FROM

OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT.

BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS. January 27th, 1854.

CHERE AMIE, THE Parisian world has been fully occupied recently by the introduction of trains to court dresses, which had hitherto been worn without them; they certainly add much to the dignity of the toilette, and at once distinguish it from any other style of dress, and afford ample scope for the display of taste, in which our neighbours so pre-eminently excel. Terry velvet, moire, &c., were the materials used at the late court or reception day at the Tuilleries. Marabout trimmings intermixed with flowers, &c., formed a pretty trimming, but embroidery in gold bouillons of tulle were also among the various styles used.

Ball dresses of tulle, with triple skirts, are very elegant, trimmed with bands of marabout, often having flowers interspersed. The rage for feather trimmings continues undiminished, and endless are the variety of means devised to introduce them; even berthes are seen of them; but bands, cordons, touffes, fringes, resilles for the head, the corsage, the skirt, the bonnet, the cloak, on all are admitted."

Tulle dresses are still much in favour for ball dress, sometimes in triple skirts or covered with flounces to the waist, each flounce edged with guipure bouillons or ruches, sometimes having several ruches, as many as three, but this is more suited to the triple skirts. The taffetas dresses are sometimes with a deep flounce covered by another of blond, which may be prettily finished by a small wreath or cordon of flowers, forming heading; a second flounce of blond from the waist renders this a very elegant toilette. Berthes are much used, and if not of blond or resilles, are ornamented to correspond with the trimming of the skirt; marabout is often seen on them; the short sleeves are rather bouffante. White tulle dresses with double and triple skirts are very elegant embroidered in gold and silver, and though more simple, perhaps prettier embroidered in coloured silks; sometimes the two upper skirts are raised in drapery at each side by bunches of flowers or bows of ribbon with ends.

Organdy in all light colours is very fashionable for young

VOL. 27.

ladies' ball dresses, and nothing can be lighter or more suitable for them, made with several skirts, each edged by ruches of the same material; the berthe and sleeves similarly trimmed. Some young ladies add ribbons across the shoulders to the waist, where they terminate with ends; the skirts are also made with flounces entirely covering them, pinked at the edge in patterns; bouillons are also favourite trimmings on these light materials; they are generally interspersed with flowers.

Many of the vests now worn are made of moire or damas, with the jacket part slashed and edged with bands of velvet or plush; the method of making dresses serve the double purpose of morning or evening toilette is still adopted; the high jacket body closing in front, or open showing the guimpe and bouillon sleeves to match, which may be changed for the pointed body with berthe. Taffetas skirts are also worn with white bodies; those of tulle are very pretty in bouillons interspersed with ribbon bows, and a wide lace at the waist forms jacket.

The duchess sleeve is more suitable at this season than the pagoda, though it varies but little in form, but is confined at the wrist by an insertion and bouillon, through which a wide ribbon is passed, terminating with bow and ends, and one or two rows of lace at the edge. Our model this month is quite novel as a sleeve; the pagoda sleeves are worn very wide, and often open in front from top to bottom, with bows of ribbon at intervals to unite the sides.

The taste for dresses à disposition has been continued even in imitating plush and fur in bands of graduated width on the skirts, and very narrow ones for the body and jacket. This style is used in droguet; beet-root, green, blue, and scabious are favourite colours. Redingotes have been made of droguet or popeline, fastening down the front with bows and ends of ribbon; the body is made in folds, and crosses a little at the waist. Taffetas dresses are being ornamented with biais of velvet, &c., on the skirt instead of flounces, and revers on the body and cuffs on the sleeves of velvet in rich dark colours; black velvet forms a pretty contrast. A complete contrast to these are dresses of black taffetas with trimmings of coloured velvets, but black on black is always pretty. Many of the redingotes are also ornamented with bands of velvet up the skirt in the tablier or apron style.

The out-door costume at present still continues of the round Talma form, whether in cloth or velvet, or else the pelisses or pardessus. Furs have been much in demand, and not unfre

quently they have been used as linings. Some Talmas that have been recently made have been larger and deeper, allowing for the movement of the arms; they are still of black cloth trimmed with bands of black velvet, and with collar; very handsome ones are made entirely of black velvet, trimmed with broad bands of moire, on which bugles are not unfrequently introduced.

With bonnets at this moment we have little to remark upon; we are so completely between the two seasons that little novelty can be expected; the same form prevails, and the mixture of contrasting materials, velvet and lace, satin and guipure, or pluche and tulle, flowers, narrow ribbons, small nœuds, &c.. profusely displayed on them-a neud, and even small flowers, often being placed at the extremity of the crown. A bonnet of rich violet velvet and satin was ornamented with wheat-ears of the same colour, a bunch of which was placed in the centre of the crown.

A pretty bonnet was made of bands of velvet and lace alternately with cordon of violets between each runner. One also of pink Terry velvet with snow-drops had the tulle veil attached as drapery inside the front; but really at this moment there is little to say on this subject.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.
PLATE I.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of droguet, with jacket body edged with bands of velvet and buttons; the sleeves are open to the elbow, and close with buttons; guimpe and sleeves of embroidered muslin. Capote of green satin in bouillons.

