FROM

OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT.
BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS.
October 29th, 1854.

CHERE AMIE, THERE will be no very remarkable change in the make of dresses this season. The basques have been too generally approved to be yet abandoned, but in order to distinguish them a little from the common, they will be very much trimmed; indeed, not unfrequently the basque will be the only part of the dress ornamented; ribbon, lace, or embroidery will be thus employed; the sleeves are trimmed to correspond, and long as the pagodas have been in favour they admit of so much variety, there seems little idea of relinquishing them; all others that fancy can dictate are now admissible; those composed of a series of frills alternately of lace and the materials of the dress will be much in use. Pelerines it is thought, will be much in demand this winter for in-door wear, to throw on or off at pleasure, and the style of ornamenting the tight high bodies, with bretelles or braces of velvet, will be very suitable for winter dresses; many are made with the back a little full.

Many of the autumnal silk dresses are with flounces of black lace, particularly those of marron, a colour so much in favor, and in which many of the new silks are made intermixed with stripes or boquets of another colour, the marron forming the ground. These are intended for dresses without trimmings. The bodies are of the Louis XV. style, with rows of lace and numerous little noeuds of ribbon to correspond, the short sleeve formed of ribbon and lace. Some of the new silks have patterns on them imitating guipure. Dresses of moire of light colours will be trimmed this winter with flounces of black lace, and for evening dresses muslins and gauzes are embroidered in colours. Many dresses both of silk and satin will be embroidered with straw, which has a very pretty effect by candle light, frequently giving the rich appearance of gold embroidery.

The peignoir and redingote forms are those mostly in demand at this season as best calculated for the promenade or carriage wear. To these a small pelerine may be added. The corsage may be made of an open form, with waistcoat pieces attached to the body without forming the separate

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body. Our present models give patterns of both these, which will no doubt be found very useful. The redingotes are made in dark colours of popelines, poult de soie in narrow stripes. Some mousselines de laine are also worn with jacket bodies of velvet trimmed with bouffant ribbons of a new kind.

Plush has taken quite a prominent place in the materials for trimming winter toilettes, and is used even for shawls and Talmas as well as for linings of the little pardessus of taffetas; the kind termed chinchilla plush is very pretty for all these purposes. For woollen materials the trimmings consist of galons of velvet plush, moucheté, moiré and striped; feather trimmings are reserved for velvets or cachemire. Almost all the flounces of dresses that are not intended for negligé wear are with satin or fancy edges, which is newer in style than those à disposition. The bodies with bretelles (braces) are very pretty for good figures.

The manteaux that have as yet been produced do not offer much variety from those worn last winter; they are made very full at the bottom and plain on the shoulders, some will be with large pelerine reaching to the elbows and collar, and each being trimmed at the edge gives a rich appearance. The opening for the arm is under the pelerine, which is large and formed so as to cover the arm when raised, and remove the necessity for a sleeve. Some are made of moire antique edged by a wide band of velvet and a narrower one above. The black velvet manteaux will be the most in favour. Half squares on points of velvet are fashionable, wadded and lined; they are without any fold at the throat, and often with collar lengthened as revers in front, which, as well as the shawl, is ornamented by a rich embroidery of silk and chenille, terminating with fringe or lace. The plush frisé is much used to ornament manteaux of velvet, laid on in bands, and sometimes black lace is placed between each, the deep pelerine being trimmed to match, and up the fronts of both the plush is placed in brandenbourgs. The more simple manteaux are made of zephyr cloth or a material called peau de mouton. They are of the circular form, very full at the bottom and mostly with pelerine; some have wide sleeves and several collars trimmed with wide galons or biais of velvet edged at each side by a narrow fringe. The galons used are made in great variety and mixed with moire and plush edges; others moire and satin in various designs.

Mantelets echarpes of velvet have succeeded to those of taffetas; but for the approaching season they will only be

useful for carriage wear as they are small and trimmed with very wide lace, sometimes being entirely covered by rows of lace with wreath of embroidery between and terminating with a very deep fall of lace.

Large pelerines of velvet embroidered all round with silk and trimmed with a deep guipure lace are much spoken of as likely to be worn this season. Shawls of pluche trimmed with fringe are also worn, and many of the new cloth Talmas have a band of shaded fringe all round, which forms a very pretty contrast. The regular old gipsy cloak with hood is being made, and for travelling, or as a warm wrapping cloak, will be found most useful and comfortable; some are made water-proof.

Plush bonnets are beginning to appear. It is a material that has a rich and brilliant effect, and is suitable to the rich laces which may be used on them. Capotes of satin bouillonnés are ornamented by bands of ruches to correspond, and wide brides. Black velvet bonnets are ornamented with small plumes of feathers. Straw seems never now to be laid aside. It is a fabric which has been so much improved that we do not wonder to see it freely used, and even mixed with velvet for winter wear. Very pretty bonnets are composed of biais of velvet and bands of fancy straw ornamented by velvet flowers, the crown and bavolet of velvet. Crape flowers with velvet foliage and fruit are quite as much in favour for winter bonnets as they have lately been, and again we find many of the velvets with broad laces at the edge, obviating the necessity for a veil. If the lace is not very deep it merely turns up in front and droops at the side. The interior ornaments for bonnets are very various, flowers, ribbon, or even feathers, being equally in vogue; and young persons sometimes vary the style by placing a flower on one side and bows on the other.

