Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 - 1843; 1854 - 1876), Thursday 1 February 1866, page 4


THE F.ISHOION'. FOIR DECEM11BER. (From the Queen, November G2th.) In m:y opinion fashion is progressing along that most dangerous of all roads; the ccccntrie. \Vhcn this rage for embroideries of gold, of silver, and ot pearls has exhausted itself, and the mania for feather fringes has passed away, I am curious to know where the leaders of fashions will turn to. Let us hope to a more simple, severe style, and to less costly material. I inspected several toilettes yesterday previous to their being packed for Compiegne. 'The mnajrity affected the Empire style, and several dresses from Messrs. W\orth and B3oberg's fashionable establishment were made with decidedly narrower and shorter skirts than any I have seen during the last few years. Among the afternoon dresses I remarked a very original one made of black and blue striped satin, without any trimming upon the skirt, but with a tunic or second skirt made of blue velvet, opening in front, and simply trimmed with small r'ouleetux of blue satin. The bodice, which was entirely of blue velvet, was cut in one piece with this tunic. At the top of the sleeves there was a small velvet frill bound with satin, and underneath the tyill a tight sleeve, made with the striped blue and black satin. Ornaments of an exceedingly heavy style are fashionable this winter; the earrings especially are of exaggerated dimensions. For these, large gold rings, tmuch larger than those to be seen in negresses' cars, are the popular pattern. Some of these "huge rings represent cords knotted in the centre, others crescents. Some are made of plain gold, and have either an amethyst, a topaz, or a lapis lacull ball in the centre, anti these I think are the prettiet. An idea may be gathered of the circumference of the fashionable earrings when I say that it is greater then that of a five-franc piece. Earrings in tihe form of pears are also much admired; but in order to make them larger, the moveable pear, which is either a pearl or an emeralt, is surrounded with a frame of gold and enamel. For tie presant the Empire bonnet is the vraiversal shapes ; those made of eitber black or colouref velvet, and covered with small ,hanging orr.naments of ither ptearl or jet, as the case may be, are grcetly in vogue. For evening wear or ceremonious vi-its tihe Emr pire visits are mado of white tulie, arranged I in wide plats, antr trilmmed across wtlth a band of briglht-coloured velvet. This band is n covered with a grecqrte of chased silver; Tihe a curtain is co0mp ostd lt tiny tnnralout eanSthers spangle'd with silver, and similar henSthera lfull over the front hair; through the frethlers a coronet of chnsed silver, lined - with velvet is visible; tlhe strings are Ihkewise - velvat. Denmi-toilltte bonnets are made of d' grey felt, and trimmred with coloured velvet, r which is arranged with a bow at the side. S Tihe opera cloake are very magnificent this it winter. Some are made oft white cloth, embroidered in gold and trimmed with a narrow ri. baud.o sable,. very, much in the style'ot. au.

I Austrian unitbrm ; others are madelo ot .carlet cloth edged with chincbilla, and braided with silk at,d o;ier. Another sort of opera manmile is made of light blue cashmere, horderhel isith a wide cross-piece, of white silk, headed with a blue satin piping and with blue beaded silk cord : the hood lined with white silk, and instead of a bI.w of ribbon, to the point ot it long lappets ot Cluny guipure, studded all over with beads, are added. Less costly opera cloaks are made in the forme of large capes with round hoods. Black velvet jackets for dressy occas:ona are now dottod anil over with smalll gold bends. The beads are not sown on the velvet singly, but in groups of four, formilg msiniature diamonds. The jacket, which is of the Senerita form, is then edged round with Touo Thumb fringe in gold. Whether more false jewellery or more false hair is worn at the present day would be a curious question to solve. Largo colored glUss beads are nosw to Ibe seen rounld the throat, both with high and low dresses. Th'iey are nothing more than large glass balls, threaded on a silk cord of the same color. Two rows are usually worn, and from thema is suspended a largo gohl lIcket, with the initials of the wearer in either turquoi'e, pearls, or diamonds. A new gold cordl for the hair has been introduced in Puaris, and has been already adopted by the E:Itpress. It is about as thlick as a moderateu-szed finger, and is so pliable that it is arranged in loops, which alternate with the small oisso curls now so Iashionable around the top of the lorehead, and which are conltinued along each side to to the top of tile chidnon. This arrangemmentt of head-dress is represented to be very becorminlg to oval-formed heads.