By “THE LADY DRESSMAKER.”
 
THE TUNIC SKIRT.
Our sketches of to-day’s fashions in our present issue are so absolutely true to life that there is no difficulty in guessing the nature of the frocks for to-morrow. As will be gathered from them, we are quite out of date if we be fat; therefore, if ambitious of shining in the world of dress, we must begin to reduce our size at once. Have you noticed, as I have, how much the number of fat women is decreasing? Perhaps, after a time, they will be a marvellous exception, and we shall notice them just as we notice sloping shoulders and attenuated waists; to both of which our immediate forbears were addicted. The waists of the present day seem generally in excellent proportion, and for this we have to thank our adoption of the bicycle, on which the corset cannot be worn, or, at least, very
{617}
 short ones, and not at all tight. In one way, at least, we need improvement, and that is in our carriage, for in that so many women and girls fail. They stoop from the neck, or from the waist, and slouch along in a most ungraceful way.
I must begin with a few notes on underclothing. So far as I can see, the petticoat bodice is very little worn; most ladies seem to prefer having the bodice fitted over the corset, and wearing it in that manner, the corset itself being worn over the petticoat. The only drawback to this is that the dress-bodice would so speedily become soiled at the back of the neck. So I think one of those pretty muslin under-bodices, which are cut in Bolero style, and trimmed with lace, would be the best thing to prevent it. I have lately found some very good and well-woven cotton combinations, which ranged in price from 1s. 9d. up to 4s. and 5s. They are more economical wear than either woollen or silk ones, and entail less risk of catching cold than either. They wash well, and are very well-fitting. I find this woven underclothing, either as combinations or vests, is more used than anything else. Indeed, one could fancy as much from the enormous supply laid in at the shops, of every material, size, and colour. Many of them are so thin that they will hardly bear washing.
In the way of petticoats, we have an unlimited choice, and a vast improvement in the cut and manufacture, as well as in the material. The fashionable colour of the season for them is pink—a bright and rather violent shade, but it looks well with most things, especially black. The new moreens of the present season are of such a good description that they are almost like a watered silk, and they quite rustle like one. They have, however, rather changed their names, and they are called by some Marshallette, or watered woollen moirés.
The new collars for our dresses are, most of them, very high indeed, and pointed up to the ears at each side. The swathing of the neck with lace and the high collars make everyone look very much covered up indeed, and as the season progresses it will be very hot. There are all kinds of boas made, and they appear to be the only season’s wear. These boas are made of feathers—ostrich, of course—in black, white, grey, and black and white mixed; in silk, lace, fringe, in chiffon of all colours, silk muslin, spotted nets, and gauzes, the spotted nets being, I think, the prettiest, though, of course, the most perishable. Although they are so expensive, everyone seems to find money to purchase them, and some few girls manage to find out the way to make them for themselves.
Where skirts are concerned, we appear to have no choice but to make them quite tight-fitting about the hips, and they must flow out about them; but we need not quite adopt the eel-skin skirt, for there are several shapes from which we can make our choice. First, there is the old umbrella skirt, as it used to be called, which is cut without seams, and from material wide enough to cut it without any join, save the one. Then there is a skirt cut in the same manner, with a join up the back, and then a skirt with two widths, one of which is very wide and the other narrow. This seems to be the most popular, as it is more easy to fit. The last skirt that I have seen is one with three widths, the front one being narrow and the other two wide, meeting in the centre of the back in a bias seam. This, I am told by a first-rate dressmaker, is the best skirt-pattern for very thin people, who are gifted with big hips, however, and who are tall.
I am bound to notice the extravagances of fashion, so I must tell you that if you have not enough width of hips to make your dress look well, you can make up the deficiency by purchase; and a large drapery firm in the West End was exhibiting a few days ago the necessary framework in their windows. But it does not do always to trust to such machinery pour se faire belle, as I must tell you also that they sometimes get out of place, and then you have hips where you do not want them! I heard this funny story told the other day, but I cannot vouch for its truth, though I think the foolish people who adopt such things would deserve to be made ridiculous.
There is one great comfort in the midst of the frills and furbelows of fashion, that we may be quite as fashionable, and twice as happy, if we elected to stick to our coats and skirts and our pretty blouses of cotton and muslin. The newest ones of this year are really quite tight-fitting bodices. They are not gathered at the shoulder seams nor at the neck, and they are cut so tightly to the figure that they allow of next to no fulness at the waist, which makes them sit in a far more tidy and neat way. They are all made with yokes at the back, and they have generally a very tight bishop’s sleeve.
The tunic, or, as perhaps you may hear it called, and more usually so, the double skirt, as they are really only modifications of each other, looks as if it had come to take up its abode with us, having been threatened for a long time. We have illustrated two or three of the most popular, which are undoubtedly the ones with points which fall nearly to the hem. Besides this there is a very long all-round tunic, the edges of which are scallopped, and fall very low on the under-skirt. As all our gowns are made much too long, and must be held up, this is the most uncomfortable shape of all.
Perhaps the greatest change of the year has taken place in the sunshades, which are striped in various and wonderful ways, and some surprising colours. As to the embroideries, chiffons, laces, and ornaments lavished on them, they are so many I have no room to describe them. The latest I have seen was of chiffon, embroidered in straw; and on another I counted sixteen rows of gathered baby-ribbon in three colours, the foundation being in green satin.
 
