NOTES FOR THE LADIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4419, 12 July 1884, Page 3

NOTES FOR THE LADIES.

[SULECTED BY OUR LONDON CoRRESrON

DENT.]

Polosaises are fashionable with blouse-like fronts gathered at neck and waist, sometimes finished with a- bow of volvet or ribbon, coming from the side seam, or beneath the pleats at back and tied in front.

Brocade is used for evening toilettes equally with velvet, but they are less useful where economy must bo studied, as the skirt and waistcoat, to have a good effect, must match either tho ground or tho flowers of the brochd ; therefore there ie moro limit than in the case of tho dark plain or embossed velvet.

The black mantles aro very pretty this season, trimmed with a profusion of black lace, jet, and bead passementerie. Brocaded and plain velvet, and also broad stripes of velvet and gronadino, are to bo most fashionable. One novelty in the lattor style has epaulettes and brandebourgs of oxidised silver braid, laid on black lace. It is caught up high at the back with clusters of black velvet loops, and Bilver braid ornamonts.

Tho " surplis," or accordion skirt, as it is called in English, is certainly ono of the prettiest fu<jons over introduced ; when proporly arranged it will boar any amount of wear without losing its shape. To insure thin, tho method adopted by tho leading dressmakers—and apparently unknown to others—is to tack the pleats at tho back to fine elastics, not tapes ; this causes tho innumerable folds to spring back at once after any disarrangement to their proper places. With these skirts two skort pleated paiiiors aro worn, hardly reaching below the hips and joining tho short pouf, pluccd rather high at the back.

Tho rage for fancy bordered hsndkcrehiofs is as great an over, and at present thoao with plain bands of colour aro considered in better taste than the vandyked oner. For half mourning, bordorg of delicate gioy, with, sometimes, dots of black upon them, and the monogram in black, are more used than black.

The principal spring shades in materials of all kinds will bo reseda—verdigris, pea-cock-green, China red, groys of bluo or pink tendencies, ash grey, dove grey, wallflower, Turkish maize, mastic tint, and light grdnat. The shades known an €'mastic are thoso of tho crayons used in chalk drawings ; mastic green, especially, is a lovely tint; pistache green, that of tho bean of that name, is also a great favourite in velvet, catin, or rich silks, and is found to blend with several othora most harmoniously.

A few new-shaped hats aro beginning to appear. Some have the brims straight and projecting in front with a half wreath of liowcrH resting on a plain layer of coloured velvet. Tho back is turnod sharply up against the crown, apparently pinned back with a fancy-headed pin and a small tuft of th<s llowera to one side. Others have a large wido bow of velvet in front, and a few foather tips fixed far back at one sido, curling over the flattened edge.

Tho Paris milliners aro making use of " the harmless, necessary cat" as an article of fidornment for bonnete and headdresics Broad-brimmed hats bear ono or more littlo stuffed kittens, artistically arranged round tho edge, according to the wealth of the wearer*.

Not content with imitating every known flower and fruit for adorning their dresses, ladies have commenced a raid upon the vegetable kingdom. A few month* back the tomato, according to a milliner* journal, was very much ia Toguo as a bonnet trimming. Tho pomme iPamour baa, however, lately been eclipsed by tho muflhroom. Tho following is a description of a fashionable ehapeau : "A coquettish littlo bonnet of gold tissue displays on one side a bed of mushrooms half concealed by nrnss, the trimming and strings being of dark green velvet." The next novelty in nil probability will bea "duck" of a bonnet garnished with green peas.

The patterns of washing materials leave nothing to be desired, and an immense choice of styles is offered.

The smartest mantles are short and full at tho back, with plenty of lace and beads about them. A great many have long ends in front. Some of tho beaded balls that trim them are as large as small oranges, but being of cork, are quiet light. The short basqued close-fitting jackets will be, and arc, mnch more general than mantelets. Several are boned, to render them more close-fitting to the curves of the figure, and some are padded under the basque to make them fit without a crease. The brocaded velvet, with full chenille fringe, the plain velvet with frills of black laco, and the stockingnotte, with frayed silk ruche, vie with each other in popularity; while the most dressy are those entirely of jetted lace, fitting like a cuirass, with fall of plain lace, sprinkled over with tassels of jet beads.

