Ladies' Column.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 214, 16 October 1875, Page 3

Ladies' Column.

READY FURNISHED. (From the New York Tribune.) It was a pretty thing to do. What Younghusband did in a Western town. He returned with Mrs. Y. from the honeymoon meanderings. It had been understood that they were not to set up their Lares Familiares just then, from considerations of finance, refuge in a boarding-house being fixed upon. When they got back—“ Suppose,” said he, “before we go to our boarding-place wo call upon a friend of mine.” Agreed ! They ring the bell ; are shown into a pretty parlor ; they wait : no host, no hostess appears ; then denouement : “ All this, my dear—house, tables, chairs, lounges, divans, cups and saucers, cookingstove, and whatnot, are ours, are yours, my darling !” He had prepared it, a surprise for her. Tears, of course ! Kisses, probably. At any rate there should have been, dozens of them. And yet—and yet ! Do not let us be misunderstood ! Younghusband is a good fellow, and we have great respect for him. If we should be in his town, and if lie should ask us to tea, we would do for him what we would not do for everybody—we would accept his invitation, and listen patiently to this story of the house and furniture ; and say “ Ah !” and “ Yes,” and praise the new carpets, &c. But still we ask, “ What had Mrs. Younghusband done that she should be defrauded of the dear delights of the ante-nuptial shopping ?” It was a bold thing in him, savouring slightly of presumption, to fancy that he knew the taste of any woman to such a nicety. The experiment may have succeeded this time, but in 99 like cases it would have failed, either by reason of too much green in the carpets, or of too little in the curtains, or because of an over-price paid for the breakfast service. If we had such a dreadful sense of responsibility upon the mind, we should shirk it ; it is awful to think of. It would weigh us down. It would haunt us during the transaction of the little business at the altar. It would go with us upon the honey-lunar journey. “Too much green in the carpets !” we should have whispered to ourselves a 3 we sped side by side with her by rail over the land and by boat over the sea. It would have been the thorn of the roses. It would have dimmed a little the purple lips of love.

We don't like to think that Mrs. Younghusband has already said : “Don’t you believe, dear, that the man would change that lounge. It’s a beautiful thing; but ” No ; we will not spoil a pretty story by such uncalled-for surmises. Of course, we understand that she can relieve her mind by doing business personally with the butcher and the grocer. But though she may live to a great and green age, and be a happy mother and a proud grandmother—as we pray that she may be—she will never be altogether free from the recollection that she did not select that furniture. Time may diminish the feeling—perhaps even eternity will never eradicate it altogether.

THE PARISIAN FASHIONS. (Paris correspondent of the Queen.) At this season of the year many elegantes return to Paris for a few days to renovate their summer toilettes and to order their autumn ones—for autumn is not very distant now. What are called the Magasins de Nouveautes are now selling off their thin materials at marvellously low prices. The pretty fabric called Zepliir, which is a checked cambric with stripes, is sold for two shillings per yard, and materials imitating Oxford cloth as low as threepence-halfpenny per yard, and these latter are really anything but ugly. Zepliir of black and white checks, or palo pink and grey checks, or two blues, or blue mixed with pink and black, are worn more than any other patterns. Mine. Vignon makes charming Zepliir dresses. The skirt is trimmed with plaitings, the tablier is tied at the back with a sash to match, and the small bag at the side (of the same material) is fastened with ribbon of the two colors. For example, blue and black Zepliir will be ornamented with black and blue bows ; brown Zepliir, striped with grey, will have brown bows.

For dinner dressos a groat deal of white muslin trimming is in vogue on pale silk dresses. Very line muslin plaitings are used alternately with either blue or pink silk ruches, according to the color of the dress. The white muslin tunic is draped at the back, and fastened with a bright sash to match the niches. The high silk bodice opens in front, and is trimmed, as well as the sleeves, with fine white muslin plaitings. Other toilettes for warm days are mado with a mixture of iron-grey silk and grey vicuna cloth of a lighter shade ; the flounces are alternate vicuna cloth and silk ; the vicuna cloth tunic is bordered with a silk plaiting, and the bodice matches. The black and white checked Surah dresses, arranged as a tunic and

bodice, and trimmed with plaitings of either plain pink or blue Surah, are very original and pretty. The chatelaine pocket at the side has a plaiting of the plain pink Surah and a pink bow. A pink plaiting also edges the sleeves, and this is worn over a black silk skirt. The plaitings can be of silk instead of Surah, but they are not so novel. The sleeveless jacket that accompanies the costume is likewise bordered with a pink plaiting. For autumn wear cashmere and vicuna cloth will be the favorite materials, and there is no doubt but they will be covered witli braid. Never has the passion for braid been greater than it is even at present. Braids of all sorts are worn—very wide worsted braids on mantles, and very narrow braids on cuirasses ; there are exquisite silk braids for dressy toilettes, also gold braid, steel braid, both dead and bright silver braid. I have seen several stylish autumn costumes elaborately ornamented with braid, and notably one of fancy vicuna cloth, woven with small waved lines in the material ; the color was dark myrtle green, and the skirt was of silk to match. The tunic was trimmed with dead silver braid, arranged as a wide band all round it, while narrower braids were carried up the seams. The jacket formed two wide points at the sides, large enough to call to mind a peplum ; and rows of silver braid were also carried up the jacket; a large collar, cut in the sailor form, but slightly hollowed out in the centre of the back, was likewise striped with silver braid. The hat, of myrtle-green felt, was encircled with two rows of silver braid, and the crown was entirely covered with cock’s feathers, which fell over it.

