FROM

OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT.

CHERE AMIE,

BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS. March 27th, 1854.

THE new materials for the season seem to run much in foulards of dark colour, with small flowers or taffetas sprigged; the small checks are also worn in silk, whilst popelines are in large checks; black, however, continues in universal favour. Many of the most elegant dresses have ribbon introduced on them; instead of being à disposition, it is sewed on according to the taste of the wearer, and is necessarily more expensive and more original.

The dresses with plush bands will soon now be laid aside, though on cloaks and mantelets it may continue to ornament for some time yet. Ribbon will be profusely used in trimmings for dresses this season; but lace will always form the most elegant and most admired of all ornaments, whether for the walking dress, the ball, or court costumes, the richness of it varying with the style required. The dresses à disposition will be worn more in richer materials than in common ones; the newest are brochis in stripes or checks. The endeavour to shorten the waists, which was tried, does not appear to succeed; the jacket bodies still remain fashionable, and are made open or not at pleasure, the basquines, or jacket part, being slashed, rounded, or square, and often with revers forming pelerine: the velvet trimmings, feather fringe, and a mixture of chenille or bullion fringe, form very elegant modes of trimming, and may be rendered more or less rich according to the width and style used.

Cannezous with jackets are made of embroidered muslin to wear with skirts of coloured taffetas; some are ornamented with lace, others with puffings. This latter style of trimming will be much in vogue this season, and will be introduced in various ways on the muslin peignoirs, either ornamenting down the fronts or as a kind of heading to flounces. Collars are worn very large and in deep points; these are to wear with high bodies with open dresses; they are made of insertions and frills of embroidered muslin or lace. The mousquetaire sleeves and collars are also fashionable.

In evening dresses tulle, crape, organdy, and tarlatane, are

VOL. 27.

the favourite materials. The dresses of crape with triple skirts are covered with bouillonnées, and those of gauze lisse are with deep vandykes, edged by a small ruche, whilst moires are with berthes and flounces to match of point lace or guipure. The Grecian body is a form much adopted, particularly in evening dresses of light materials. Very pretty dresses are made of white tulle, with flounces from the waist, which are edged by a wreath of crape leaves. This style may be applied in all colours, and offers much opportunity for the display of taste and talent. Not unfrequently the flounces of the tulle dresses are raised at each side by a bunch of flowers, whilst dresses with double skirts bouillonné are raised on one side by a triple chain of flowers. Taffetas dresses often have alternate flounces of taffetas and lace; under the lace is placed a tulle of the colour of the taffetas, and a ruche heading it divides it from the taffetas flounce; the berthe on the corsage should correspond. Organdies are often embroidered all over in silk. Wheat-ears in straw colour have a particularly good effect, as well as small rosebuds.

The present method of dressing the head is rather wide and voluminous, and necessarily requires much lightness in the ornaments used, and which no doubt may have led to the introduction of crape in the manufacture of flowers, particularly in the foliage, which is thus rendered so light and transparent. For the trimmings of dresses it is remarkably well adapted, the wreaths of acorn or ivy leaves being veined with gold or silver, and edging either the double or triple skirts or flounces is extremely elegant, and much lighter than the former style of foliage wreaths.

The pelisse, it is said, will now be replaced by the mantelet écharpe, which will lose none of its former favour. A new manteau is spoken of to replace the pelisse; it will be made very full. The small round Talmas of velvet are not yet discarded, but the scarf mantelet is more elegant; the new ones are small and becoming; lace, embroidery, and velvet guipure are the chief trimmings used. The prettiest spring colours in taffetas, reps, and moire are used, but black is always the most numerous, trimmed with broad guipure, headed by a ribbon ruche or stamped velvet. Velvet shawls are also

which is not unfrequently mixed with bands of paille de riz. The forms appear smaller than ever, and the difficulty of keeping them on the head is only to be obviated by introducing a small spring into the crown, which continues simple in form and trimming, that being mostly reserved for the fronts, which continue to be ornamented at the edge with lace ruches of ribbon or feather; dust colour mixed with blue or pink is a favourite mixture. Capotes of tulle bouillonnée are pretty, with bands of fancy straw between, or rather of straw lace or guipure, so light is it. Light-coloured velvets are also mixed with bands of paille de riz and blond. Capotes of taffetas with runners have a blond put on full between each, entirely covering the space between the runners; straw is also intermixed with chenille, velvet, or lace. Some bonnets are of tulle, embroidered with straw. Flowers are profusely used inside bonnets, and small bunches are introduced on the front, mixing with the tulle. Mouchetée or spotted silks are fashionable for bonnets; but satin, crape, velvet, tulle, laceall are used and intermixed with good effect.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.

PLATE I.

