Late Victorian Era Fashion Chit Chat - October 1875 Peterson's Magazine

Late Victorian Era Fashion Chit Chat - October 1875 Peterson's Magazine

General Remarks
We give, this month, our usual variety of hats, head-dresses, bonnets, etc. Of the beauty of the hats we need say nothing, and it is almost impossible to describe them. The black metalisse paletot is edged with two ruffles of black silk, and has a plain hood, finished with a black ribbon bow. The black velvet spencer is finished with a black guipure lace, and is fastened across the front with rows of jet beads. A white crepe lisse, in quilling, goes around the neck and front. The pocket is of black velvet, with white net over it, and a rose with buds ornaments it. We have seen, for evening-dress, some white lace pockets, from which clusters of flowers were apparently falling. The dolman is of black poplin, with jet bead-braiding put on lengthwise, and trimmed with jet lace. The jacket is of black ribbed cloth, trimmed with black braid of two widths. The fronts are long and square, and the back short and full, and trimmed with pockets. The jacket is bordered with a band of white braid, having three narrow rows above. The brandebourgs consist of braid and gimp olives. The back is striped with braid, arranged in a fan-like form, each row terminating with an olive.

For full dress, the hair continues to be dressed low on the neck, but it has been worn so for such a length of time that a change must soon take place.

We recommend to our economical readers, as a good way of utilizing two old dresses, a style that may be suggested by the fourth figure in our fashion-plate, if a train dress is needed.

Some sensible people still wear the skirt sufficiently short to escape the ground; but we regret to say that the rather long skirt is still most popular, and this, combined with the close-fitting, tied-back skirt, makes walking anything but a graceful or comfortable affair. All varieties of trimmings are worn on under-skirts: ruffles, flounces, puffs, and plaitings, and the over-dresses present the same variety. Some of the new camel's-hair and other under-dresses are almost covered with braiding: fringes are used to finish these dresses, and are also popular on silks, etc. Many of the newest imported dresses are trimmed with velvet ribbon, either sewed on in strips, or in any form the wearer may fancy.

Bodices are made longer waisted than formerly, and the cuirass waist is still very popular. Worth has made, lately, for dresses to be worn in the house, a half-fitting jacket, tied in front with bow and ends; this is especially pretty for young people, or those with slender figures. He has also made, for more stylish dresses, bodices in the form of the hunting jacket of Louis the Fifteenth's time, which is a long basque all around, opening over an equally long vest in front, the vest being usually of a different color from the jacket. Plaid materials will be worn much more as a trimming than as a material for a whole dress, and will prove more becoming to many figures used in this way. Coat-sleeves are still the most popular, except for full dress. They are close-fitting, shorter, (which, of course, necessitates expensive long gloves,) and have cuffs of divers patierns, usually very flaring ones. Dresses still continue high in the neck: a more comfortable style for the approaching cold weather than it was for the summer time.

Cloaks, Mantles, Jackets, are appearing in great variety, and no one of them seems to be the especial style, only all are long in front, and some are long all around, some again nearly reaching to the feet.

Bonnets and Hats also appear in infinite variety; and small, white flowers, like the hawthorn and elder flower, buttercups, coriopsis, etc., are much used on black bonnets, as well as wreaths, or bunches of currants, cherries, and other small fruits.