LATEST LONDON FASHIONS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1107, 19 May 1893, Page 15

LATEST LONDON FASHIONS.

(FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.) Regent Street, April 1. There are still some winter novelties in the. way of millinery to chronicle for your benefit. The new method of making hats of the same material as the costume, of which novelty some very smart examples are to be seen now in the Burlington and other haunts of leadingup to date milliners, is the subject of my first sketch this week.

In the first instance I need not, perhaps, point out to my readers that it is not all materials that will lend themselves suitably to this fashion; cloth is the best, but tweed may be well pressed into the service also, and as these two materials form the majority of walking toilettes at this season, any difficulty in choice is easily solved. The shape itself is just an oval cap of the tweed or cloth, lined with stiff, net and sarcenet, and wired firmly round the edge. A-piece of the material from twenty-four to. twenty-six inches long and about eighteen inches wide, with the ends nicely pinked, i« formed in three folds round this, forming something in the shape of a butterfly's wing, only, less broad oh either side, through which in front is run a long quill feather.

A great deal has feeen said about the unhealthfulness of the short cape, but, all the same, it is coming in again,' bobbing up serenely,' as the importers say, for spring wear. It may be a trifle longer, extending just below the waist-line ; but it is, nevertheless, a short cape. As I have previously said capes were much worn this winter, owing, a great deal,,to the high sleeves._ Evening cloaks' have quite a district individuality of their own this winter, though they border more on the oldfashioned opera cloak dear to our grandmothers than any worn at more recent date.

, These new cloaks are of semi-length, and are worn very full and broad. Most of them have a second shoulder eape, or a very deep turn down collar as wellas the high ' Medici' or ' Royal,' and from under the one or the other the cloak is set in broad flat pleats, which spread out 'and give the required breadth and fulness round the border. In some cases the cloak is put in quite plain under the collar but is cut circular, or so gored as to produce the same effect. There is no limit to the variety of materials, designs or trimmings, and a great number are lined with broche silk instead of satin or usual lining silk. The second illustration is from a model pf for evening wear,

The cloak itself is of electric blue cashmere, lined with white broche. It is edged

all round vuth white moufflon fur, and trimmed above with narrow silver braiding. Another very handsome one I recently saw at one of our leading houses was made in just the same style as the sketch, but was of white cloth lined with crimson broche, and trimmed with crimson velvet applique edged with gold braid. For those whose limited purses forbid such costly material, the same style and effect may still hold good in less expensive fabrics.

Our third sketch will, we think, prove welcome to our readers, as it is a representation of the new shaped skirt, which is to oust the long triumphant 'umbrella.' This is distinctly hell shape, and not, at present, exaggerated, but perfectly moderate, which v/e hope it may remain, or we may become in time once more launched on a troublous sea of crinolines, crinblettes, and other aggravating monstrosities for our sins. The pattern of this skirt is very much gored, thus giving the required width and slight undulating fulness round the bottom ; it is also slightly eased in over the hips, giving a little more play. The most correct way of trimming these skirts is by graduated rows up the skirt, as illustratei in the model, which is a very pretty gown of speckled red and brown tweed, trimmed with brown velvet, and with a red shot and-brown silk waistcoat.

A new costume that has attracted much attention has a very wide gored skirt, with flat bands of rich passementerie around the lower edge. By some mysterious means it is made to stand out from the feet at the bottom, and the wearer somewhat resembles an inverted funnel. The round waist has a belt of passementerie and a compromise between a yoke and the Spanish jacket, that has met with so much favour. These jacket-fronts run into tha under arm seams just below the sleeves, and make a little point just over the bust, They are edged with passementerie, as is the high collar of velvet. The sleeves are simply enormous. It takes yards of material to make them ; the portion from the elbow to the wrist fits quite closely, and, in some cases, the glove is drawn up over the sleeve. Of course this means long gloves again. A bonnet worn with this costume is of velvet with trimming of velvet roses and little bunches of aigrettes that lcok like paint-brushes. Roselle.

Ladies who are arranging for a dance should patronise the printing department of the Mail. The price of 106 tastefully printed programme cords is 6s 6d, or, if you prefer them on fancy ft 1 led ends, the charge will be 12s Cd.