Latest London Fashions. A PRETTY BODICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 250, 21 October 1893, Page 4 (Supplement)

Latest London Fashions.

A PRETTY BODICE.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Regent-street, Sepbember 2. The May blossom is a flower of which most of us gob prebby bired in the spring, owing to the large quantities of ib used in connecbion wibh bhe Royal wedding. The flower was reproduced in miniature, bhe petals and stamens being clearly indicated, and a small amount of foliage and stem being included in each spray. One material in which it was inbroduced is excellently suited for ladies' blouses, being a nice, 6ofb rich silk, and catf, of course, be used for dresees if desired. Holland, bobh white and brown, is in fashion again thia summer; a matter for congratulation, as it is a becoming material, delightfully cool in appearance and wear, and washes so admirably thab ib looks well to the last.

Some of the prettiest hats this summer^ are those made with cone-shaped crowns of fancy 6traw and lace brims, which are of course well wired to keep in shape. These are obtainable in black or white and in one or two colours, and are extremely dressy and summer-like for smarb occasions. The example skebched is in black straw and lace and has bwo twiabs of black ribbon velveb round the crown, terminating in loops and ends on the lefb side and a group of pale pink carnabions. The brims of bhese habs being of course quite transparent have a very lighb and prebby effect, showing the hair through ; dark through the white lace or fair through the black. Leghorn hats, which since their firsb inbroducbion in bhe days of our grandmothers or greabgrandmobhers have been alternatively disappearing and reappearing as fashionable wear, are once moro upon the scone, and a number of the ' flop' species have been very stylishly worn at all the recent Fociobv gabherings, race meetings, etc. They are now worn caught up wibh ribbons (frequenbly velveb), and flowers, roses being much in favour bhis year tor .all kinds of millinery.

My second illustration shows one pretty bodice in blouse fashion, which could be worn with either dark blue or black skirt successfully. This is a dark red Surah silk, with shoulder frill of black lace, the yoke apd sleeves being trimmed with jeb. This same Resign may also be very prebbily carried out as an entire dress of grey bengaline, trimmed with rowfs ot steel in place of the jet, and whito instead of black Jace.

Ladies may find much to interest them ab tho Imperial Institute.; tho needlework of •the Indian women exhibited there is most beautiful, and woll ropays tho attention it receives. Whero all is so good ib is difficult to select any particularly for notice, bub as specially baking my own fancy I may mention the delicate embroidery of a boy's pale blue tunic and cap, and a woman's robe of a sort of dpll peacock blue, thickly embroidered with silks, and sprinkled wibh what we should call iridescent or shot spangles. They are so clever, too, at bead work^; a saddle with hanging border of the tiniest beadß of every colour is worked in the moat artistic patterns with unorring and faultless accuracy.

A Svlxsb Gown, The third sketch is from a stylish gown of black bengaline, The ekirb is cub tn the 'Cloche' shape, which is tho one we shall now moat generally settle down to, and wibhoub trimming, A blaok bengaline Spanish jacket wibh full, large sleeves, and edged entirely round wibh gflbsequlnß (which are. being much used jusb now for dresses pf all kinds, e^ve thoso for morning wear) was worn ever across over walsbooftli of apple green gurali §Übi this elegant alterneea

gown was a bonneb of jeb bandeaux wibh a spray of bea roses and leaves, and a black silk parasol with rows of apple green velveb ribbon round.

We have rarely had such pretby materials for summer w__- as this year ; the delaines aie really lovely, the patterns and blending of colours being mosb artisbic. Those with black grounds, which make up most usefully for all sorbs of occasions, have mosb nabural sprays of coloured flowers; sweeb peas, pansieß and daffodils being some of the best I have noticed, and those with lighb grounds being mosb delicabe in design and tints. One in Regenb sbreeb for the moderate sum of half a guinea the robe—a white ground with white sacin broad stripes and trails of forget-me-nots over—looked fit for Madame Pompadour herself. Roselle.