THE LADIES' COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6237, 12 November 1881, Page 3

THE LADIES' COLUMN.

| FASHION NOTES. Cms-a crape is imported for over-dresses. Ombre and Roman short sashes are worn. Drown lace is used on light coloured silks. Open work and fancy braid hats are the rage. Dragon green is a new shade of that colour. "Tcel" or apricot is the favourite shade of pink. Black chenille forms part of tlie handsome mantles. On wedding slippers ivory heels are the latest thing. Coloured lace mitts in every style are worn to match the costume. Dotted and flowered Swiss muslins are again very fashionable. The new almond colour is only a revival of the old euir or leather colour. Buttons with .-Esop's fables are fit to amuse the children only—not for dresses. The nearer the bangs and curls cover up the forehead the more fashionable is the wearer. Skirts of sea-grass cloth embroidered in crewels are to be worn at the seaside this summer. The graceful little bags of tinted silk to be suspended from the belt or girdle are called " gipcieres." A befitting toilette constructed simply and of plain goods is far more pleasing than an elegant dress badly made. Chantilly lace is worn over plaiting of delicately tinted satin, intermixed with poppies or fine soft flowers, for dress hats. Roses of pink or crimson, dark red roses and dark red poppies, are worn witli black, or cream coloured satin or Surah dresses. Suits of checked lined in black and white are almost as pretty as the checked silks, and infinitely cooler for travelling dresses. Lawn tennis costumes are made of ecru or cream-coloured batiste, brightened by wide bayadere stripes in rich Oriental colours.

The last novelty in parasols is to have them in velvet. One lately seen in ruby velvet had a large gold embroidered bee on one division.

For garden shade, the rcry large Japanese parasols are taking the place of the Holland ones, though they are not as useful, as they will not stand rain or rough weather. Tliey measure about six feet in diamater, and are fitted into a second stick with a sharp point for fixing in the ground. They are bright and varied in colour and pattern, and are a fanciful addition to a lawn oil a sunny day.

CHIT-CHAT.

Wash leather gloves should be washed in clean suds, scarcely warm.

The new French style of marking gentlemen's socks in big, elongated initials alongside the clocking is called " giraffe marking.'

The New York hoop-skirt factories are busy again with orders from all parts of the country. The hoops are coming, beyond a doubt.

It is said that a girl who wears No. 2 shoes and beautiful hose can be scared into believing almost every little bit of wood or stone is a mouse.

Medallions of roses on the walls, alternating with hanging baskets of ferns, were the late ball room decorations of Mrs. Naylcr Leyland, of London. Nursing is becoming a profession. Schools for nurses are daily growing into favour, and during the past seven years 120 nurses have gnduated from "The Training bchool for Nurses."

If it makes a white woman bewitching to stick a piece of black court-plaster on her face, why wouldn't a piece of white courtplaster make a black woman appear positively charming ? Skim milk and water with a bit of glue in it, heated scalding hot, is excellent to restore old, rusty black Italian crape. If clapped and pulled dry, like rice muslin, it will look as well, or better, tliau when new.

A fan of fifty ostrich tips, mounted on tor-toise-shell sticks, with the fair owner's monogram and coronet in pearls and diamonds on the outside, the whole affair large enough to hide the figure to the waist, is the nine days' wonder in fashionable London, and a present from Lord Lonsdale to his wife.

At an English wedding, a few weeks ago, daisies appeared in all the decorations. The bride's white duchess satin was embroidered with them, and her veil was fastened with pearl daisies, and her bridesmaids wore gowns of ivhite nuns' cloth and satin embroidered with daisies, and daisy bonnets and brooches, and carried bouquets of natural daisies presented by the bridegroom. At the annual meeting of the Glasgow Association for the Higher Education of Women Sir James Watson dissented entirely from those who think that " Higher education" of women led to an unfitness for the duties of daily life. It would, in his opinion, increase their general intelligence, and make them better members of society, more conversant with matters of daily life, and more fitted for the business of the world. It it not a bad plan to give girls only one baptisimal name, so that if they marry they can retain their maiden surname, as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Harriet Beecher Stowe, This is the practice among the Society of Friends, and is worthy of more general adoption, for we should then know at once on seein" the name of a lady whether she was married and if so, what her family name was. In Geneva and many provinces of France the maiden family name of the wife is added to the surname of the husband ; thus, if a Marie Perrot married Adolphe Lauve, they would after marriage write their names respectively, Adolphe I'errot-Lauvc and Marie Pcrrot-liauvc. The custom serves to distinguish the bachelor from the married men, and is worthy of imitation ; for if vanity unites in the same escutcheon tho arms of husband and wife, ought not affection to blend their names.