Ladies' Column.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 379, 13 August 1903, Page 2

Ladies' Column.

THINGS x ! W FJJftHINR 5 -

'. I Bt MBLLBE. *

I;iSINOyATED DEBSS. . ■ ISHIONB change bo <iuiokly—by-tbe-way, is it not %akspere who truly bays' The fashion wears oat more apparel than the man P'-~ that renovations become necessary where a good material is concerned, for the style of the dress is out of date while the fabric itself remains almost as good as new. The accompanying sketch suggests a method of renovating a dress in an up-to-date fashion, and the style is' particularly useful when the skirt has become worn out round the hem,, and it, in consequence, too short, The renovation con* aists of a shaped band of machine-stitched cloth, developing into mitred ends here and there, and running up in the centre to the waist: The a fcrap is, apparently, continued on the bodice, which is flaUhed round the neck with a flit circular bind

of embroidered cloth—attached* to which are two abort stile-ends finished with fringe. The belt and straps on the bellsleeves are in harmony.. It is not necessary that the embroidered cloth should be of the same shade as the stitched cloth. For instance, a blue serge dress might be renovated with black stitched cloth (or glace), the more decorative trimming being of green doth embroidered in black chenille and jet and bronze beads, the fringe being of jefe On the other hand ' the dress might be green with renovations of green stitched cloth, the embroidered portion being of light tan or almondcoloured worked with black and green beads and silks. A red cloth dress with black renovations would also work out wellH ■ ■'■;■■■>•' ■■'■»<■■■■ ■ o'i '

A PEETTY BLOffMB. tj A novel idea for an inexpensive,'dressylooking blouse is illustrated in tb* sketch herewith, the. little garment iKiioated being of noft Japanese silk trithmad 1 with bands of lace, contrived froth half-a-dosan or seven neck-tiea, of the kind that miy be bought from Sid, each: upwards, and some bliok babe velvet.; Two neck-ties are used for the shoulder Btrap3, and two, cut in half, for the front and back centre and for xuuhr the arms, (rhe'back of the blouse is almost precisely the same as

the front). The remaining throe ties axa e*ch cut in half and ,u§ed as three bands W each'sledfe; 'laoe'bwids are united one to the otherjwith little straps of black' bows of velvet with long ends give pretty finishing touches to the blouse, the back differing from the < front only, .in : the absence „of these bows. Half-a-dozan la e would suffice for the blouse if the bind t. under the arms are omitted. Cuttings from the shorter straps would make the cuff bauds. The square neck is set into a band of velvet.

.GUAGED SKIRTS. guaged skirt has been quite out; of the ranniag of late years, whea anythiag of a puffed appearance near the waist has been severely forbidden and fiitaesa and tightness hare been paramount. The gauged skirt, is, however, reappearing, the material being closely gathered into a hip-yoke. Cmffons and the softest and thinnest of silks only are permissible for this particular kind of skirt, which is, for the present, mostly eonnaed. to young girls' evening wearj ;but a few skirts with guaged yokes have been made up in soft black surah for day wear, and look very smart. Guaging is also intro laced as a decollatage trimming, an inch-wide -band of Paris net, tightly guaged, forming a pretty and fashionable heading to a centre of laoel Returning to the subject of skirts, on 6 of the newest'patterns is set into'tiny pleats; at intervals apart, all -round the waist. A.-French skirt that I : ■ recently saw was .made in this way, and j\ proved /most: becoming. The material wai brown silk with a fancy surface, [showing a watered ground and a little rib of brown and white above it, and the costume was trimmed with narrow brown .velvet, .ribbon,.)arranged in! a. croes-way A ■•design near j tbe foot, ! For ecoßomfghl jfl wear fancy Bilks are far preferable tofjg plain glaces. U A cheap glaoe ia hardly worth its psi'je, for it poon splits. It is cheaper in the.end to p»y.a good price for ./ a 1 glace silk rather ; thaa, procure a 'bargain ' that reja ily has ho life, in it, and has to be replaced,in an unconsciously short space of time. The splitj glace b'.ouse can sometimes 1 be* rendered wearable by means of a lace bolero, wide bretellea of lace or a veiling of ( cbiffon. j X , *