LATEST FASHIONS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1649, 7 October 1903, Page 26

LATEST FASHIONS.

LONG CLOAKS AND COATS. A long cloak is a necessity whether for evening wear or for day wear, as dust cloak. These are far prettier than usual. They are made long, of linen, soft satin i-with a satin sheen on it, of white cloth, white alpaca, and white voile. They have cape collars, generally covered with a -coarse make of lace, while the threequarter length in whilie cloth or kindred stuffs are elaborately embroidered or edged with ga-lons. While© carries... all before it. It must be loose, it must be short, and it must have large sleeves, and all these are absolute necessities on s»uch a gannenlt, which has to- be easily slipped on and off. Fawn, white and champagne colour are, perhaps the most •useful, but the Royal purple and black relieved by white find many adherents. There are plenty o<f black glace coats worn, many enlivened by brig-lit-colour-ed embroideries of Bulgarian or a Russian nature, and no woman could be without a Tussore coat of some kind. The Shantung is a capital fabric for driving cloaks. It bails from China, made apparently from a sort of refuse silk of an ecru tone. A pretty example had a red cording carried round the neck in a double line, continued down the front, introduce)! cm the pocket- slits at the side, and bordering the large hanging sleeves. Mantlelettes have taken quite a new departure in linen, just 'che tone we (used to use for box. wrappers years ago. flhese are lined with tihe most delicate printed muslins have cordings of a colour upon them ,and

reach just below the waist in a sacque shape forming three tiers waved at the edge from the neck. Long ends fall in front tagged, made either of soft silk or chiffon. FASHIONS 5 FANCIES. Many of the most beautiful gowns, both for full dress morning and evening wear, are trimmed witli appliques of velvet flowers painted in relief; indeed, painted motifs figure on many of tlho chiffon and satin dresses, and on the velvet, silk, and lace trimmings. Whito doth, dresses are being made in profusion, especially with box pleats closely stitched towards the waist, and trimmed throughout with a heavy make of yak or Bruges lace, perfectly simple, with no touch of colour. A good deal of white voile is being made up, and sky blue both in voile and tweed. The skirt® require very careful treatment; though so many gatherings and pleating® and buckings are introduced from the waist tg the hip, many of them are cut severely plain, alt the top, and in nearly every case when this is so they have a short basque or gimp ornament hanging at the back of the waist, some of the plain yokes extending down the centre of the back anpi front, widening to the feet. Flounces figure on many of obese, bordered with bebe ribbon. They are made in chiffon, beautifully painted, the pretty fichus caught together with roses in the front. Coloured flowers are printed now on the tulle itself, which is, perhaps, newer than the pearl and silver embroidery, with chains and dragon-flies. BRIDES AND BRIDESMAIDS. For brides 5 dresses the more gossamer the fabric the more fashionable: only the softest satin is employed for a bridal gown, veiled with ehitton and lace, and the bridesmaids, a® often a® not, are arrayed in gowns that would he equally suitable for evening wear, made of tulle net and chiffon, somecimes trimmed with opalescent sequins and spangles. At a recent, very smart wedding three of the bridesmaids wore silver cloth, and three gold veiled with lace and chiffon, with gold roses in their hats, and' very beautiful they were.' A® a rule, .gifts to bridesmaids are pretty, and) generally only of medium value, but quite exceptionally beautiful were the lace brooches presented by the Hon. Arthur Ernest Guinness, second son of Lord and Lady Iveagh, on the occasion of his marriage with Marie CTotilde, only daughter of the late Sir George Russell, Bart., to the ten fortunate young la flies who followed the bride to the altar. The gold baskets suspended from platinum chains are filled with gem flowers, composed of rubies, diamonds, sapphires a,nd pearls, the chains supported hv diamond doves at either end, and exhibiting the initials E.C. on each side of the chain. The supporting pin attached to the doves and the chain, passing through the lace, is invisible. tailor-made gowns. ‘ There is no time of year when this class of dress is not a necessity in a woman’s wardrobe; it must adapt itself to circumstances. To meet the needs of spring and summer, the coat must either he discardable or suitable to wear indoors or out. Many are worn without a shirt, or blouse, or under-bodice of any kind, only a at the throat,