A CLOTH GOWN.
Our first group of three figures shows, as we have already said, three varieties of the tunic. The gown on the extreme left is of heliotrope canvas, over white silk. It has a pointed tunic, trimmed with white silk, or satin, ribbon, or tucking. The same is placed in rows on the top of the sleeves, and there are rows of heliotrope satin on the collar and on the edge of the skirt. This is a very pretty and girlish gown, which could be carried out in any thicker material if desired. The figure on the right hand side wears a gown of plain grey alpaca, with an under-dress of a crimson-figured poplin, which has rows of narrow black velvet round the edge. The tunic is also trimmed with rows of black velvet, with cream lace, and the bodice has a white satin yoke, with a front of crimson and trimmings of black velvet also, with double revers, which fold back. The hat is of the new boat shape, and has three ostrich feathers in it. These are very much uncurled, as it is no longer the fashion to curl them very
{618}
 tightly, and the stem must show down its entire length. They are often of shaded colours, and are of moderate length.
 
TWO CAPES AND HATS.
The centre figure wears a very smart gown in muslin, with flowers, the colour being blue, in shades. It is made up over blue. There are three scalloped flounces, and a tunic, which are edged with blue velvet, and a tiny lace. The bodice has revers of cream-coloured chiffon, and there are frills of the same at the side front, and the waist-band is of heliotrope velvet, and is very narrow.
The charming figure in a fawn cloth tailor-made gown wears one of the rather long and rounded jackets. The trimmings consist of rows of satin ribbon and cream lace, three rows of which go round the skirt and jacket. The front is of white satin and cream lace, and the collar has rows of satin on it to correspond. These narrow satin ribbons and tuckings, made of silk and satin, are the special trimmings of the year, and they seem quite ubiquitous, and look so pretty that we have not got tired of them yet.
There are so many muslins—organdies, and the ordinary corded ones—that it is quite a muslin year, and the lace and narrow ribbons used on them are enormous in amount. Lawn of the same colour is generally used for the linings if you do not choose to afford silk. A fine sateen will also answer.
Our third drawing shows two pretty hats and two of the most fashionable capes, which still contrive to hold their own in the dress of the present season. The figure on the left wears a short cape of heliotrope silk, tucked and trimmed with frills of white chiffon, and it has one of those stoat fronts, which are quite new this year. The cape to the right is of grey satin, with pointed fronts, and a large collar of white satin, with front revers of the same. The whole is edged with a ruche of black chiffon. The hat is of the new Cavalier shape, with feathers and a buckle.
The prettiest change of the year is in the sailor hats, which are now trimmed and made to look quite different from the plain and useful things they used to be. A white one that I saw the other day had six rows of narrow velvet ribbon at equal distances round the crown, and a rosette of the same at the right side. Another had a wide band of red velvet on it, with an upstanding spray of cherries at the side, and bows of red velvet mixed in with them. Both were to be worn with washing veils.