Dinner Dress.-Robe of pink taffetas; very open body, with revers edged by a small ruche; double bell sleeve, also edged by ruches and bows in the centre; the skirt is also open and ornamented by ruches and ribbon bows. Headdress of lace, with, lappets.

Evening Dress.Robe of taffetas, with pointed body and small vandyked berthe heading a blond lace; small bands of vandykes and lace rise up each side of the skirt. The hair is in bandeaux, with head-dress of velvet ribbon.

Carriage Dress.-Redingote of moire, closing down the front in scollops, with rosaces of velvet in each; pardessus of ruby velvet, trimmed with black lace. Bonnet of Terry velvet ornamented with flowers, a wreath of roses encircling the face. Walking Dress.-Robe of reps, with jacket body, and flounces in scollops, edged with fringe; manteau of velvet, trimmed with two rows of fringe, headed by a band of stamped velvet. Capote of currant-coloured satin, trimmed with narrow velvet and satin ribbon.

PLATE II.

Carriage Dress.-Robe redingote of droguet, ornamented by biais of velvet; mantelet of cachemire, with trimmings of stamped velvet and bows of ribbon. Bonnet of satin and guipure, ornamented with flowers and narrow velvet.

Walking Dress.-Robe of plaid popeline, with very deep flounce with ruche heading; Talma of black velvet, with very deep fringe. Capote of dark green satin.

Little Girl's Dress.-Frock and jacket of cachemire, trimmed with bands of plush and rosaces above.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of moire, and pardessus of groseille velvet, trimmed with vandyked lace, headed by bouillons. Bonnet of Terry velvet, with feathers; and cap, with small flowers encircling the face.

Morning Dress.-Robe of taffetas; the body is open to the waist, edged by black lace; the sleeves are of three bouillons, with black lace between each; the skirt has four graduated flounces, edged by black lace, with scroll of narrow velvet above. Small lace cap, with bows and long ends of velvet ribbon.

PLATE III.

Walking Dress.-Robe of checked popeline, with high body and basques; large Talma of velvet, buttoning down the centre and trimmed with broad fringe; the collar is also finished with fringe. Bonnet of velvet and lace.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas of groseille colour, with jacket body scolloped at the edge; the skirt is nearly covered with flounces, also scolloped at the edge. Bonnet of green velvet and guipure, with wreath of daisies encircling the face

Young Lady's Dress.-Frock of cachemire, with jacket body; Talma of dark blue velvet, trimmed with bands of ermine. Bonnet of pink Terry velvet and satin.

Walking Dress.-Robe of groseille-coloured popeline, and pardessus of dark green cloth, with openings for the arms, ornamented up the front with bands of velvet, terminating with buttons. Bonnet of mois Terry velvet and black lace.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of droguet, with jacket body, which closes near the waist with cords and buttons, and has a revers of the waistcoat form trimmed with narrow fringe; the skirt is with three deep flounces edged with fringe, that on the jacket covering the last flounce. Bennet of black guipure and pink satin, with feathers.

PLATE IV.

Jacket composed of green shot silk, with a frilling of ribbon, and fastened with two bows of the same colour at the waist, and lined with white sarcenet.

First bonnet of blue satin, trimmed with narrow ribbon and black lace.

Second ditto of purple velvet, satin, and fancy straw, ornamented with three bunches of golden leaves on each side; strings of yellow satin.

Third ditto of violet-coloured plush, with a bird of paradise feather on the left side.

First head-dress of cherry-coloured velvet ribbon; bows and ends, with three narrow bands over the head of the same material.

Second ditto, composed of blue velvet and satin, with two bunches of roses each side.

First morning cap of rich lace and pink ribbons. Second ditto of narrow green and black velvet, ribbon and white lace.

Dress cap of blond, trimmed with rich Terry ribbon and bunches of spring flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF MODEL.

Our present Model is of a new sleeve. It is composed of three pieces; the largest is for the bottom, taking the pagoda form; the next size is the top piece, the small one forming the intermediate part; the pin-holes mark where the front parts are a little hollowed out; each part is bordered or edged by a trimming corresponding to that of the jacket or body, plush, velvet, braid, &c., one resting a little over the other, forming three bells. Our first plate shows a sleeve of similar description, forming two parts instead of three.

A LESSON ON VENTILATION.

DR. NEIL ARNOTT tells us, that about twelve years ago a monkey malady prevailed in the Zoological Gardens. Upwards of sixty of these quadrumana had been lodged in a house newly constructed for their reception. Of course, being strangers and foreigners, and not twohanded aborigines, picked up in the nasty way of the Seven-dials, no expense was spared to show them hospitality." Their abode was prepared like an English drawing-room, with open fire-places near the floor, and all other conveniences fitted to produce the comfort that

66