The newest bonnets are with the material plain instead of full, the edge a little turned up, the crown round; the trimmings inside are less voluminous, and the front of the Marie Stuart form is the newest.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.

PLATE I.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of lilac taffetas, with open jacket body, having deep basque trimmed with plissé of ribbon, forming continuation to trimming on the skirt, which is a succession of plissés; the body and sleeves to correspond; chemisette of embroidered muslin. Capote of tulle and ribbon, with flowers.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with high body and basques; the skirt is with pinked flounces and noeuds of black velvet, and ends placed on at intervals. Mantelet shawl of velvet trimmed with fringe. Bonnet of the new Marie Stuart form, trimmed with ruches and velvet flowers.

Carriage Dress-Robe of moire with jacket body, ornamented with soutache in brandenbourgs and falls of black lace. Bonnet of pink ribbon in frills.

Dinner Dress.-Robe of popeline with plain skirt, and jacket with deep basques and revers vandyked and edged by a ribbon ruche; the sleeves formed entirely of a succession of bells edged with ruches.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of iron-gray silk, covered by deep flounces of guipure, and jacket of velvet. Manteau of moire, with double pelerine, trimmed with bands of velvet of graduated widths. Capote of Terry velvet, with small plume of feathers.

PLATE II.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of moire, covered with flounces of black lace, headed by a ribbon ruche; jacket body of green

velvet, also trimmed with black lace. Bonnet of black lace and velvet, with wreath of red flowers inside.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of popeline, and paletot of dark blue velvet, trimmed with bands of sable fur. Bonnet of Terry velvet and lace.

Little Girl's Dress.-Frock of taffetas, with flounces and open body ornamented by black velvet in diamond form placed at the edge of the flounces and jacket, also on the body and frills of the sleeves. Leghorn hat with velvet nœuds.

Walking Dress.-Robe of taffetas and Talma of velvet, trimmed with bands of moire. Bonnet of marron velvet and satin, with marabout feathers.

Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with flounces à disposi tion entirely covering the skirt; high body with basques. Mantelet shawl of velvet, trimmed with rich fringe. Bonnet of Terry velvet and satin.

PLATE III.

Dinner Dress.-Robe of taffetas, trimmed with bands of velvet, edged by a small ribbon bouillon; low body, with basques meeting up the centre with bows of ribbon; sleeves in bouillons with frills; under ones, and guimpe of embroi dered muslin. Head dress of lace and velvet ribbon.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of foulard, with deep flounces; jacket body. Cachemere shawl, trimmed with rich fringe. Capote of satin, with ruches.

Walking Dress-Redingote of popeline, trimmed with velvet. Mantelet of ruby velvet, with two rows of very rich fringe of two colours. Bonnet of Terry velvet and satin, with crape flowers and velvet foliage.

Dinner Dress.-Robe of pink taffetas, ornamented on the high body by a collar, and stomacher of guipure, which continues on the skirt in two rows en tablier having small nœuds in the centre the whole length; the sleeves in a corresponding style. Cap of guipure lace, with streamers.

Walking Dress-Robe of taffetas, with double skirt, each having three bands of velvet in a wave at equal distances; the body, with bretelles of velvet, to match. Mantelet of brocade silk, trimmed with rich fringe. Bonnet of green velvet and satin, with roses.

PLATE IV.

Walking Dress.-Robe of droguet, with vandyked flounces, trimmed with narrow velvet; body with basques, and bellsleeves to correspond. Mantua of velvet, trimmed with chinchilla plush, and muff of the same. Bonnet of velvet and

ribbon.

Little Girl's Dress.-Frock of taffetas, with flounces festonnés. Manteau to correspond, and capote of satin and velvet.

Carriage Dress-Robe of moire of the redingote form, trimmed with velvet. Manteau of velvet, trimmed with lace. Capote of velvet and lace.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of taffetas in large checks; the skirt is with two deep flounces edged by ruches; the body is high with basques, trimmed with ruches. Mantelet of taffetas, trimmed with vandyked frills, edged by a ribbon velvet. Capote of satin, with two small wreaths of velvet foliage terminating at the side with a rose.

Walking Dress.-Robe of popeline, with jacket of velvet. Manteau of moire, with pelerine forming sleeves, the whole trimmed with bands of moire, edged by velvet, and deep fringe round the bottom. Capote of lace and satin, with feather at the side.

PLATE V.

Myrtle-coloured satin cloak, richly trimmed with a dark figured velvet, ornamented with silk buttons, and edged with a deep fringe round the bottom.