FROM SEPTEMBER, 1852. OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDENT. BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS, CHERE AMIE, THIS may fairly be designated a stagnant moment for novelties; the temperature still calls for light toilettes and modifications, and slight varieties of trimmings can alone be looked for; the autumnal fashions are preparing, but still untold; whispers there are again of short waists and even close bonnets, but as we do not jump usually from one extreme to another, we shall no doubt so gradually progress to a change as to be reconciled, and not startled, at the novelty; we therefore augur no such immediate alterations in the world of fashion. There is not any change in the form of dresses, the jacket bodies are perhaps rather shorter waisted, but those worn in dress with point continue much the same; all thin materials are usually with rather full bodies, some few with shoulderstraps. Waistcoats still maintain their ground, and jackets, caracoes, casaques, or under what name you please to designate the little veste bodies, they still continue to be made or worn with waistcoats. Velvet is much used in various ways to ornament dresses, and in a variety of styles, stamped or plain, wide or narrow; the autumnal dresses of warmer materials will have high bodies with plain backs and side pieces, and the fronts with revers. A new style of trimming dresses is with bands of moire of contrasting colours, sometimes in several graduated rows of different shades, or edging the flounces, or mixed with guipure or black velvet pipings at each edge; they are also placed round the basquines or jackets, and up the front of redingotes; they are equally employed in light colours, or on darker for carriage or walking dresses; when the former, à revers, may be also made of the moire, which is again introduced on the short sleeves. The make of bodies seems to embrace three distinct styles-the Raphael, the Grecian, and the Pompadour-varying of course according to the materials used. White has been very fashionable in Paris during the warm weather, to which it seems more peculiarly adapted than any VOL. 25. not devoid of merit. For country wear again we have nankin embroidered with white braid in various designs, with jacket bodies, and if required a paletot to match. We give a model this month of a jacket body of rather novel form. Besides all the lighter materials of dress mentioned in former numbers, we find silks of light colours adapted to the season have often been preferred, and as if to give them more simplicity and less the appearance of winter style the flounces have been scolloped with colours. Barèges also have flounces with border of pines, as a change with flowers and foliage; the skirts of barège, silk grenadine, or coloured muslin, with white cannezous have been much worn. Little jackets formed of silk of the prevailing colour of the skirt are also pretty. The little jackets or vestes of tulle over coloured silk are very pretty trimmed with lace, headed by a ruche of ribbon of corresponding colour, which trimming may be put on in one or more rows as required. We again hear of the single very deep flounce reaching to the knee headed by a bouillon or ruche, or other fancy trimming, these flounces are also sometimes embroidered. The style of wearing flounced silk skirts under tarlatanes, which are also flounced, seems much approved, but the double and triple skirts are still in favour. Many of the morning toilettes are very pretty, trimmed with frills of the same, either scolloped or edged with lace, or headed by ruches of ribbon according with the prevailing colour; with these dresses waistcoats with long full sleeves are put into a wristband with frill turning on the arm; the pagoda sleeves we think destined to have a long reign, it is a style at once pretty and becoming; other sleeves are however spoken of-the Grecian, which open on the arm, but may be closed at will by small buttons; the sleeve Louis XIII. is composed entirely of large and small bouillons, the alternate ones small with a ribbon through. In evening dress, muslins and tarlatanes are most suitable for the moment, some are with three flounces, each edged by different coloured festons corresponding to the little bouquet of field flowers above each scollop; the cris-talloide, barège, and dresses à disposition, all these now are worn, and yet with the last days of summer; grenadine dresses are pretty with plaid flounces and berthe, the colours being of a soft tint harmonizing with the dress. Muslin dresses with flounces festoned have the bodies terminating with jacket in deep van Little girls' toilettes partake exactly of the style of those worn by ladies, even the white cannezous is not omitted; the skirts are frequently trimmed with velvet bands and sometimes graduated, or with very narrow ribbons fulled and put on in patterns, even their mantelets are trimmed with lace and velvet, but not those of very little girls. The dark crape bonnets, which have now been fashionable for the last year or two, are again frequently worn by ladies to whom the lightness of the bonnet is a desideratum, and indeed they are always pretty, and the intermixing of flowers relieves them greatly; the flowers not only ornamenting the exterior, but a wreath to correspond encircling the face. We strongly advise our fair friends to adopt the French garden bonnet, which is neither more nor less than what our predecessors called caleches, to wear over their caps or head-dresses on going to evening réunions; they were generally of black silk lined with white or colour; but for garden use they are prettier made of coloured batistes, and lined with a contrasting colour; they are put on and off in an instant without displacing a single hair, which the bonnet or even hat inevitably discomposes; they may be ornamented with ruches, &c. as required. Leghorns are again being trimmed with velvet, a