Fashions for February.
Figure 1.—Walking Dress.—The bonnet is made of terry velvet; the brim is very open at the sides, so as to show the face well, and comes forward at top. The crown is not very deep; it is covered in the first place with a piece of terry velvet, the shape of which resembles a hood, trimmed with black lace two and a half inches wide, and hanging over the curtain. The curtain reaches very high, and falls almost straight, with scarcely any fullness. It is edged all round with lace about an inch wide. Two felted feathers spring from between the hood and the crown, one toward the right, the other toward the left, and entwined together. The inside of the front is trimmed with narrow velvet ribbons and black lace. The sides at the cheeks are filled with bunches of pink volubilis, and loops of black velvet. These bunches of flowers hang down the front with two velvet ends.
Mantle and dress of cloth trimmed with velvet; the mantle is rounded behind and very full. It belongs to the Talma style. The neck is terminated by a little upright collar barely an inch in height, which rises a little on the cravat. The front is closed by three little bands with two button-holes, which are fastened over velvet buttons. The front corners are cut square, but rather sloping, so as to form a point. An inch from the edge a velvet ribbon two inches wide is sewed on flat.
Figure 2.—In-door Dress.—The head-dress is a Louis XV. puff, made of white blond, satin and velvet ribbons, set on the head. The top consists of two cross bands of ribbon. The round part is formed of two rows of blond flutes. Each of these rows is ornamented with bows of No. 1 velvet. The first row violet, the second yellow. Large bunches of loops of wide satin ribbon, violet and yellow, fill the sides and hollows of the bands; on each side full ribbons which are placed across the head.
Black vest with lappets. This garment sits very close; the skirts are open at the sides and behind, but lap over each other. Satin piping all round the edges. The front is trimmed with two small satin pipings, like frogs, each terminating with a satin button. These sleeves have an elbow, are short, [pg 432] and end in a cuff, opened up the side, and trimmed with three small flaps in satin piping.
Waistcoat of yellow valencias buttoning up straight, with small buttons of the same.
Skirt of silk cloth, is very full, but the plaits are pressed down and kept flat on the hips so as not to swell out, or raise the lappets. These last can be made to sit well by making them lie smooth on the hips. Chemisette composed of two rows of embroidered muslin, fluted and kept up by a satin cravat, tied like a gentleman's. Three ample rows of embroidered muslin, form the trimming of the under-sleeve.
Evening Dress.—Head-dress of hair only, with a diamond comb. The hair is parted down the middle, and drawn back square from the forehead on each side. One large plat of hair is laid round the top of the head. The back hair is done up in plats and torsades twisted together. The comb is put in straight, and stands rather high. A cashmere Orientale. This short garment is cut straight and not hollowed at the waist; it reaches several inches below the hips; the sides are slit up; the sleeves are wide at bottom and open in front. A band of gold lace, about an inch wide, is laid flat all round, about half an inch from the edge, and the same on the sleeves. Two buttons of silk and gold each fasten a small cord ending in a handsome tassel, surmounted by small bows of silk and gold of various sizes. This cord is tied in front. The openings of the sleeves and sides are trimmed in the same manner. The lining is white satin.
Dress of white lutestring. Body low and square, trimmed with several rows of white blond. The top of the skirt is plain for a depth of six or seven inches, and all the lower part is trimmed with vandyked blond flounces. The flounces are very light.
Full-dress for Home.—The cap is a Louis XV. fanchon of AlenÇon lace. There are two tufts of various flowers on each side; they lie on the bands of hair which are waved and thrown back.
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Waistcoat of black watered silk; festooned edges, high behind, open in front. A row of AlenÇon lace sewed on flat projects beyond the edge all round the waistcoat. Basquine of terry velvet, trimmed with a broad satin ribbon and plaid velvet of bright colors. The sleeve, wide at bottom, is open behind and trimmed the same. The trimming is drawn in very fine gathers in the middle; the quilled edges are loose.
The skirt of terry velvet like that of the basquine, is trimmed with five flounces lying one on the other. On these flounces are sewed satin ribbons and plaid velvet bands, the top one No. 12, the two others, No. 16, the bottom one No. 22. These ribbons are sewed flat on the flounce, which is not gathered in that part; the gathers of the flounces are preserved between the flat parts. The interval between the ribbons is equal to twice their width. The under-sleeves follow the shape of the others, and have two rows of AlenÇon lace.
We have nothing new to report respecting the Bloomer costume. The following clever parody of Hamlet's soliloquy, is quite ingenious:
To wear or not to wear the Bloomer costume, that's the question.
Whether 'tis nobler in us girls to suffer
The inconveniences of the long-skirt dress,
Or cut it off against these muddy troubles,
And, by the cutting, end them. 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To don the pants:—
The pants! perchance the boots! Ay, there's the rub.
For in those pants and boots what jeers may come,
When we have shuffled off these untold skirts
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long a custom,
For who could bear the scoffs and jeers of boys—
The old maid's scandal—the young man's laughter—
The sidelong leers, and derision's mock,
The insolent press, and all the spurns
We Bloomers of these boobies take!
Who would the old dress wear,
To groan and toil under the weary load,
But that the dread of something after it—
Of ankles large, of crooked leg, from which
Not all escape, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather wear the dress we have
Than turn out Bloomers.
