Society and Fashion Gossip.

Otago Witness, Issue 1764, 12 September 1885, Page 26

Society and Fashion Gossip.

— Cardinal red velvet is in great use — first in fine oombination with the grey, fawn, beige, and other neutral tints, now so prevalent, and bows of it are seen upon black and dark blue toilets whenever there is a suggestion of red else- 1 where, and cardinal red parasols are the invariable adjuncts to all such toilets. On black lace' hats it is fashionable to arrange a knot of red ribbon velvet in place of a feather aigrette. Red hose worn with black satin sandals or pale grey mules, have a new lease of life; and red silk gloves are fashionable, but are execrable upon the hands off anyone this side of" Old Virginy" > ■or the land of the Dakotas. ■• ■

— One of. the novelties at an elegant dinner given recently was a music-box inserted in the ' standard of an exequisite china dish containing bread. When the dish was lifted from the sideboard the music began, continued while it was ' passed from guest to gues^ and when again " placed where it belonged, the music ceased. •

— One of the leaders of Parisian fashionable. . society lately gave a ball, at which all tjje guests' were skilfully metamorphosed into beasts, birds, „ or reptiles. The notion was an original one, and the success of the fete very great, in spite " of certain objections raised in some quarters to the caprice, and certain lamentations uttered over the degeneration of French society. So well, indeed, did the innovation succeed, that' it is considered highly probable next season there will be a series of balls of a similar description, and the ingenuity of the great Worth and other notabilities of the costuming trade will be taxed to turn ladies and gentlemen, princes and princesses, dukes and duchesses — all the elegants", and elegantes, iv short — into beasts of the field <• and birds, of the air, presenting as life-like an appearance as possible. The lady who gave the ball was so charmingly transformed into a pea* cock, with real wings and an erect,tail, which expanded each time she bent her head, that she is lon.sing to reappear in a similar disguise; She who fascinated all observer^ as a serpent wants to dance as a serpent again on the first available opportunity — in short, all the ladies and gentlemen who attended as panthers, lions, swans, water-fowl, white hens, elephants, and we know not what besides, are fairly carried away with' enthusiasm at their own appearances, and believe there is nothing half so graceful as this chauging of human beings into life-like speci- ' menh of birds, beasts, and reptiles.

— The Marquis of Salisbury is said to be very cold and proud— almost as proud as that Duke of Somerset who, when his second wife laid her hand upon his shoulder, said : " Madam, the first, duchess never dared to take such a liberty with me."

— May, who was at the Queen's ball on Friday 1 night, tells me that the young Princess Louise looked painfully shy ; she is no% pretty, but has a gentle, pleasing, and somewhat serious . expression. She was dressed very simply "in. pale blue satin and tulle, looped with clusters of cherry blossoms. She wore no jewels save a couple of aigrettes in her hair. Of. the other debutantes, Lady Alexander" Leveson-Gowet wora a very becoming dress of white satin and tulle, trimmed very artistically with a profusion of lilies of the valley. . The Princess of Wales looked well in yellow satin, embroidered with silver aud trimmed with silver lace. She wore a splendid tiara pf diamonds. The majority of the dresses were" decidedly in good taste and quiet. There were no eccentricities or extremes t - of any kind. The Royalties danced briskly until supper-time. Prince George seemed ,to enjoy himself, and he appears* more at ease in society than his elder brother, who is very awkward and shy. May's husband says that he was struck by the remarkable absence of beauty. He complains that he did not see one woman whose face or figure could be remembered. — • " Madge," in Truth.

— Some of the new Freuch polonaises are cut with the bodice glove-fitting, except directly in front, where a few folds of the material are shirred into the neck and allowed to fall loosely a little below the waist. Here they are held by satin ribbons, which tie and fall with good effect to within a few inches of the foot of the skirt trimming. Quite another effect is given to a second model by a loose Spanish blouse, which is added to the cuirass front that opens ju£fc below the fifth button on the body of the polonaise, the blouse made of embroidered surah,

the polonaise of silk canvas dotted with chenille the exact shade of the embroidery on the blouse vest.