double row of dark colour encircles the crown, intermixed with straw, and a few rows of velvet at the side, with wheatears and flowers; small wreaths of delicate flowers are very much used on tulle bonnets, dividing the bouillons; the coloured straws and mohair bonnets continue to be a great deal worn. The fashion of making the edges of bonnets transparent still continues in favour, and indeed so much as sometimes to form the principal part of the front, so as to obtain the designation of the half-bonnet; the contrast between the thick part and the transparent part has a very good effect. Capotes cf tulle illusion, entirely formed of bouillons, are pretty ornamented by a bunch of velvet flowers; very handsome ribbons are also used on bonnets, embroidered in straw, which has an exceedingly good effect, of course merely put on plain, but the mixture of straw with either white or coloured ribbon is always pretty. The scarf mantelets, as well as the half-squares of embroidered muslin, have been extremely fashionable last month; many of the trimmings on silk mantelets are of velvet, which is often placed on tulle in various devices; and lace mantelets trimmed with several frills are often divided by bands of velvet, and a velvet bow is placed on the lace hood. Mantelets of black tulle are trimmed with frills of lace, divided by bands of coloured velvet; and many shawls, both in black and tulle, are embroidered in colours, having wreaths all round, above the lace or fringe with which the shawl is trimmed. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS. PLATE I. Public Déjeuner Dress.-Robe of tarlatane; the skirt is covered by flounces scolloped and embroidered; the body is formed of insertions; small veste or caraco of green silk, trimmed with black lace headed by a small ruche of ribbon. Bonnet of pink crape and ruches of ribbon, with bunch of chrysanthemums at the sides. Carriage Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with jacket body and waistcoat of white jean buttoning up the centre, with embroidered frill; the jacket is ornamented by a double row of fancy braid in a scroll; the sleeves and revers to match. Bonnet of paille de riz lined with crape, and feathers at the sides. Carriage Dress-Robe of barège in rich design, with full body and pagoda sleeves; mantelet of glacé silk with revers, trimmed all round with black lace put on in a feston, each point terminating with a tassel. Bonnet of guipure lace, ornamented by puffings of ribbon. Walking Dress.-Robe redingote of taffetas; the body is high, closing with buttons; a black guipure lace headed by a bouillon descends from the shoulders to the point, and is continued en tablier on the skirt, with noeud of ribbon at the waist. Bonnet of gray straw, with checked ribbon. Promenade Dress.-Robe of plaid grenadine with full body; small manteau of glacé silk with hood, trimmed with white lace, headed by stamped velvet. Capote of paille de riz and lace, with bunch of velvet flowers at the side. PLATE II. Morning Dress.-Robe of pink barège with deep tucks and full high body, closing with long ceinture; pagoda sleeves with frills. Small lace cap trimmed with narrow ribbon. Young Lady's In-door Dress.-Skirt of taffetas without trimming; veste of green velvet trimmed with guipure, and white waistcoat with frills, and bow of velvet at the throat. The hair in bandeaux. Evening Dress.-Robe of glacé silk; the skirt is nearly covered by flounces of rich vandyked lace, headed by a plissé of ribbon; the body is pointed with berthe, ornamented by narrow lace and plissés of ribbon. The hair in ringlets, with wreath encircling the back of the head, and terminating in bunches of flowers at the sides. Evening Dress.-Robe of glacé silk embroidered en tablier; the body pointed, with berthe formed of folds edged with fringe. The hair in bandeaux, with ribbon nœuds and ends. Evening Dress.-Robe of tarlatane with triple skirt, ornamented by a series of flounces en tablier, terminating at the ends with rosaces of ribbon; the body is open, and trimmed with two rows of lace, and rosettes on the shoulders; centrepiece of the body formed of bouillons of tulle. The hair in bandeaux, with wreath of flowers. PLATE III. Walking Dress-Robe of taffetas, with flounces of fancy gauze edge; jacket body closing up the front with bows of ribbon; small pagoda sleeves with frill as the flounces, and white sleeves under. Bonnet of white crape in bou llons, trimmed with narrow ribbon, and roses inside. Child's Dress.-Frock of white muslin, with numerous tucks; high body and cordeliere at the waist, round pelerine with folds. Bonnet of blue silk, with ruche. Promenade Dress.-Robe of taffetas, trimmed with bands of fancy velvet; mantelet scarf of the same, similarly trimmed. Bonnet of green silk, with flowers. Public Promenade Dress.-Robe of nankin silk; the skirt is ornamented by bands of green velvet and embroidery; the caraco or jacket, with its open sleeves, are similarly ornamented. Bonnet of white silk with broad open edge, and plume of feathers at the sides. Carriage Dress.-Robe of moire, with open body; pagoda sleeves, and waistcoat of embroidered muslin; mantelet shawl of black lace. Bonnet of white tulle and pink silk in bouillons, with lace encircling the crown. PLATE IV. Walking Dress.-Robe of popeline; the skirt with three flounces edged by a band of moire; the open body, with revers and sleeves, also edged with band of moire. Bonnet of crape and straw, with feather. Promenade Dress.-Robe of mousseline de soie, with full body; shawl of grenadine with deep fringe. Capote formed of rows of lace. Carriage Dress.-Robe of white muslin, embroidered en tablier in rosaces; the body is full, and guaged at the shoulders and waist; pagoda sleeves, with frills headed by embroidery. Bonnet of lace and paille de riz, with lace brides. Promenade Dress.-Robe of spotted muslin, with tucks and nœuds en tablier; veste of coloured silk, embroidered |