generally transparent, or a lace scarf, daintily tied; this sort of garment has rather extended its field, and is being made, not only in glace sometimes, but very often in etamine, canvas, grenadine, and even in voile and crepe do Chine. So it happens that ‘the tailor takes the dressmakers place, and that the dressmaker is doing tailor’s work, and is even sending out serges, friezes, or doth suits. Whether made by man or woman, the cut is all-important, as the Parisiennes realise, and no one going to Paris should lose the opportunity of obtaining one of the fine serges French dames are wearing. FROCKS FOR GIRLS. Girls’ gowns weight greatly on mothers 5 minds, especially on those who adopt the rrfe wrth an ill grace. Th y look anm.st as young as cherr daughters, and in many cases are twice as captive ring, and yet they have to forego 60 much to spend on the outfits of their offspring. This has been a season of balls, in which the young people have ka,d very little rest, and their dresses also, and chiffon and tulle yield quickly co the inevitable. But there is a new stuff with a good deal of durability in it, moirelouisine, thin, soft, ternacious of thread, and with a most shimmering silvery surface. It is to be had in many light shades, and can be worn alone or with one layer of tulle or chiffon over. It looks veiy, pretty and girl-like; so (do the white glaces maidens are taking to wear. The skirts are quite simple, with one finance,, the bodice having a positive habit shirt at the hack, a widening vtab attached, descending a few inches from the waist. It extends to the armhole at the back, and in the front forms a couple of elongated rovers, 'tapering towards the waist. The trimming is simply a little tucked chiffon hero and there, heading the deep flounce, and figuring on the full front. At the side of the chiffon is often drawn through rings of cord, making a graceful trimming. The sieves form one large puff. Summer frocks are generally made to serve a double purpose, opd to be suitn able for evening afterwards. They are often made high, with a transparent lace yoke, Which is easily movable, and so are the tight lace sleeves from the waist to the elbow, which supplement the ruffles there if desired. Finely-tuck-ed muslin, silk muslin, voile and cream canvas are 'die famourite materials. Soft silk and crepe de Chine are also available, but, of course, more expensive. The most cliic are pea-spotted mull muslin or esprit net, the latter made up over satin. Some of the girls look Charming in white-groundedf organ di muslin, with sparsely-scattered muslin bouquets upon them, the softer tihe better; and they admit of plentiful trimmings of lace and ribbon. A round lace yoke and deep lace armlets add greatly to their appearance. Some prefer simple morning dresses, such as mercerised linen or pique, which are the favourite stuffs, by-the-bye, for confirmations this year, made with full bodies, triple coarse cordings for the yokes and on the hips, a few tucks above the hem. Some are box pleated from the waist, the pleats closely stitched down and allowed to flare about lOin above the hem. Girlish gowns are just as elaborately made as for their elders, and some of these thin fabrics have innumerable little frills at the hem, each bordered with a ruche, while some of the sleeves have two large Duffs, the lower falling

with plenty of extra length on th.o out- \ side of the arm at the wrist. j TO CLEAN LACE- % Wo wear a great deal of laoe now a- ; days, *ll d it costs a fortune to clean, but with'a little care and trouble a woman can save herself this expense by unaerTnlring the renovation herself. hue should have a cool lather made with white soap and a little pinch or boius in it. With her hands, bub witnout nibbing she should manage to extract all the dirt from the laoo by moans of this lather, just gently pressing and shaking the lace, then rinsing m m a little blue water, or water with tea or ooifee in it, according to the colour required. A bottle should be ready covered with flannel, and she must wmci the lace tightly over it, taking care to pull it in£o place as she does this. When dry, with a little 'touch here and there, it looks as good as new.