Latest London Fashions.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 208, 2 September 1893, Page 4 (Supplement)

Latest London Fashions.

(From Our London Correspondent.)

Regent-street, July 15. Of bhe many dainty little bonnets I have made notes of in Regenb and Bond-sbreebs •ately, I have chosen the one sketched below as the millinery note for bhis week's column, This was a very email Marie Sbuarb shape, covered with forgeb-me-nobs, not too tightly sewn down, bub loosely enough bo look natural.

From tho front — where several long sprays of the flowers were arranged to stand upright—came two broad loops of dark, mos9 groen, crimped velvet, bhe strings being also of dark, moss groen velvet. The forgot-me-nob shade of blue harmonised delightfully wibh bhis particular green, and tho whole was extromely pretty. Ib is to bo devoutly hoped the violent and hideous mixtures of colour for hats and bonnets will nob reign long ; thoy are bad and brying enough for gowns and coats, bub whab chance does a girl (however pretby) stand of looking bo advantago with a habof a vivid brown, trimmed wibh huge violob velvet bows? Several of these atrocities have como across my irritated path of late, nob to mention brighb green velvob habs, trimmed with violet velvet and flowers, red and terra cobta bonnets, and, in fact, any bwo colours, no matter how glaring or inharmonioua ono to the other j good complexions are completely spoilt, and bad ones look too dreadful under such treatment.

There are such endless varieties of designs for the blouses to be worn this season it is difficult to choose one out of so many bo present to my readers, bub tho blouse I have sketched ia perhaps one of bhe greateat favourites. They nearly all have largo frills down the fronts, either ainglo or double, bub the special feature of this example is bhe spreading back of each frill, and formation of cape or collar from throab over bhe shoulders. A pretty finiah to these blouses is ono of tho ribbon volvol triple hands, but, if not worn with a fancy bole of any kind, tho skirt of dress will be moab generally worn over the skirt portion of the blouses. The short and very full capes seem likoly to be tho most fr.shionablo wear this spring, they being found much more convenient for wearing ovor the huge gown sleeves: for, large as tho jacket sleeves are now mads bo admit of going over the dresses, thoy are still found troublesome for putting on and off. These capss are usually made in cloth or cashmoro, with a second voiy full and stiff frill or pleated cape of volvet just to the shoulders, several I have seen having a black lace frill or cape bobween tho cloth and velvob one.

The third illustration is a stylish gown composed of fawn nlaided tweed, combined, m? clearly shown, with moss-green velvet. Most of the bodies are mado to tho waist only, looking more suitable to the Victorian skirts. Lace will take a most important place in dress this season, being used on all garments ot at all a dressy description and on all smart occasions. Tha wealthy and fortunate possessors of choice real lace will make an imposing display of this lovely fabric, therefore ; bub their less fortunate elstors need not despair, as some

really beautiful imitation laces have_ been specially manufactured to meet this demand, and are now showing in the leading windows; these are within the reach of moeb moderate purses. The Countess of Buckinghamshire has for some time been making great efiorts to revive the native pillow lace making, and this presenb craze for lace may prove an opening. £1,480 10a is the moderate sum expended by a known lady of title in one year on the principal items ot her dress, quite apart from the thousand and one extras, such as shoos, hosiery, gloves, and so on, a fact proving, if proof woro needed, thab the outcry againsb the extravagance of present day society women is certainly needed. ROSELLE.