demand for winter bonnets. Young ladies wear bonnets of white plush, with a nœud of ribbon at the side, not unfrequently with a buckle in the centre and long ends. Capotes are also made of taffetas, covered with white tulle spotted the colour of the taffetas, and ornamented with flowers and foliage of velvet. More generally useful bonnets are those of black velvet, with small plume of feathers tipped with colour, and short veil on the edge of the bonnet, and flowers inside: others are of marron or violet velvet with feathers and ribbon mixed with black. Bonnets are also made of three biais of velvet of different shades, and between each biais a narrow blond a little fulled, the crown being entirely of the darkest shade of colour; the only trimming is a lappet of lace, forming noeud on the top of the bonnet, mixed with velvet, the ends hanging at the sides. Velvet bonnets are sometimes lined with plush, and have liserés of satin round the crown, and velvet flowers. The mixture of black and white is still observable, and ornaments in fruit continue. Some of the velvet bonnets are very simple, merely having a næud with ends above the curtain or bavolet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.
PLATE I.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with flounces festonné and jacket body. Pardessus of moire, with pelerine trimmed with bands of velvet and rich fringe. Bounet of plush, with feathers.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of moire, ornamented by three rows of velvet trimmings, which in smaller style also ornament the body and sleeves. Mantelet of marron velvet, trimmed with lace headed by a ribbon ruche and noeuds and ends of ribbon. Bonnet of marron velvet, with white feathers.

Walking Dress-Robe of taffetas with jacket body, trimmed with band of stamped velvet; the skirt is covered with flounces edged with bands of velvet. Capote of green silk and straw. Cachemire shawl.

Child's Dress.-Pardessus of velvet, with pelerine trimmed all round with ermine fur. Capote of pink satin and velvet trimmings.

Walking Dress-Robe of checked popeline, with_jacket. Mantelet of taffetas, trimmed with frills of the same, edged by galons. Bonnet formed of alternate biais of satin and velvet.

PLATE II.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of moire of the redingote form, trimmed with velvet. Talma of taffetas, trimmed with band of stamped velvet and fringe. Capote of Terry velvet and black lace.

Walking Dress.-Robe of popeline, with jacket body and mousquetaire sleeves trimmed with lace. Bonnet of velvet and satin.

Ball Dress.-Robe of tarlatane, with double skirt, the under one ornamented by numerous rows of small bouillons; the upper one is short and in deep scollops, bordered by two bouillons, and above bouquets of flowers and small nœuds with long ends, the body pointed, with berthe formed of bouillons ornamented with flowers. Coiffure of hair in ringlets.

Dinner Dress.-Robe of ruby-coloured silk, with three flounces trimmed with bands of velvet; jacket of embroidered muslin ornamented with noeuds of ribbon; the hair in bandeaux, with wreath of flowers encircling the summit of the head, and velvet noeuds and ends at the back.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of moire; the corsage is high with basques at the waist trimmed with velvets, and bretelles, or braces, of velvet on the body; sleeves of three bells edged with velvet. Capote of silk and velvet, with ruche.

PLATE III.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of broché taffetas with stripes; high jacket body, with pagoda sleeves. Small mantelet of green velvet trimmed with fringe. Bonnet of lilac silk and velvet, with velvet flowers.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of popeline, trimmed with velvet. Mantelet of marron taffetas, with frills of the same. Capote of violet satin and green velvet.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of lilac taffetas, with flounces à disposition; jacket body ornamented with frills of the same. Manteau of velvet, covered by rows of guipure headed by a ruche. Capote of taffetas à bouillons.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of moire antique with flounces. Manteau of taffetas trimmed with lace. Capote of Terry velvet, with small velvet flowers.

Evening Dress.-Robe of grenadine, with open jacket trimmed with plissé of ribbon. The skirt is covered by three flounces, edged with plissé of ribbon. The coiffure of velvet forms torsade across the head, and noeuds and ends at the back.

PLATE IV.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas with flounces, and high body with basques. Manteau of velvet, trimmed with lace, headed by a ruche. Bonnet of velvet and lace.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of cachemerienne and pardessus of velvet, fastening up the centre with buttons; ermine trimming, Capote of Terry velvet.

Promenade Dress.-Robe redingote of broché silk, with tight high body fastening up the front with noeuds of ribbon. Mantelet shawl trimmed with fringe. Capote of velvet and satin.

Walking Dress-Robe of velvet and mantelet of taffetas, forming triple fall of vandykes edged by bands of velvet. Bonnet of fancy straw, with bouillon edge of silk mixed with bands of velvet.