FASHIONS OF THE DAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 858, 10 August 1888, Page 4

FASHIONS OF THE DAY.

Timo was when every woman who aspired to the title of “lady”—which meant far more then than it does now—endeavoured to dress with modest elegance and without conspicuousness. To be remarkable in attire was the aome of vulgarity to which no lady would willingly attain. How different now ! With the times, tastes have changed, and women of all classes try to outvie each other in the display of startling fashions, more or less noticeable. Aud where do those fashions originate ? That is a problem r.ot solvable bv the uninitiated, but where they firs* appear is at the Paris theatres, and other places of public amusement, outdoor and iudoor. The actress and the demi-monde are the sources whence fashions spring now-a-days; therefore, it cannot be wondered at if in each instance the necessity of attracting attention influences the choice of a style ; and so eccentricities of dress are thought out for and worn by these two classes. From them the modiste takes the oue ; dressmakers and fashion-draughtsmen visit all places of public resort for the purpose of “getting ideas.” It is even said that though a costume may be perfectly successful on the stage, it will never become fashionable unless the demimonde adopt it. Rather a humiliating fact, is it not? When a new model has been “lancd,” as it is called by the cocottos, it is then adopted, with modifications, by ladies. Then it gets into the fashion journals, and gradually penetrates the various classes of society at Home and abroad. Actresses play a most important role in the world of fashion. What lovely creations of costume are seen on the boards ! Often it is worth while going to the theatre it only to see the dresses. There is a piece now running in London called “ the Amber Heart, in which the dresses are particularly beautiful. Miss Ellen Terry wears, in the first act, a wonderful costume. It is a close-fitting underdress of pale blue aud gold, and over this is a sleeveless polonaise with a long train, the whole knitted with silver thread. The knitting employed five persons for a fortnight, so you can imagine it mu3t be very fine work. The effect is most graceful, as the strips of knitting are made up on the cross, so that the skirt clings closely to the figure. The dres3 is trimmed with ermine. Another stage gown has a skirt' with a deep border of Tosca bead-trimming with a heavy fringe, a long train from the shoulders, and the entire dress is orange-coloured. Bright colours are certainly coming to the front again. Have you remarked how regularly these same colours change their derivation —in name, I mean ? A few years ago every tint was named after some flowerrose, violet, pink, lilac, primrose. Next came the reign of fruits strawberry, crushed or otherwise, greengage, apricot, prune, all were to be seen in our gowns, while the head-gear displayed bunches of red and white currants of abnormal size ; grapes, peaches, gooseberries, even whole oranges were to be seen hanging on a bonnet. Now we derive our colours from wines and liqueurs—Absinthe, Chartreuse, Curagoa, Champagne, &c., are “your only wear,” though I have seen “milk blue ” and “ yelk of egg ” mentioned. A gossiping correspondent of an English paper gives such an amusing account of a meeting of beverage colours that I must here reproduce it:

« Among the remarks heard at the Horse Guards on Saturday were, “ Bon t you think that Lady Gimbletisjustalittle too fond of absinthe?” or“ Mrs Popgunoffs has quite enough maraschino about her.” Who is the lady in the brandy-and-soda frock and a Pommery ’74 hat with the girl carrying an Indian ale sunshade ?” “ That is Mrs Adolphus B. Pork-Packer, of New York ; she is very distinct.” “And please, madam, pray tell me of the lady in the claret velvet gown aud the sparkling red wine parasol. “ That is the authoress of a new novel * A Bolling Stone is Better than no Bread she is quite distinct.” Finding that everybody was distinct, I ref rained from asking about the lady in cider cup and the dowager in frothed porter, and turned my fancy to sport.” I do not pretend to describe all these new tints, never having seen, or indeed heard of many of them ; I know that both absinthe and chartreuse are peculiar greenish shades ; and the pink o£ champagne is familiar to most women ; the sex is supposed to have a partiality for the wine, even if they have none for the colour.

One of the greatest changes of taste of the present day i 3 in tho matter of underwear. White and white only, was worn.

Well do I remember the horrible, cold Irish linen undergarments which it was my fate to wear when a girl; naturally of a chilly constitution, the juxtaposition of x those frigid garments with my flesh was absolute torture, until my bodily caloric had warmed tho linen a little : flannel happened to be out of fashion just then, or rather thcwearing of woollen had not theD been insisted upon by science. Soon, however, the merits of flannel were generally recognised, as well as the de-, merits of linen, and that martrydom was at au end. Stil white was the colour, whether of calico or flannel, and remained so till quite recently, when grey flannel came intc favour, and now it is the favourite colour. In many instances flannel entirely takes the place of calico for underwear, aud one can scarcely wonder at the fact, af tor seeing the now popular Dr Jaegar’s patent material made up as vests, combinations and nightgowns. They are of the softest wool, and finest weave ; the colour is between fawn and grey. I saw them at Thorndon House, where Mrs Kelly expatiated on the advantages of adopting the undyed garments as if she had been the inventor himself. Chatting with some friends on the subject, one lady, recently from tho Old Country, insisted that the real article was not procurable in New Zealand. I assured her that Dr Jaeger’s stamp was on each article, and quoted prices which she thought very cheap, judging from those she paid in England. She afterwards proved my assertions to be correct by a visit to Thorndon House. There is no doubt that the grey flannel wears much better than the bluey white or cream white once universal ; no doubt the bleaching process injured the texture to some extent. There is, however, one innovation of colour which should be strongly deprecated ; black underwear is not elegant, though I hear that batiste of that shade has been introduced in Paris for chemises and night-gown. Imagine the ghoulish effect of a woman in a black night-dress lying in a 'white bed ; it would certainly create a spookish impression on the beholder. To all appearance there is now no distinction whatever between morning dress and afternoon toilet. Silks, satins, velvet, and such embroideries are worn before lunch, and simple zephyrs are admissible after that meal. Once there was a very decided distinction between the dress of the two periods of the day ; but it must be a great saving of time and energy to have to dress but once instead of twice during the day. Fashion is fast reverting to the days of our great-grandmothers. The direetoire style which is becoming the rage was at first introduced in the long redingote which left the front breadth of the dress exposed. Since then the evening dress of the Empire period has come in, with its short waist, full puffed sleeves, aud flowing skirts with slightly wrinklad front. Sarah Bernhardt wore the costume with, of course, artistic modification, on the stage, with wonderful effect: and as a consequence modistes took up the style and fashioned it .to suit some of the most charming debutants of the season. So we have a hint of what is coming. Elise.