Children’s Fashions.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 996, 3 April 1891, Page 5

Children’s Fashions.

There is a large selection of pretty dress fabrics to choose from this Beason, both for day and evening wear. Thin cloth in plain colours or chequered make lip nicely into serviceable frocks for home wear, while thick rough-textured materials form many smart out-of-door costumes. Fur or astrachan trimming is much used to adorn the latter, this being generally arranged in bands to form a border for the skirt, while the doublebreasted coat is completed with a broad turned back collar, faced with the same trimming, with cuffs and muffs to correspond. Such costumes as these are worn by both young ladies and little girls. Pretty cloth gowns of a semi-tailor Btyle are made, with straight skirts, bordered with a deep stitched hem. The fitting bodice is gathered or pleated from the shoulder seams in such a manner that it sets full over the bust on either side of a flat fancy vest. The sleeves in every instance are very full upon the shoulders and are raised considerably, the portion from the elbow to the wrist alone being made to fib the arm closely. Charming frocks for little girls are composed of two materials, the one being a plain and the other a fancy cloth. These have a half-fitting coat bodice with an entire gathered waistcoat, which may be finished with a ribbon girdle immediately below the waist. A dainty frock in this stylo is made of a chequered cloth, with vest and sleeves of the same material, the open coat bodice alone being of a plain contrasting fabric. A charming novelty presents itself this season for little girls’and ladies’wear, in the shape of flannel blouses, made in a similar style to the linen ones which have been worn all the summer. These are made in every imaginable art shade of colour, with stiff, upright collars and wristbands, the rest of the garment being loose. Flannel is a popular material just now, and well it may be, as it is dyed in really exquisite shades, so that it forms an admirable fabric for composing both useful and ornamental articles of attire. It makes up perfectly into dainty baby frocks, which are both comfortable and serviceable for home wear. Pretty colours, such as art blue, green, or soft shade of pink, should be selected, and the little frocks when nicely smocked and completed with full sleeves, will he found most economical additions to the wardrobe. Apronß for little girls are much in demand for school wear, as they save the dresses from soiling. A new and useful one is made of coloured print. It has a gathered skirt, which is bordered with anarrow flounce; a V-shaped bib is joined to the skirt, both back and front, which unites upon tiie shoulders, thus the entire dress is covered so that if the latter is not very fresh a pretty apron oi this sort is a help towards a neat and clean appearance. Others with half skirts and small bibs are completed with gathered flounces or embroidery round the border, while pretty pockets give a nice finish to the whole. Hat shapes are increasing in size. Velvet covered shapes are worn alike by little girls and small children.