LADIES' COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8472, 24 January 1891, Page 4 (Supplement)

LADIES' COLUMN.

PRETTY BLOUSES FOR SUMMER WEAR.

["iris," in the leader.] Fashion has produced nothing of late years which has hit the taste and the requirements of the Australian fair sex so well as blouse bodices, or as they are more generally called (with greater regard to simplicity of expression than elegance of diction) — " shirts." They are at once cool and comfortable to a degree, permitting case during hot weather, and withal smart in appearance. In those colonies we are obliged to brave the weather, regardless of the fervour of King Sol's rays, and cannot indulge in the practices of the inhabitants of some hob countries where daytime is regarded as the period for rest indoors, consequently we nail with delight any fashion which provides for our comfort as blouses do, and we often wonder how we have managed to exist so long without them. At any rate most of us are determined not to relinquish our hold on them in a hurry. Last summer blouses were universally worn, and this season bids fair to eclipse last year as regards their popularity. The demand for "shirtings" is already very great, and extensive preparations have been made to meet this demand. All manner of pretty materials are available for making these useful bodices, and we see them made of plain and fancy silks, serges, delaines, flannels, flannelettes, nun's veiling, galateas, zephyrs, sateens, Oxford shirtings, and various other materials, .......r.g the newest being fine linen canvas in cream and white with narrow coloured silk stripes. These blouses will, of course, be worn with skirts of different material, and in this way often serve to wear out old skirts which have

survived their accompanying bodices. We should, however, recommend that a plain, neat skirt of black cashmere or navy blue serge should be provided in every wardrobe for wearing specially with blouses, and the plain skirt with box pleated back is the best model for the purpose. Those who find any difficulty in arranging the pleats at the back can gather the back drapery instead, a waterfall back being equally as pretty. Girls whose dress allowance is by no means extensive, will find it a most economical plan to have a skirt of this description and a good many blouses of various styles, and ladies going to the country or seaside may minimise their luggage to a considerable extent in this manner as well

as obtain quite a variety of costumes for ordinary wear. Charming blouses of foulard and pongee silk are being prepared for dressy occasions, most of the sleeves being very chic in style and eminently becoming bo slight figures. A favourite model has a deep plain cuff which reaches quite to the elbow joint without encroaching on it, and is buttoned to ensure closeness of lit. It is gem-rally arranged, however, that merely three or four buttons act, the others being skilfully arranged on the material so that the sleeve really appears to open up to the elbow. Above the cuff the silk is set in very full, and the fulness is raised on the shoulder by a stiff lining. It, is astonishing how a little diversity of trimming and a different sleeve will alter

the style of a blouse, and the combination of two materials has a most stylish effect, as may bo soon from our first sketch. This mode! may be copied in cotton or wool for the former substituting trimmings of lace or some other washing material in place of the silk or velvet employed for revert. Some of the zephyrs, are, however, so silky in appearance as to resemble delaine* or lustres, and require washing so seldom that velvet purcmeiU* seem to be best adapted for them, and, if made on still' muslin, are very < asily removed when washing is necessary. This blouse look:- very well in a combination of plain and striped liannel, as, for instance, cream twilled flannel combined with a cream and red stripe. A dainty blouse of this pattern prepared for a golden-haired girl was of silver grey cashmere, with front of soft white pongee silk, rcvers of smokegrey velvet, belt of the same velvet fastened with a silver buckle. For good, hard wear we can recommend this model carried out in navy blue serge, with vest of some pretty spotted material and trimmings of navy blue or black velveteen anil pretty little fancy buttons. White or cream China silk, relieved with olive green, sapphire blue, or dark ruby velvet in this man ner, has a charming effect. Tins blouse may be made with or without lining, according to the taste of the wearer. For full figures it is always advisable to make blouses on tight linings.

A pretty model which combines the two attributes of simplicity and popularity, is represented in our second diagram, which may also be varied by the addition of trimming*, or by revert, collars and cuffs of striped materials cut on the cross. This blouse is so plain that it is really no trouble to wash and do up. For morning wear it looks very well made in navy blue Galatea with a tiny rod stripe, and some tuckers of ribbon and a belt to match the stripe, and will not easily soil. Pongee silks made in this manner and trimmed with vandyked lace are both dressy and cool. There is scarcely any work in making this blouse, which has the back cut in one piece, each front also being entire, with a very slight fulness just in front of the neck, which may be arranged in one pleat or lightly gathered. No whalebone is necessary, the seams being simply stitched and overcast, and a flat piece of tape stitched just across the centre of back and fronts in the waistline forms the runner for the string] which keeps the fulness in proper position. The sleeve is

very plain, but much raised on the shoulder ; any other shape may, however, be substituted if preferred. Plain sleeves, with V pouf at the top, are most becoming when the figure is broad, but a full top with deep plain cuff is a style much in favour with slim figures. Our third and last illustration shows a style specially adapted for soft limp materials, which may be smocked or simply gathered in the manner indicated. This model is a most effective one, and the fulness is by no means so extensive as may be fancied, as smocking does not take up a larso quantity of material. This blouse is only lined on the shoulders, the lining being first joined and fitted, and the material smocked or gathered on to it. The yoke top (of the lining) should be cut from the ordinary bodice pattern, and a whole width of material used for each front, the top smocked either in rows straight across the top, as for an ordinary yoke ; or, in the case of a round yoke, the material is joined for the shoulders, and the whole top smocked or gathered to form a round yoke. Of course the sleeve may be varied by a different arrangement of the smocking, and the blouse may be worn with or without the basque, with a straight or pointed bolt. Silver-mounted belts fitted with chatelaines, and broad leather belts with straps are likely to be worn this season, but belt "ribbon fastened with a buckle will still bo a favourite style. Dressy blouses may be made of different materials, the blouse itself being dark and the trimmings light, or vice versa. The quantities usually allowed for a blouse are 22 yards of single width material, or 1J yards of double width, but if the sleeves are wished more than usually full and puffy, an extra J yard should be allowed. Velveteen is very inexpensive, and forms a pretty finish to serge, flannel, or any woollen blouses, and if carefully cut, threeeighths of a yard is ample for collar, cuffs, belt, and revers. All the parts made of velvet or velveteen should bo lined with stiff muslin, with the inside edges felled over, so that they may be easily tacked on to and removed from washing blouses. Some very pretty models are made of vieux rose cashmere trimmings of cardinal velvet, and cream washing silk with green buttons, moire belt and ribbons.