LADIES COLUMN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10079, 14 March 1896, Page 4 (Supplement)

LADIES COLUMN.

AUTUMN FASHIONS.

[BY QUEEN BEE, IN THE AUSTRALASIAN.] Velvets have become perfect poems of colour and design. Some of these have a surface as smooth as satin, with a sheen like a mirror. They are stamped with a chiselod-liko scroll design in rich Oriental colouring. Othors take a new form of chin 6, bavin" a silk groundwork and a raised velvet stripe in small spots. Those are simply exquisite in pale tints with a subduing black stripe in velvet. Yet, again, others are shot and plain, stamped with scrolls of miroir surfacod satin in rich rods, blues, and yollows. Some suggest handsome old Paisley designs, the exception being that the colours are far more brilliant, and that they ace produced on light grounds. Velveteens are just as great a surprise as the velvets. Their textures are finer than ever, and the designs aro endless, which is the chief point in thoir novelty. The designs include the pine pattern in very delicate tints and also in Oriental colouring. Stripes, narrow and wide, are most attractive, especially in white and black, black and yellow, black and pink, etc. There is a mosb decidod tondeticy towards rough effects in most woollen fabrics. Crepons are woven with silk and wool, the wool ground being of a soft, oat-meal-like texture, divided by a much puckered or very rough silk stripe. Others are all pure silk, but are thick and raised, and have all the warmth necessary for winter wear. Hair grounds aupoar in many, giving the idea of a bark like texture, while others are very solid looking, and have a wavy design on the surface and a smooth underground. These are all most effective in black, colour being the exception in thoao materials. A new supple satiny-surfaced cloth is a novelty. It is known as the "Ziboline." In black, fawn, and dark green it is smart. There is also a coarser texture of the same material with the hairy surface much longer than that) of the finer sorb. Both much resemble a thick quality of beavar. The ever-useful Melton cloths and serges are again much to the foro. The former have this season a beautifullyfinished Bilk-like surface. The latter are shown shot with colour, and havo a brochdlike face in a raised Astrachan-like knot that is most effective. The heathor mixtures, too, are very nice. The new ottoman or corduroy textures show a much thicker cord than formerly. They should be among the most satisfactory winter dress stuffs. A novelty is shown in alpaca. They aro umally shot in two colours, and have a pjplin-like finish. The fondness for the D case has introduced a new silk for thoir construction. It is of the tinosb Indian qiality, and is accordion-pleated, while at eery 4in space thore is an insertion band of the slik embroidered in its own colour. In each piece there is sufficient to mako a high-necked evening blouse with elbow eloeves. The most effective colours are pale green and ripe con yellow, pale pink and pale blue, as well as white and black. Rarely have hats, bonnets, or toques been prettier or more original. Felt, velvet, beaver, and chenille are among the smartest fabrics used for their modelling. Ostrich feathers are again considered the richest of plumage for all kinds of millinery. Oil large picture hats of beaver and velvet they are often set in clusters of six or eight, with a handsome aigrette towering in the centre. It is plowing to note that in this kind of decoration tho natural colours of the ostrich plumage aro once more finding favour. White, and ivory white feathers, combined with black ones, are also brought into graceful and effective use, not only on hats but on bonnets. Fashions in millinery are subject to moro frequent historical changes in shape than any other part of our dressing. At the present moment the Henry VIII. period of hat, with its benfeator crown, is a revival. So is the Tudor bonnet, with its turnod-up battlemontbriui, and the quaint Puritan cap with its turnodup oar-pieces. One of the many notable specimens in the beefeater style of hat is in a soft shade of fawn miroir velvet, having on one side a cluster of natural-tinted ostrich feathers, springing up out of a mass of La France rose-pink chine ribbon bows. Ono of the smartest and most becoming examples of the Tudor bonnet is in white satin, studded and embroidered with silver seed boads, sequins, and silver thread. (Iracefully arranged bows of black ribbon velvet aro set at the back of tho crown, giving a nocossary and contrasting finishing touch. The Puritan bonnet is shown in dead leafgroan velvet embroidored with a design in gold thread and seed pearls. On onesido of the front are set upstanding ears of rose-pink rniroir velvet and black tulle arranged in a fan of fine tinted lace. Two coronet bonnets are very dainty.and new. One is in silver and pearl embroidered net raising in fronb in the form of a pointed coronet. The capelike crown is almost concoaled with fanshaped setting of pale blue miroir velvet bows. The other has a gold and pearl embroidered foundation with black feathers, arranged in a similar manner to the blue bows on the silver ono. Although very large picture hats are in the ascendant, medium-sized ones are not forgotten. Those are usually of felt, of a must exquisitely soft quality, and in size form a compromise betweon the large hat and tho toque. The trimming is varied and original. Some have a scarf of beautiful ribbon striped with velvet and quills, while others have a drape of miroir velvet, showing on the under side a facing of chin 6 silk, held in position with handsome pins, buckles, and quills. Among the mantles, capos again havo it all their own way, but thoy are this season the perfection of good taste. The single circular form is much more elegant and becoming than those of last winter that rose about the figure in tiers. Black plush and black velvet is tho chosen material for dressy day wear, and jet and fur form the leading ornamentation. in addition to these there aro, however, some exceptionally rich models. A very original one is of black plush, exquisitely embroidered and appliqutSd in green silk shaded thistle leaves and mauve flowers. This is further enhanced by a collar and border of black ostrich feathers, and a warm quilted lining of black satin. The essence of comfort for evening wear is a long pelisse of old rose broch6 spotted poplin, finished with largo full bishop alcoves, and a doop cape collar, edged with a band of fox fur. It is luxuriously lined throughout with quilted silk, in the same colour as the poplin. White and gold brocade forms another handsome evening wrap. It is lined with white silk, and trimmed with bands of white fox fur.

TO BE HAPPY IN LOVE. When a woman is happy with a man she cares nothing about " women's rights." It is when a woman is without her man, or is not happy with the man she lias, that the troublo begins. Happy wives and mothers know—with sure and certain reasons for their knowledge—that men are the best and truest friends women can havo. It is women who, for any cause whatever, are without men, who are against men, and those women only. Whenever I read one of tho novols of a certain sort, written by married women, which just now ard "in demand at all tho libraries," I ask myself what the trouble has been with the woman who wrote it. There has been trouble, you may bo sure, matrimonial trouble, in which there have been faults upon both sides. These women are nob the martyred paragons, of sound mind and of sound body, which they would have »8 suppose. It must bo remembered that there can scarcely be a sound mind without a sound body. Anajmic womon, for instance, not seldom are unfitted, both mentally and physically, to bo eithor wivos or mothers. When they discover the fact, too late, they are apt, in their bitterness, to lay the blame upon their husbands— who are, in truth, themselves the victims— and to raise a hue and cry.— the Year Round.

HOW TO WALK. Don't look at your feet when walking, but hold your hoad well up in the air, writes Woman. Don't shuffle your feet. A little tiioughtfulness and a littlo practice in highstepping will soon break up this ugly habit. Don bend back at the waist under the impression that you are thereby walking erectly. It throws the stomach forward, and is almost as inimical to grace as round shoulders. Finally, don't allow yourself to walk " pigeon-toed"—that is, with tho toes turned in or straight; you can never be graceful in movemont while you do. It) is unnecessary to say that heavy skirts and. tight corsets are quite incompatible with freedom of motion. Do not bothor about the shoulders. Hold the chest well forward, and they will take care of themselves. Then, with the chin well up ar.d the toes burned out, you ju»y4Uer«Jl,y « walk a,chalk I'liw.",