ITEMS FOR THE LADIES.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 10, 11 July 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

ITEMS FOR THE LADIES.

Certainly the material for the coming Beason will ■be etamine, a coarse canvas-like stuff made both in wool and, Bilk, which is not, however, altogether, new, since it was introduced last summer, but not with success ; however, this season it can be had striped and in floral designs, as well as quite plain, and will certainly take up a position. All-the leading houses are using it here for draperies over rich silk, and especially are black and browu toilettes shown, and even cotton materials are made in imitation of this canvas-like texture. Orepe de coton has a surface of crepe, and is a pretty material, j while stripes of every width, as well as dots, sprays, and other fancy, designs, are all shown in the new sateens. All ,the soft woollen, fabrics for spring wear have fancy patterns, and. combine well with striped or plain skirts, Xhe velvetspotted r cachemeres, too, are still employed, and, they really make up with .much style. •■ ( , j Coloured merino scarfs are worn round the, throat loosely thrown over, and the ends carried down and secured at $be waist. These give? the look of the loose, f ujl fronted costumes. A cashmere, slit in half, or ' less, .is, often used.. : , ' , A new;, yariety, of trimming for. mantles and dresses is a wide band of Indian cashmere, richly worked with '{»old the cashmere is made in all 'colours, ■ but ■ need . not necessarily ' ijaa,tch the article trimmed. ; 'Silk worn next the, skin is slightly warmer and#more absorbent than Vegetable fibre ; but that it does not 'allow the noxious exhalations to, pass freely is, proved by the unpleasaut smell it soon acquires. . The caprice of the season is the bonnet of strung beads made into open fanciful designs of flowers, stripes and curves, on wires and entirely Without lining,' so that the coiffure may be seen through. Flowers, and a cluster 1 of 'lace, are the trimmings. The principal summer novelty prepared by modistes are the guipure chapeau'x';' they are of straw and fibre worked into 'a/ guipure pattern. ■Sometimes the brim, sometimes the crown^ and . sometimes ' the whole , capote is 1 of this .guipure. ; Plain black ,'hosiery will continue to be'worn','during the summer, either simply clocked 'or dotted 'with tiny i coloured, sprays of embroidery ; colours'are made to match costumes, such as ecru, seal brown, navy blue, slate, and lead colour. In fashionable colours, green is certainly 1 predominant, and of this .there are many varieties of shade — oseille fraicbe, fresh spinach, oseille cuite, cooked spinach, cresson chicoreej Florentine bronze, summer moss, autumn moss, vert d'eau, and two, or .three shades of lentille, lentil green. i ' Parasols this season are made in tho' Japanese shape, with' 24 ribs, and are mounted t« show the gilded fraino inside. The handles arc short and of natural wood, with a hook or ring at the top, by which they are easily carried'; many are trimmed with scalloped' edges and laco ruffles. The majority of the new parasols are black, cream, or ecru, rather large. This 1 summer young girls will wear costujnes of cream woollen materials, with skirts of cream woollen lace. Those "who have not seen them can, gain little idea of their graceful aj>pearance' from contemplating the somewhat stiff and heavy effect of tho uarrow edgings. The wider they are the more gracefully the lace skirts hang. ' There is not much change -in the style of dressing the hair, it is still worn very high for evening. Thenewest pins are two-pronged tortoiseshell combs, with filigree work or cut steel tops. The " catogan " coiffure, the hair falling loose in braids or loops at the nape of the neck, is said to be gaining ground. Light woollens, trimmed with

i braids, are very well worn for walking dresses ; the galons are wool and silk, and broche; very little silver and gold is used now for the purpose. They are sewn at the top edge only, to haDg like scanty and narrow flounces, arranged as quilles at the sides, or in the spaces left by the folds of tablier, and make a very pretty trimming. They are also used very narrow on skirts of plain materials as quilles in horizontal lines with a small loop at each end, or as borderings in upright lines. The latter style forms a nice bordering for jackets or tunica also. Black lace jackets are revived, and are now made of piece lace, cut with darts and side forms, precisely as basques are. One of the prettiest of French thread not has five deep points on its edge, covered with lace laid in accoidian plaits. A. palm leaf of jet is above each point. The new woven fabrics, resembling lace or open embroidery, are a charming addition to the ranks of washing materials, and when lined with some pretty delicate shade of colour are exceedingly pretty, either for portions of a costume or for the whole dress. The most fashionable of all laces is the fine woollen lace, which is now made in all colours, and beautiful for eveniug wear by silk and gold embroidery following the design of- the lace, and very frequently still further enhanced in beauty and value by the addition of seed pearls. Thus embroidered, a flounce of fine woollen lace is.oneof the loveliest fabrics that can be applied ro feminine toilettes ; a tunic of similar lace on a silk skirt, trimmed at the edge with a thick ruche or feather border, is equally beautiful. .