ITEMS FOR LADIES.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 103, 2 May 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

ITEMS FOR LADIES.

An American woman lips just had made for her dog a broad silver collar, on which is engraved a Court scene from the reign of Charles 11. The edge of the collar is set with a row of turquoises Pet cats are also now adorned with very narrow bangles or silver; eight or ten of these silver hoops are worn by one cat All the now hats and bonnets — at all events for dressy occasions — have flowers. Gold ornaments in many varieties, and some of them rather garish, are prepared in thousands for millinery purposes, and largo headed pins are stuck through the front of the bonnet, immediately over the face. Gold aigrettes and black and gold ospreys are in great demand. Fashion is more capricious in the matter of coiffures • than in any other. There had been a decided return of favour for low coiffures coming down in the neck, but now the Grecian style of head-dress is once more in great vogue. Of course, ladies should know how to choose for themselves according to their own individual face and style, but to those who possess a good profile and graceful neck the Grecian coiffure is extremely becoming. At present the style is modernised by a number of little fluffy curls falling over the brow ; at the back the hair is turned up, twisted, and arranged into two or three coils, with a loose curl in the middle, fastened with large tortoiseshell pins. Apparently this is to be a regular flower year ; even dusters and towels are being elaborately embroidered. The latest novelties in tablecloths have garlands of roses, daisies, or anemones worked upon them, and, to be quite correct, the fringed dinner-napkins are adorned in the same way. Grey promises to be much favoured this spring, many lovely velvet-like cloths being prepared, and mostly in quite light tints. Tan and emerald green are a favourite combination, as also are heliotrope and cream, golden brown and a yellowish tan. Cloth is a favourite material this season; it is more suitable than velvet for young ladies' dresses, and is used even for evening dresses. Tight gloves, according to an authority, are an extravagance, as they break quickly and will not bear mending. A new speciality is the silk lace ; this is silk which is sent to and worked up by the Shetland knitters into shawls, squares for the head, veils, ties, and mittens. Cloth in light colours is very fashionable for afternoon reception dresses. The little capes now so much worn are sometimes made in red cloth and lined with white fur. Five o'clock tea dresses are now as rich as dinner dresses. Cloaks are not allowed in the drawing-room, but are left in the hall. Bonnets and mnffs alone are allowed. There is great variety in the new designs of this year's woollens. They are (says The Q,ueen)-charactor-ised by softness of colouring, and the patterns are small and of many kinds. Some of the black and white mixtures are likely to be much tho fashion. They display distinct figures in brocade," occasionally of a rough Astrakhan nature, thrown on a ground which is sometimes checked, sometimes striped, and sometimes herring-boned. All these stuffs are now made in wide width, 44 inches, which cuts to good advantage. The chevron grounds display many varieties of patterns, and the colours are particularly pleasing to the eye — decided pinks, blues, and resedas, with here and there a bright cardinal and deep blue ; but the neutral tints prevail, including heliotrope and a bluish-grey side by side with fawns and dust colours of various tones. Under a variety of names thin cloths of these hues are presented to the public.