LADIES COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7383, 18 July 1885, Page 4 (Supplement)

LADIES COLUMN.

FASHION NOTES. Tortoise-shell pins are in high favour. Woollen lace is used even for trimming underskirts. Wool canvas or sail cloth ia the newest fabric for sea-side dresses. Undressed Suede gloves remain the favourites for dressy occasions. Ked ailk jerseys are prettily worn over skirts of printed sateen or percale, figured with red, for house dresses. A horseshoe, with one end broken off, of Roman gold, studded with genie for nails, serves as a new design for a brooch. Pretty aud unique sash curtains ace made of white India silk, with Turkish embroidery applied and outlined with gold turoad. Veils of tulle aud crepe lisse iu every imaginable shade of colour, and black are finely dotted with gold, silver, steel, bronze, or jet. Ornamental pins for tho hair are not worn in pairs. The coiffure may be adorned with a butterfly, a star, and a sword, but not with two pins alike. All streofc and day house- dresses aro made with very hij?h collars, fitting close in the throat, cut on the bias, and frequently braided or embroidered. Short mantles, jerseys, cloth, aud silk jackets, long Newmarkets, raglaus, and dolman vitsites of medium length arc all fashionably worn as street wraps. European and American manufacturers of drees fabrics are learning the value of gold introduced in small quantities in broche and all faucy stuffs, whether of silk, wool, linen, cosmos, or cotton. Among new fancy materials are found bengalines, glance mohairs, crape veilings, brocaded and grain de poudre otamines, and silk embroidered iu broderie de Porsaue, iu whioh a email quantity of gold is introduced. Plush lobsteis of Hlliputian dimeusious aro some of the grotesque whims for dress decoration. Some of these have tho greenishblue hue of the leading feature, while others aro red, representing the crustacean in its boiled condition. All laces are fashionable. Even the old black llama lace is revived, aud silk lace, both iu tho piece and wide edgings, come in all tho now shades of brown, tan, steel-blue, grey, wiue-colour, olive, moss, and reseda greens, as well as black and cream.

SPRING BONNETS. "Madge," in Truth, writes as follows on the fashions iu spring bouneta : —" Well, dear, the now bonnets are high in front, and pinched in as closely at tho side as the formation of tho haacl will allow. Gold appears upon nearly every oue iu some shape or other, but chiefly in that of tinsel crowns on gold wires. Bright poppy colour is in great favour for trimmiDgs as well as for whole bonnet 3 and hats. There will be no complaints this year as to tho weight of our head-gear, for tho bonnets are all quite transparent, and many of the hats are neatly so. For girls, many of tho former are without strings, but for persons of mature years strings are invariably provided, their absence being considered an invasion of the territory of youth. A pretty bonnet is covered with tinsel upon a gilt frame, and over this is some of the beautiful aud costly gold embroidery that forms such an important feature in this year's head coveriugs. In this instance the embroidery is wrought on the foundation of tho bright golden brown known as mortlnre, or mi </<))■<•, jl don't quite know which, but I do know that it meaua, or is intended to mean, half gilt. The sweetest possiblo little ruche of cream coloured feathers surrounds the edge, forming a deliciously becoming frame for a pretty face. Loops of narrow gold cord are scattered among the feathers. The iunvitable high bow above the brim, like the strings, is composed of golden brown velvet ribbon. A sweet little bonnet of poppy red crepe, arranged with narrow tucks all over the crown, is dotted with small straw bobs. A thick ruchiug of the red crepe surrounds the edge, aud a lovely bunch of elderberries, set in their own leaves, forms the high trimming. A poetic bonnet is made with a crown composed entirely of petals of the white rose, while tho brim is formed of tho brown green thorn-fretted stems, twisted and plaited together, The floral trimming consists of some giant mignonette, copied to a marvel from nature, and a white rose or two. The back of this delicious bonnet is finished off with a gathered binding of moss-coloured ribbon velvet, and the bow in front and the string are of the same. A line of pale gold lace intervenes between the plated rose-stems and the hair, imparting & lightness of effect that is immensely becoming. A small bonnet made of gold embroidery stretched over gold wires is trimmed with a large branch of guelder roses that only tho bees and buttertlies could distinguish from the real flower 3."

