THIS FASHIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 84, 19 February 1864, Page 4

THIS FASHIONS.

NOVEMIIEU. (From the "Enst simian's Domestic Xngnzinc") Tjir. shape nml materials for dresses are now decided upon for the coming winter season; tho style of b>>iini:ts, mantles, and all articles of toilet must be lixed upon. Tne mo-it approved ofniiiteriaLs for morning; dresses arc poplin, rep, French merino, flannel, and a very beautiful woolen material called " valours liusse "— that is, Hiisj-iitn velvet. It does not, however, at all resemble velvet, but is more like a very line ribbed merino. Tin; rep dresses and all fancy materials are very generally striped of two colours, or have a small pattern broche in silk of another shade; the merinos hit mostly sell-coloured, in all shades of grey and light In-own, or clsi; in very bright and pure violet <>r i blue, the.-e tints being: now obtained —thanks to late important discoveries in chemistry—in the most splendid hues; the new (lanne-Is, milch, resembling the real Scotch linsey-wolsey in texture, are mo.it fiisluouuhlo in all coloui-s, but especially blue mid green. Morning dresses are made with jacket bodies. The jacket may, according to taste, bo at the back only, or in front as well; in the latter ease it is shorter in front, or very short at the sides, and coming down in front into two long points, the back being also carried down into « long point. In fact, the greatest variety appears in the "shape, of these jacket bodies, and so it is also with those jackets which are u;;.de independently of the skirt. For dinner or evening dresses, low bodies are very generally worn with a cape or fichu in black and while lace or guipure. For young ladies, silk dresses are often made with a low body, aud a small squareshaped cape of the same material u> wear over it; the body is then high, and if wished to be worn low, the .-silk cape it replaced by a tullo fichu, so that the cape is equally appropriate for walking or evening attire. Flounees are almost entirely gone out of fashion, excepting I'm- Kill dtvs.-os. S<;lf-coloitred materials hit trimmed with stripes of blight plaid velvet or plush, arranged in a great variety of ways—in plain I bands round file skirt, or else coining about titteen • inches v.p each width, and there rinis.hod oil' by two j or three gimp buttons, or arranged in Vandykes, I diamonds, and other fanciful patterns, as we mentioned in cur last article; the same arrangement is repenti-d on the body and sleeves. Our" figured material., of several colours, the trimming, whether velvet or plttih, or silk braid, is of the c-jhuir of the pattern. Sleeves aro decided to be very narrow this winter, just large enough to puss thn hand through at tho wrist, ami trimmed round the bottom and up the seam. They are sometimes a little open at the bottom ; in that Case, for morning eivesses, tlu-y aro cut I square aud slit ..pen ;> little way inside the arm. For mere elegant toik-is they are a little wider, rounded I at the bottom, opened as far as the elbow, outside the I arm, and rii'hly trimmed. A lacing in braid or velvet, I or puffings, are often used as ornaments. So many different styles seem likely to be admitted this winter for cloaks inid mantles, that it is ditiiuclt to judge which is likely to prevail the most. First, there is the paletot, not quite closely lifting to the j waisi, but not loose ; it is made shorter than last "■inter, and often cut out in fanciful shape.', such as vandykrs or round scollops at; the bottom. Tho trimming, whether gimp, mixed with jet beads, or I Maltese bee, is placed "on the epaulettes and on the ! scams on the bad:, on the sleeves, and sometimes also down the fronts. ISonnets are mado not quite so high in front as in the beginning <>f the summer; but tho niuch-tiilbcd-of Marie .Stuart, shape docs uot seem likely to prevail yet. DKCKMUKU. (Trow Ln Toilet) I Amongst the materials in favour this -winter plush will hold a high place; not the eiM-fashioned phials, but one with a shorter pile. It is used for bonnets, and also for dresses, γ-o that one may have n whole toilette to match. Plush dresses are intended its I visiting toilctt.;; for this purpose, also, velvet, moire I antique, and even satin are worn. In pale shades they aie most suitable for dinner or wiree dress. They .should be low-b(;died, cither with or without a lichu or vest of lace. The colours preferred for day. are green and blue plaid, violet, and all shades'of brown. PL-tid will soon become very common, being made in such cheap material that "some of the most fastidious ladies of fashion already discard it; but it is i.