Somo handsome new woollens, embroidered in satin stitch or brocaded with silk in two or three shades, are very elegant, and, made up with vsile Indian crepon, or Bcngaline, are very fashionable. Cachemires and soft woollens, embroidered or epottod, with chenilla, are very effective; the ckenille may be of the same shade or colour, or of somo contrasting hue, such as red or blue, or moss green, pale blue on dark bluo or green, &c.

Shot brilliantinoß and shot voiles imitate eilk effects wonderfully, ani are far more serviceable than silks of a low quality.

Ono lady's dress at Sandown was strewn over with a design of horse shoes—not quite life-slzo, but about donkey-size. A perfectly delicious coat was of darkest ruby Elush, trimmed with beaver. Hardly any ats were to be seen. It is now chic or chicn, whichever word you like the better, to wear a bonnet, except when travelling in the country.

The now colour is gipsy red, a peculiarly vivid yet soft shade. It will gladden the hoartfl of pretty brunettes, and indeed I never have Been a lovelier picture than was mado by a girl the other day, who carried one of the new parasols. Her dark hair, dark eyes and clear skin, with its warm flesh-tint, were touched with a glow of colour from the sunshade, which was made of gipsy-red batiste, edged all round with a pleated frill of the same material, and dotted all over with knots of narrow red velvet. You can't imagine how wonderfully it brightened up hor beauty.

Hair stripos of eilk or fine wool are much worn ; they nro shot, and the two fine lines mingling at a little distance produce very brilliant offects.

Very small checks in hair-lines and tiny squares are useful and ladylike as travelling and morning dresses; they aro combined with plain material of ono of the shades, or if used for the entire toilette, are trimmed with ribbon velvet.

The pedigreo of tho corset, says a writer in tho May numbor of " Good Words," stretches far back into antiquity, and may be briefly summarised. "Wo recfigniso its fundamental features : First in the antique fascia of the Greeks and Romans ; second, we lose sight of bandages throughout a large portion of the Middle Ages, and- then discover tho existence of an embryonic corsage; third, the end of the Middle Ages and the commencement of the Renaissance)' are marked by the general adoption of tight-fitting lace bodices; and fourth, from the middle of tho sixteenth till the end of tho eighteenth century the stiffest of whalebone bodices were worn, disappearing under the Revolution, but only to be transformed later on into the modern corset."

I suppose some of my readers will liko the new mantillas, which are short, and much bunched behind, with long ends before. The pattern on these may, if desired, be outlined as in the caae of the short jackets referred to. Bonnets beaded to match should be worn. Scarlet bows of velvet or ribbon aro used to decorate black bonnets. Black straws, with crowns decidedly square, are distingue trimmed with scarlet. Transparent bonnets, too, are worn. Here is a model:—Wire frame string with jet beads toform pattern, then covered with spotted net drawn over in voluminous folds, but not so full as to render the framework invisible. The small projecting brim is edged with black lace rucho. A bunch of ox-eyo daisies and field grasses is fixed at the side. An exquisite bcnnet was mado of almond-coloured surah, with bind and strings of black velvet, a handsomely cut large jet butterfly being the solo ornament. A hat with a largo rim, slightly turned up on one side, was lined with velvet. In tho front wore three bowa made of two-inch wide velvet, arranged one above the other, blue, orange, and green, being the colours selected. "Eccentric, but not lovely," was my passing commenti

Brides now carry bouquetsof Jacqueminot or Bonsilene roses in preference to those that aro pure white in colour. The white roses, lilacs, and lillies-of-the-valley are, however, much more suitable and becoming.

The " betrothal" bangle is a novelty. It is mado of a circlet of pure gold engraved with a motto or couplet of touching sentimentality, and it is so fashioned that it is not possible to remove it safo by filing when once it encircles the arm of its owner.