The Daily Phoenix

Spring Fashions.

We compile from the latest fashion magazines the following interesting information relative to the styles of dress, &c., now coming into vogue, which we publish for the perusal of our fair readers:

MANNER OF MAKING DRESSES.

Corsages are of medium length, and round at the waist. Shoulder seams are short and high, defining the slope of the shoulders. The two darts in each front are short, but taken very deep, to make an easy, tapering shape. Side seams are directly under the arm. Forms in the back are stitched on the outside, and are an inch apart at the belt. Open front with reverse, shawl-shaped surplice, with fullness from the shoulders to the belt, square necks, and the broad sailor collar of the dress material will be more worn than ever during the warm weather. The neck of plain corsage is cut out very low and round, if the wearer has a handsome neck, otherwise the high neck and ruche will be most becoming, and will not look old-fashioned.

SLEEVES.

Sleeves of street dresses are easy fitting, coat-shaped. They have bows at the elbow and broad trimming at the wrist. Few new dresses are made with epaulets. A puff is often placed half-way between the arm-hole and elbow. Silks for evening wear and thin muslins have the Maria Theresa sleeve puffed to the elbow and frilled. Long arms require puffs around the sleeves, and the tulle under-sleeves puffed, to fill out the frill. Short arms look best to lengthwise puffs.

SKIRTS.

Trained skirts have a flat gored front width, two narrow side gores, and two full back breadths. The fullness is laid in pleats beneath the side seams. The back breadths are in French gathers. Five yards is the width of a moderate train to be worn over small crinoline. Two yards is an extreme length. Silks and poplins of light quality are lined throughout with paper muslin.

TRIMMINGS.

A fringe, with gimp beading and detached tassels, is very stylishly used on capes and basques. Satin is preferred for trimming silks, but modistes advise gros grain for poplins and woolen goods. It is lighter for summer, and does not fray like satin. It is not worth while to say one is tired of flounces. They were never so much worn as at present, and there are literally ruffles upon ruffles—chamber gauze and grenadine suits being trimmed with bias flounces edged with narrow, straight frills, giving a peculiar light appearance. Pique ruffles are made straight and pleated. Striped ruffles look best cut bias.

CRINOLINE.

The new crinoline imported by the modistes is merely a bustle with springs, over which is full gores at the back, with side pieces rounding to the belt. The front is entirely open. Six Swiss ruffles, very full and wide, cross the back widths from the edge to the belt. A fluted ruffle surrounds the whole affair. Eight dollars is asked for the walking length. Twenty dollars for a trained skirt.

SHORT SUITS.

Short suits for the streets are worn by ladies of all ages, the stout as the slender. A black silk casaque, with a short, flounced skirt, is the handsomest suit for a married lady. Stout figures look best in the casaque, or in a short basque, with a single skirt, on which the trimming simulates an upper skirt. The standard length for walking dresses is to have them just escape the ground. They measure between three and a half and four yards in width. They are still cut with flat front, two side gores, and full back breadth. Care should be taken that there is no fullness in front, to prevent the front width hanging in a fold in the centre.