The Ladies' Column.

PARTS FASHION'S FOR JULY. For summer wear there is not anything to equal muslin (writes a Paris correspondent). It is light, it is airy, it is cool. •It has but one inconveniece — its washing expenses. And it is for this sole reason that muslin has so much disappeared from fashion during the last few years, and that we now see ladies perspiring under the' weight of a rich eilk dress during the hottest diys of summer. In the face of this continual rejection of muslin every fresh summer brings with it a list of new materials intended to supersede muelin. But beige, cashmere, gauze, barege, linen, and Oxford all are too heavy and too hot for summer ; and it is impossible for them ever 'o be substitutes for muslin. It was hoped that the Prince of Wales' visit to India would restore Indian muelins into fashion. Here was everything we required, lightness, and yet not too much transparency, and through the beauty of its texture it needed no flounces nor frilling to adorn it ; it could be made perfectly plain, and thus cling to the figure as closely as a cashmere. It is a strange whim that keeps muslin so persistently away from our summer wardrobe. However, Ido not think tbat this will last long, for this year, more than ever, ladies are crying loudly for muslin. We envy the young communionists in their plain white robes, and would willingly follow their example if we dared. I feel convinced therefore, that by next summer muslin dresses will have resumed all their old sway over us. In the meantime, we are now panting under our silk and cashmere cuirasses, or Princesse polonaises. We are pitiable to see, thus braced up, in these hot days, and we feel still more uncomfortable than we look ! What a treat a little full bodice would be just now — a bodice in which we could breathe— and skirts which were not quite so tightly girded around our knees ! We only ask a little freedom of movement from fashion. But we ask in vain. Fashion is as obstinate and cruel to us as is the French police against poor dogs, which, whether in the arm, or led by a string, must be muzzled like those which are allowed to run alone. Even dogs in carts, though chained to the cart, must be muzzled. Poor brutes ! they cannot breathe, and we ladies pity them with all our heaitg, for neither can we breathe as we would, restrained as we are by our tightened corslets ! In the absence of muslin we fly to linen for morning wear ; in the evening we are compelled to adhere to silk and cashmere, with, at the utmost, a foulard, or a silken gauze polonaise over the silk dress. But exactly as the polonaise should be worn over=a silk dress, we do not gain much in coolness by wearing it. Linen dresses are trimmed with several plaitings on the skirt, and one around the tunic ; that is the usual way of making them. Sometimes the plaitings are edged and braided, with one or more rows of colored braid (generally scarlet), then the tunic need only be trimmed with braid to match. But plain plaitings are preferable; they are more simple, and are not so liable to become old fashioned as those edged with braid. But there is a perfect fwrie for braid now. It ia worn on all sorts of materials, it is made of all colors, of all widths, and of all kinds. There is the wide military braid in white, black and colors, for cloth dresses ; there is gold, silver, steel and beaded braid, for cashmere and Bilk costumes ; there is the netted braid, also beaded with gold, silver, or steel, for dresses of fancy materials. B.raid in fact is worn on almost everything; the wider it ia the better. When wide braid is not used, narrow braid is put on by several rows to imifcatp wide braid ; that is all. When braid is npt used, dresses are trimmed with very wide frail fringe, sometimes half a metre jn width— never less than a quarter of a metre. White serge or white easbmere postumep, when trimmed with this wide ball fringp pf white worsted, look extremely elegant, In general it is only woollen materials that are trimmed with this woollen ball fringe. Braid is more becoming^ The fringe looks very well in repose, but so soon as the wearer begins to walk, it in its turn dances too touch en.d looks too fussy. It is coquettish, but not graceful. Polonaises are being made tighter and tighter, apd longer cuirassed, in order to be tighter roupd the figure. Eibbon bows bide all the junctures, or seams, at the back, so that a ledy looks as if 'the polonaise and she made one. But the new Princesse dress is the dress that is making the greatest ftireur at this moment. Imagine a fourreau made as tighjtly as fifjt^ffU can . be ma & e > and with a lopg serpent-like £ rrana f n fyWipS at the back ! This dre.se, you cover with frills or plaiting to about on£n4hird of a metre below the waist. The upper part of the skirt thus forms a long cuir&sse. Then, joining to, or separating these flounces from the cuirasse, is a scarf, Wkiphw#ed ?9«nd .'the .figure* an 4 ftHs

at ; tKel)a6k in 16ng r end?. This is ' a v mix^ ture. between the Princesse rbbe and the I " Baby " dress. It is remarkably pretty. For out-of-doors, another scarf, of the , sa me material as the dress, is worn over the shoulders. Nothing is so much worn now as scarfs, for dresses without tunics. A very great novelty, also, is the new "Eegence" overcoat, which is being adopted by a few of our leaders of fashion —only by a very few, however, as yet, for only a very few could afford the expense of this primeur. As yet it is only made of velvet or satin, and it is richly embroidered in gold or silver, precisely like the embroidered coats of actors playing parts of that period to which they originally belonged. These coats are of the color of the skirts with which they are worn. And instead of there being a body to these skirts, there is a satin waistcoat under the coat very long in front, and richly embroidered in silk of several colors. This waistcoat has two pockets on each side for the reception of handkerchief, &c. The front of this waistcoat is trimmed down with a rich lace jacket, and similar lace falls from the sleeves, half covering the hands. We only want a powdered wig to complete the picture. Even that may come. A velvet hat trimmed with lace and i feathers accompanies this dress. If these coats should come into general use, they will no doubt be made of cloth for the winter, otherwise ordinary mortals will not be able to procure one. Even gloves are being embroidered in gold, silver, and steel beads up the back, to match the embroidery and braiding on these coats and other costumes. Ladies can easily bead their own gloves, by following the three lines on the back of the gloves. The new bonnet of the summer is called "Grand Prix," " Merveilleuse," "Kisber," or " Judic," at random. " Grand Prix," because it was on the day of the Grand Prix that it was first seen in public; " Kisber," because that was the name of the winning horee ; " Merveilleuae," because it resembles the hats worn by the belles of the Directoirc, who were then called " Merveilleuses ;" and " Judic," because that most charming lady was the one who looked the most mervcillcusement charming in this new bonnet. But Ido not think it will prove as becoming to every face. It has a very high crown, and a very wide brim, and is covered within and without with feathers and ribbons, the whole drooping long down the back. For the country and seaside the wide flapping Leghorn hat is the most worn. It is trimmed round with a gauze veil, and a natural flower is placed in the hair, under the brim. Natural flowers, I am happy to inform you, are being worn in general on hats and bonnets, when flowers at all are worn. A wide-brimmed Leghorn hat requires a cotton or muslin dress — it is out of place on any other kind of dress. Sailors, Tyrol, Piccolino, and Pifferaro hats, or straws, or felt, will also be worn. There is choice enough for everyone to look pretty if she will. J^JA black-and-white striped cambric dress, which has already been very much remarked at Trouville, is made thus — In shape it is of the Princesse form. The body is trimmed over the shoulder, with an imitation fichu of white muslin, edged with lace and insertion. It is crossed in front, and fastened at the point with a bow of black ribbon. The ends of the fichu are tied together very loosely at the back of the waist. The dress is trimmed with plaitings of white and black muslin, placed in alternate rows up the skirt. At the back, the train forms a fan of plaitings, falling off like a peacock's tail. White leghorn hat, trimmed with black feathers and ribbons. Exceedingly stylish, this dress.