Another and a simpler autumn toilette was made of black cashmere ; the silk skirt was bordered with cashmere having a silk heading. The tablier was trimmed with seven rows of silver braid, and the faille sash at the back that fastened it was arranged in a cluster of wide loops. Black cashmere cuirass, with seven rows of silver braid down the front and round the basque; the sleeves were black silk.

Black faille costumes are again occupying the attention of leading dressmakers for autumn wear, as they will be without doubt most extensively worn. Jet is to be completely dethroned for gimp made of dead silk, and which is the reverse of showy. The following black silk toilette is a good specimen of the present stylo. The skirt has five scarves across the tablier, with a fine plaiting bordering each scarf ; the train is plaited from the waist downwards like those worn by abbesses, and a black silk scarf bow is tied upon it ; basqued bodice, with sleeveless jacket above, bordered with a plaiting, and fastened on the chest; the fronts then divide like a man’s coat.

Waterproof cloaks and dust cloaks are changing both in form and style ; the former are being discarded for thick handsome mantles. Many are striped with fine braid, which almost entirely covers the back. Similar ornamentation in front, with large pockets at the sides ; the cuffs are likewise braided. The new cloth is waterproof, but is too heavy for summer wear. Dust cloaks are made of grey alpaca, lined with grey silk.

There is very little that is new in the form of bodices, the cuirass and basques being universally adopted ; but there is an innovation in trimming the back of a bodice, for not only is there a violin of fine plaits arranged on the cross, but these are now further ornamented with appliques of passementerie. Not so long ago, the backs of bodices were perfectly plain, but at present it is the fashion to make them as fantastic and intricate-looking as possible. There are many pretty fantaisics for demisaison wear ; there are navy blue tunics embroidered all over with ecru lozenges ; there are China crepe tunics of all shades, but the cream-colored ones, embroidered with a trellis pattern worked in the same shade, are the most popular ; the pink crepe tunics embroidered with white straw are also exquisite. White tunics made of double barege edged with fringe, and tied at the back with black velvet, are likewise pretty. The black faille cuirass bodices, open down the front, over a light foulard dress made as a blouse, produce a charming effect. Imagine a turquoise blue foulard, with plaited skirt, alternating with plaitings of black silk ; the blouse is gathered in front, and trimmed with Valenciennes insertion ; the sleeves are entirely composed of Valenciennes insertion ; the faille cuirass has large square basques opening over the blue blouse, with Valenciennes lace iu front ; allround the cuirass there is a wide band of blue jet. A similar but more simple style consists of a black and white checked blouse, with black faille cuirass and no blue jet.

The fashionable stockings are silk for dressy occasions, and thread for neglige. They are almost without exception woven in three colors ; for example, navy blue for the foot, striped white and blue for the top of the instep, and the leg pale blue ; the clocks are richly embroidered with white silk. Many ladies have stockings, woven expressly to match their costumes, and this particularity in stockings arises doubtless from the fashion observed this summer of always wearing shoes. White petticoats are made with a belt in front and a drawing string at the back, and no placket hole ; the short underskirt has a hem and six tucks, and the upper skirt is usually trimmed with scanty embroidered frills. The lowest frill should not be sewn at the edge of the skirt, but far enough above the edge to prevent the worked scollop touching the ground. Trained skirts of white lawn, to be worn under full-dress trains, are now sufficiently handsome to serve as outer skirts of house dresses for morning or afternoon wear. These have Spanish flounces elaborately trimmed with insertion, and plaitings edged with Valenciennes lace. The novelty is to trim such skirts with openworked insertion and edging in wheel and compass patterns. _ Very little machine stitching is to be seen on underlinen, but most of the hand sewing on chemises is beautifully done ; the stitching, of which there is an abundance, is as even as machine stitching ; the tucks are regular, and as fine as cords; the gathers are pulled, not scraped, into regularity, and neatly hemmed to the bands ; the felled seams are small and flat : the hems are wide and smooth. The over-seam-ing of selvedges is seldom well done, and in many garments there are no selvedge seams, as they are made of material a yard and a quarter wide. To be well done, the selvedges should be barely caught together by shallow stitches, so that the seam can be opened flatly by scraping it with the thumb nail ; it should look as if woven there. Embroidery worked by hand on the garment, and clusters of line tucks, are the trimmings on French chemises made for general wear. The band and sleeves are beautifully wrought with thick needlework ; the tucks are in lengthwise clusters below the band. Eliane de Marsy.