CHIT-CHAT. The Arjhduehees Maria Theresa of Austria 18 learning to make jewellery in the shop of a Tyrolesc worker in gold and silver. The dressmakers of Paris are to bring tho colours that were most popular last cpntury into fashion again. Tlio.sc colours will also bear the odd, often mythological, names by which they were formerly designated. The newest way of arranging chair backs is to have them made lonpnr than formerly, say about a yard and a-hilf lc ng, and then tied with a loose knot in the centre, or in a bow. One or two judiciously-placed pins will insure the position of the pretty trifl* , . Noticeable amongr the floral decorations for the coming season are the moss rosps of long ago, which arc need in natural-looking bouquets as the 3ole ornament of the spring bonnets, which promises to bo larger, and is made either in black or the fashionable gold and biscuit lace. Women are coming to the front in Washington. Mrs. Laura Do Force Gordon follows Mrs. Belva Ann Lockwood at the B.ir ; Mrs. Dr. Winslow and Mrs. Susan Erlson are distinguished physicians, with profitable practice in big families, and the wife of Russian Minister de Struve is also a doctor. One of thn most remarkable " masters" of the rifle in California is a woman, Miss Lillian C. Smith. Her aim is unfailing, and she tires from either the right or left ithoulder. Her aim is equally sure when the sights are obscured by a card placod on the muzzlo of a rifle. She shoots backward with deadly precision. The Paris tailors and tailoresses are on strike to the number of 60,000 men and 30,000 women. How the season is to be got through (ways a contemporary) by those devotees of fashion who believe only in the Parisian cut is a mystery. The loss to icsthetio humanity will be so great, if the strike continues, that we must earnestly hope some way will be found to arrange tho questions in dispute. According to a foreign statistician, the chances that a woman will marry before she is twenty years old are J4£ in 100; when she is twenty to twenty-four years old her chances aro 52 in 100 ; when she is twentyfive to thirty years old her chances are 18 in 100 ; when ebe iB thirty to thirty five years old her chances are &\ in 100 ; and then decline with every five years to 2, £, and i in 100. At Qui.en Victoria's last drawing-room there were some splendid Eastern costumes, and an Indian lady, having kissed the Queen's hand, offered Her Majesty an Oriental salaam as she retired, to the great amusement of the oircle. This lady wore a quaint but very becoming Asiatic dress of white, with over-dress richly embroidered with gold, and a regular Eastern veil around the head. She blazed with diamonds. The State crown of Queen Victoria was made for Her Majesty by Rundell and Bridge, in 1838, with jewels taken from old crowns and others furnished by the Queen's command. The following is a summary of the jewels in the crown :—One large ruby, one large broad sapphire, sixteen sapphires, eleven emerald e, four rubies, 1363 brilliant diamonds, 1270 rose diamondw, 147 table diamonds, four drop-shaped pearls, and 273 pearls. Unlike most other princely crowns in Europe, all the jewels in the British crown are really precious stones ; whereas, In other State crowns, valuable stones have been replaced by coloured glass. Tea-growns are, if that were possible, to be more elaborate than ever, made of the richest materials and trimmed with quantities of expensive lace. One of the newest kinds is made of that thick brocaded silk which was the delight of our great-grandmothers ; the colour a delicate grey, with shaded red flowers on it, which look more like the work of a choice flower-painter than as if off the loom. The loose fronts are lined with red eatin, and open over a petticoat with cream lace. Tulle, not, gauze, and tarlatan are as much used as ever for eveniag wear, and will continue to be this season the favourite form of ball dress for young ladies. For more matronly dresses for evening wear tho moat expensive and rich fabrics are employed— moire, Bongaline, velvet, and brocades of all kinds.