Boy's Dress.-Jacket of crimson velvet, and white waistcoat, skirt of popeline, and gaiters of cloth.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with jacket body closing to the throat and terminating in points at the waist; mousquetaire sleeve; the centre of the skirt ornamented en tablier by vandyked biais. Bonnet of fancy straw and crape with feathers.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of embroidered silk, with three deep flounces; mantelet shawl of black tulle trimmed with lace; capote of silk and lace with field flowers.

Walking Dress-Robe of popeline with jacket body ornamented with velvet; manteau of taffetas trimmed with two rows of dark velvet. Bonnet of taffetas and paille de riz, with wreath of flowers inside.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of lilac taffetas with open body edged by a chain trimming, which also terminates the sleeve of three falls and edges the flounces on the skirt. Capote of paille silk trimmed with noeuds of narrow ribbon guimpe, and sleeves of embroidered muslin.

PLATE II.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of figured silk with open body; mantelet shawl of taffetas trimmed with white lace, headed by a small ruche. Bonnet of pink crape and ribbon, with feathers at the sides.

Walking Dress.-Robe of taffetas with full body and plissé of ribbon down the front; the skirt is ornamented by six rows of plissé graduated in width; the sleeves are half long, nearly covered by frills. Bonnets of fancy straw and silk, with flowers.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of popeline, and jacket of cerise velvet trimmed with black lace. Capote of green silk.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of moire antique ornamented en tablier by bands of velvet edged with fringe and terminating in nœuds at each end: jacket of black velvet trimmed with fringe. Bonnet of paille crape and ruches.

Walking Dress.-Robe of brown popeline with close jacket body; Talma of green silk lined with pink and ornamented by a trimming of stamped velvet. Bonnet of pink silk with wreath of flowers inside.

PLATE III.

Walking Dress.-Robe of popeline with jacket body; mantelet of taffetas trimmed with a broad band of velvet. Capote of taffetas ornamented with ruches.

Evening Dress.-Robe of moire antique; the body is pointed, and with fulness from the shoulders inclining to the point, having bouquets of flowers with foliage extending to the sides; similar ones ornament the short sleeves, and are also introduced on the bouillons of the skirt; a wreath to correspond ornaments the back of the head.

Walking Dress.-Robe of taffetas with jacket body trimmed round with a ribbon ruche; guimpe, with collar and sleeves of embroidered muslin. Bonnet of lace and ribbon of straw colour.

Child's Dress-Frock of popeline trimmed with narrow black velvet; mantelet of pink silk trimmed with fringe. Bonnet of fancy straw and white silk.

Morning Dress.-Robe of glacé silk; the skirt is covered with flounces, pinked; the body in fullness, but meets midway from the waist, where it is ornamented with nœuds; guimpe of embroidered muslin. Small lace cap with rosace and nœuds of cerise velvet.

PLATE IV.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of reps with high body forming jacket at the waist; mantelet of velvet richly embroidered and trimmed with broad fringe. Capote of silk and paille de riz.

Carriage Dress-Robe of moire with high body and basques ornamented by a velvet trimming, which descends the skirt en tablier; the sleeves are in bouillons, confined by bands of velvet. Bonnet of fancy straw and silk.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of moire with high body; the skirt is ornamented by three rows of feather fringe; mantelet of black guipure trimmed with broad lace to correspond. Capote of lace ornamented with ruches and flounces.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with jacket trimmed with broad lace. Bonnet of lace and flowers.

Public Promenade Dress.-Robe of taffetas with flounces edged by two rows of stamped velvet; open jacket with double bell sleeves; the whole trimmed with stamped velvet. Bonnet of crape and paille de riz with feathers.

PLATE V.

Riding jacket made of dark green cloth, fastened up the front and on the cuffs with silver buttons, and trimmed round. the edge with braid of a lighter shade than the cloth. Neckerchief of pink silk; collar and sleeves of cambric.

Riding hat of black felt, trimmed with a plume of long tail feathers.

First cap composed of white blond with dark blue velvet ribbon.

Second of lace, with bunches of white flowers on each side. Morning caps both of worked muslin, with pink and green trimmings.

Chapeau of lilac-coloured crape, with primroses placed on puffings of white blond; strings of pale yellow satin. Bonnet of pink silk, with two feathers at each side of the same colour, and a wreath of white roses inside.

Carriage bonnet of amber satin and black lace, lined with black velvet in vandykes and a wreath of flowers and leaves; strings of amber edged with black.

DESCRIPTION OF MODEL.

The model given is of a small mantelet, suitable for a middle size, and can be increased or diminished at pleasure; the only seams being on the shoulders, the back straight without join. It is intended to be trimmed all round with deep frill of the same or lace; if a frill, it is to be put on in plaits, and the edge of both mantelet and frill may be waved, and would look pretty edged by a narrow ruche or festonné in silk. This mantelet is also suitable for muslin trimmed with frills of work.