Wellington Fashions.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 897, 10 May 1889, Page 4

Wellington Fashions.

Naturally, the announcement that our worthy Mayor, Mr Duthie, oon templates giving a ball in honour of the newly-arrived Governor, is agitating feminine Wellingtonians. The question of-the day is, ‘What shall I wear ?’ Many an extra cheque will be wheedled out of paterfamilias' pocket on the plea that on this, the first occasion of appearing before the possibly critical eye of Lady Onslow, the girls must be prettily dressed. Dames and damosels alike are desirous of looking their best, if only that tbe credit of New Zealand may be maintained. Personal considerations are kept in the background. Well, I oonfess to a feeling of pleasure at the sight of a ball-room well filled with groups of gracefully attired people, aud in all probability that pleasure will be experienced at its fullest on the occasion, for never before were greater facilities for evening dress offered by the local tradespeople. A giance at the handsome windows of Te Aro House will convince you of the truth of the assertion, for there are shown cunningly-arranged folds of rich silks of every hue and texture, from thick satin de Lyons and moir6 to the soft supple make 3of liberty, surah and pongee. Lighter materials, such as net, aerophane, lace, &c.. are exhibited and set off each with appropriate garniture of ribbon or flower, fan or feather. Then inside may be Been lovely made-up evening robes, and certainly these show to advantage the superiority of imported over locally-made costumes ; there is a style about them which as yet has not been caught here. Many of the gauzy materials are spangled with gold and silver, or have tiny embroidered sprays dotted over them. Pearl beads are also used with good effect. Artificial flowers aro almost as lovely as real blossoms, and decidedly more manageable as dress adornments—they are likely to be used in profusion. A pretty way of adorning a gown of diaphanous texture is to have a water-lily on the shoulder, from which depends a trail of sheeny leaves crossing the bodice to the hip slantingly ; a similar trail is placed down ihe skirt. Whole garnitures are to bo had, consisting of collarette, epaulettes and corselet. Necklets of small flowers too are worn.

Decollates frocks will of course be worn, but the Empire style has revived the fashion of sleeves, which have of late been almost invisible. Empire sleeves are full and bouffant, and of moderate length, just covering the upper part of the arm. The bodice is cut round and low, or in a square with the corners rounded off by the folds of tulle or lace drapery, caught up with a cluster of flowers. An empire costume for a young girl is of dainty pink-tinted Indian muslin embroidered round witha wreath of red roses and foliage. The cross bodice and short puffed sleeves are also embroidered, and so is the red Indian silk scarf, twined about the wearer’s waist. The ornaments to be worn with this dress should be of pink coral, the stockings of pink silk, and the shoes of satin of rather a darker shade. Another very pretty dress is a quaint combination of palest green, trimmed with bands of violet leaves, with bunshes of violets interspersed on the lower skirt, while the corsage bands are formed of equal quantities of leaves and flowers.

The demi train is again fashionable for all but dancers, and lace is employed in every possible way, even for trains. The newest idea of utilising a lace shawl for this purpose is to fasten a corner on eaeh shoulder under a ribbon bow or cluster of flowers. The intervening width will then hang in graceful folds below the waist, leaving the bodice exposed. For the hair there are charming aigrettes composed of feathers and tinselled gauss characterised by great lightness ; others of flowers and glittering butterflies or tiny birds. Half wreaths of roses and other flowers are very fashionable and becoming. Then again, if the dress be in Greek style, the double or triple golden fillet is worn. Undressed kid gloves will be chosen by young ladies ; some are of white, tied above the elbow with ribbon. Light tan gloves and pale grey will also be used. An English authority states that ‘long black gloves

fluttering blaok ribbons, fluffs of frathe./ bauds, black ruched illusion aud ravelled b’aek s !k i-Datinqs are to be worn with balljioffus; the black emphasises tbe beauty of the throat and arms. It is specially handsome with yellow, pink, or Nile green, '-noes should match the gloves, and are either of kid or of the material of the dress. So much for evening dress, but I have not done with Te Aro Houre, for I on vv there seme extremely pretty bonnets, which I must mention. First, a flee black straw which by the way is very popular—of a new shaps, almost flat, something like aninveited oyster shell. It is raised from the forehead by a wide band which supports a full bunch of cardinal chrysanthemums. Handsome black bows, confined by jet ornaments, and black strings complete this stylish model. Another black straw was trimmed with sprays of tilleul coloured foliage. A peculiar combination, aud rather a pretty one, is of grey velvet and terra-cotta. Agaim two shades of sage and myrtle green combined in a lovely little capote without strings. / s for hats, their name is legion. Toque' and broad-brimmed, low-crovrned hats vie with each other in popularity, and every style of face can find a fitting frame to tet it off. I must rot forgot the beautiful imitation of ferns, oertainly the most natural that I have seen, large fronds of the well known varieties including feathery maiden hair, most suitable embellishment for white evening dresses. Now a hint for the home-dressmaker. A new and comparatively simple way of making woollen skirts is to have a petticoat finished off with a kilted flounce, and over this a pleated skirt mounted in flat pleats in front, and double pleats behind. This skirt is unsewn at the two side seams, but the back edge is folded over the other and fastened down upon it by means of buttons or passementerie ornaments. Similar decoration is used to join the two foremost folds of the skirt iu front. Upper skirts of this sort are cut about an mch shorter than the under one. You may sometimes be at a loss to know the number of yards of different materials required for certain garment . An authority gives the following quantities as correct : Five yards of woollen would be a suitable length for a red’ugote ; a polonaise and plain skirt require 12 yards of the same tissue if draped at all fu’ly ; a more sample arran'ement may be accomplished with 11. If the bodice is diviffi d from the skirt 10 might be sufficient. Ten yards of silk will make a tea-gown, some other material being used for the petticoat. Six yards of cashmire are enough for a girl’s costume with pleated skirt, apron, and falling breadths hehind. Foulards and shot silks run up the longest leugths. A pompadour foulard gown, with box-pleated skirt and draped tunic or polonaise, can hardly be made hand* somely with less than 24 yard 3 ; while for a plain petticoat, straight fir ted second skirt, and Direotoire bodice with chemisette, as many yards of the narrower shot silk would be required. From 22 to 26 yards of silk are the current lengths for dressy toilettes. The choice of fichus and other bodice decorations iB large and varied. One very pretty arrangement consists of a plastron composed of pleats of silk, muslin, aerophane, mounted to a round collar, alco pleated ; the folds of the plastron secured at the waist beueafch a piece of 3-inch wide ribbon carried twice round the waist so a 3 to knot in front over tbe boullonue of material formed by the lower part of the fichu. Elise.