" Weekly Press and Referee."

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9604, 19 December 1896, Page 2

" Weekly Press and Referee."

LONDON AND PARISIAN. The common jet-headed black hat pin has long been supplanted by pins with fancy heads, such as a tiny flower, or insect. Diamond-headed hat pins are preferred to all others, but the majority are diamonds by courtesy, being, in fact, simply paste, and nothing more. Though a writer on fashions recently declared, with authority, that the pointed shoe had been relegated to the woman of no importance, and that its place had been taken by a shoe with toes as broad as the creed and conversation of the New Woman, there are no outward and visible signs o such an innovation. Modish womankind has never taken kindly .to the wide-toed footgear beloved of the rational dresser and the raiment reformer. The walking shoe of the season is narrow and moderately.pointed, with either a military or slightly lower heel. Alpacas will make the most useful dresses and some of the silk alpacas are delightful. The shot alpacas are a novelty, and those with contrasting dots and figurings are distinct from what we have had. Grass-lawn should be one of the best chosen materials. For blouses it is made up over bright-coloured silk or satin, which is seen distinctly through the pattern, or through the lace insertions. It is made in jmre white, holland and some colours, though the latter are not very conspicuous. The material itself is like a veil of gossamer, but is strong and wiry, a quality that prevents its falling in as do muslin and chiffon. French muslins are in many bright colours, with pretty floral designs in pale shades with bright-green foliage. Cambrics, piques and» drills are in much variety, the piques with finer lines that those of late. Laces and embroidery, with soft silk muslins and gauzes will be the jirincipal adjuncts for ornamentation. Buttons arc a study of the artistic, and many buckles are adopted. The most distinguished looking toilettes are those in which a single tint jwedominates, the chief idea being to keep the whole composition in a neutral key, and to introduce a note of bright, soft colour that will be in complete harmony Avith it, and yet offer telling contrast. There are all sorts of most fascinating things in cravats and ties, but of them all nothing is smarter than a simple bow with broad outstanding loops of white Malines tulle. Another pretty one is a folded band of velvet, such as turquoise blue, though this colour would spell ruin to some complexions. It terminates in front in a sailor knot, with ends broadening out and fringed with lace. Yet another cravat is in white or creamcoloured chiffon, and it has perhaps the quaintest character of them all, being a dainty adaptation of one in the first Napoleon period, and essentially a portion of the first Napoleon collar, which is a speciality this season.