-xtremely in vogui'. Jlexiro blue, anil green »ro also worn, but not much. .Small chocks are generally preferred for plaid. There- are some most elegant ! plaid plushes u:-ed for both dress:s aud mantles. I Other patterns which meet with success lire a trefoil j iif velvet on a moire or poult tie soie ground, or imi- | talions of bows or llounccs oflace on a light ground. I Poplin, plain, plaid, or striped, is the at-home dress for the season. The Pompadour silks tiro quite the thing for evening- dresses. Stripes, alternately silk and satin, sometimes wide and sometimes narrow, but always sprinkled over with small Dowers, forming either wreaths or bouquets, are the most approved of. .Uliielc poult do soie antique, aud tiie new material called ijy.Mis cloth, which has the thickness of a moire and tlit suppleness of u foulard, aro wont as a morning dress. Piisementtn-i'i is still reigning supreme amongst trimmings. It is put upon all the seams, at tlie bottom of skirts', on bodies, on sleeves, upon the Figaro e-pauletles, the revers, aud the pockets. Largo ornaments are made of point el'Espugne, fur tho front of the .-kirt, mid also for the postilion basque, but aiguiileitos, hanging buttons, and fringes with nails, are principally reserved for vostes. Chenille fvuigci is used as a trimming- for tho skirt. Chantilly j lace ii more in vogue than guipure. Y»k lace is still j very fashionable; entire dresses are made of it, and I it certainly looks exceedingly well over a coloured j silk or satin underskirt, it is made also into opera j cloaks, lined, and the upper part of it wadded, just to protect the shoulders and arms from the cold air II is said that f,.r will be fashionable as a trimming, I not merely for mantles, but also for dresses—that, I indeed, ermine ami swan'i-ilown will ho worn on ! evening drosses. Upon mantles, instead of tho plain I band of fur, as we usually have seen, rouleaux, two, j or iit tho most four, are considered more elegant, or j sometimes bands of fur are placed perpendicularly, I from xvm to eleven inches up tin; mantle: also j down the shoulders, the middle of the back, and in ! liont. JJudic-i of visiting dresses are made plain ; I p-iints are generally worn only with more dressy : toilettes. Ij.(!.<|ii.\s are getting more and more into j favour. The lit tl«- postilion livques, meet with great j success; thoy uio made of passementerie, of li.ee, of j .stamped velvet, slid of material like tin- dre.-.s, tl e ■ i'lvnt, a small waistcoat of taffetas, or moire, of a i ; colour suiting tho dress, and trimmed with hanging j j buttons of gold, passementerie, or oven sequins. The hasquiiic is often made of black velvet, with a white moire waistcoat. It can be made also of blue and green plai.l vclv.-.-t, with a bine, red, and white, or plain whit;; waistcoat Thick dresses, such as ]>lush or moire antique, will most frequently be. made in the princess' form. They will be much trimmed down the front, either with embroidery in fine cheniilc, with passementerie, or feathers'; the latter, perhaps is the greatest novelty; tho bottom of the. skirt must be made very full, and if not nindo a la Princesso, the breadths must be made a little in a point—indeed, this is quite necessary now the skirts are worn so long anil full: it would 'be impossible to put the whole fulness in tho waist. Tlie bonnets of I the pre-.icut. season are worn moderately high ; verv close at the sides. The Mary Stuart is no longer admissible. They are generally, indeed, alnujst always, made with n mixture of materials. Plaid trimming for bonnets is still much in favour, and will, we think, continue to be so during tho winter. It is certainly very pretty on either a black or white bonnet. White and plain coloured satin capotes itre gaining favour. They aro trimmed with flowers, or feathers and lace, or even simply with lace. The strings must be of satin ribbon. "White and coloured plush bonnets a.ie also gaining favour. The plush used hy.s a verv shcrt pile, and is, tieret'oru, move Uuiubl- ftis th.-tt.uwa foruiwlv.