Hints and Suggestions. LONDON FASHION NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 52

Hints and Suggestions.

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

If, when washing white woollen wraps, a little blue is added to the water, they will not turn colour, but wash like new. To prevent the«teir getting too dry when a gas fire is used in a room, you should place a 'bowl of water in front of the stove. ' To prevent milk burning and sticking to* the bottom, always rinse the saucepan o\it with cold ■vJaEer just before putting the milk into it. In washing and wiping knives, always remember to hold them with the cutting edge away from you. By doing so the cloflies will last much longer. When boiling beetroots, to "keep them a nice bright red they should be put in cold water for a minute or two directly they are taken from the saucepan. Boiling Soup. — If necessary to add water, let it be boiling. Also keep the lid on as much as possible, for the strength of the soup evaporates with the steam. To keep sandwiches moist for several hours, when cut, cover with a sheet of grease-proof paper, and over that plsice a serviette wrung out in cold (water. When making the icing for a cake, a small piece of butter the size of a walnut, should be added just before taking from the fire, as it tends to give the mixture a nice gloss. When about to use paint out of a tin, before. loosening the. lid weU shake, the tin, and on opening it the contents will be found to be very much more evenly mixed than by using a piece of wood in the ordinary way. To Glean a Eusty Grate. — Mix your blacklead rather softer than usuaL Brush will over every part of the grate ; but do not polish. Leave for three or four days, and then blacklead and polish in the usual way. To Stain a Floor. — First brush over with a solution of glue and water. Let it dry. Then take 2oz of permanganate of potash ar.d dissolve in half a gallon of boiling water. Brush this over the part to be stained ; if not dark enough give a second coat. Let it dry again, and polish with beeswax and turpentine. Plants May Injure Pianos. — To keep a . piano in proper condition, be careful not to have many large plants in the room with it, particularly if they be of a big-leaved variety. Such plants, as is well-known, exude a good deal of moisture, and this in time most injuriously affects the instrument.

Try a Bran Bath. — Ladies who suffer from* weak circulation of the blood are being recommended to taken bran baths. A quantity of ordinary bran is put into the bath of tepid water, and the rubbing of the lough particles of bran not only cleanses tha skin, but has the effect of causing a slight chafing that sets up a healthy glow.

LONDON. A

; >- pm =■■«■• Dear Emmeline, — That oloth in all its diffev rent varieties is the most highly-favoured of present materials there is not the' smallesfc doubt. For evening wear, in addition for daytime occasions, cloth makes, rapid headway.' Of course only the most delicate shades are employed. In Paris just now a cloth dinner gown is considered much smarter than one, say, of velvet, of silk, or of satin. I think I have already remarked that this rage for

, „ .y. y . „ c f oth gowns is not on the score of economy, f« .jdr^^^q^M l^aj^ eatin. Later on, when the summer comes, foulard silks will meet with much favour. The great feature regarding this class of Bilk is that, for the season at all events, its surface is to ha of a satiny nature, covered with every cha« racteristic patterns. Plaids at the beginning figure d in a co i oured p l a id design. A FrancoBritisll name— foulard Ecossais— has been f oun d for it. Sometimes in addition to the plaid background, sprays of flowers figure on the same piece of satiny-surfaced foulard silk. But the patterns seem almost endless,

while many combinations of colour are obtainable. As usual, great numbers of foulard dress lengths are covered with spots in different sizes. Some of the new ones have ar-

ranged on the surface several large spots surrounded by a number of smaller ones, like a " series of constellations," as one expressed it to me; another closely covered with dots each about the size of a pea is also considered a stylish pattern. One model foulard dress in a lovely shade of coral pink, covered with a floral design in white, had strappings and pipings of dark navy foulard spotted with white; this qxiite spoiled the pretty coral pink, which, had it been trimmed with white, or with, velvet of dark green or of black, would have been a great, success. For narrow black velvet and Irish lace are considered one of the most pleasing features of the hour when used in conjunction with foulard silk. Most of the foulard dress models which I have seen are very elaborately made. Some have long tunics with trimmings of half-inch insertion ribbon, and cream lace appliques. The fronts of many are arranged in bolero form, while the vest portion, is, ns often as not, of white silk mualin prettily tucked and trimmed with rows of white satin bete ribbon. A lovely tone of green satin-faced foulard, with a pale canary-tinted pattern over it, was trimmed on the bodice ancl also o,n the four shallow tunics ' of the skirt with bands of green satin in a lighteAshade. The rounded vest and the lower Half of^ the sleeves were one mass of tiny little close luckings, also in the lighter gieen. Among the innumerable new materials for the season, one of the newest, which also has a satin-like surface, is known as pastelle, and at present is more largely seen in Paris than in London. The only specimens I have seen of this lovely material are in. the most delicate tints. Seeing that very great car^e has to be taken in the dyeing process, bo that the right tone may be obtained, a gown of this pastelle is an expensive luxury to indulge in, for a wrong shade in the dyeing operations will spell doom to the entire length of the material. Poplinette is something else which is & novelty in-^the dres3 material line. It is a very supple fabric. The tailor-made gowns of to-day, as seen in this country, are very severe, simple, and neat. The latest cut of bodice has a rounded lab in the front and one at the back of the waist. , Braiding and stitching are its adornments, and quite the newest kind of braid is a species of gimp of the tubular variety. Tailor-made gowns o£ periwinkle blue are fashionable, while the aamo shade is apparently popular for coats and skirts, many of which,' in this bright colouring, are toned down -with white braid. In Paris, the tailor-made gowns are usually much more fussy and fly-away than they are here. It is stated that soft silk is 'being used in the construction of tailor-made gowns over in the " gay city." As the French have taken 1 his clap of costume from us, and not we from them, it is recognised as being about time the Parisian ladies' tailors learned to carry out this rather severe type of dress correctly ; therefore, to show them how to do things properly, English ladies' tailors insist on the gowns which they now turn put being, if possible, more severe "and plain and simple than ever. To trim summer drebses, whether of cloth, of silk, or of . muslin, a great deal of narrow ribbon, or some substitute for it, will be need. Much lias fringed edges. • The narrow fancy gauze ribbons^with a drawstring along one edge, or in tha centre, thereby forming a ruche, if in tremendous demand for narrow ruches, are a highly-imporlant etcetra in^the fashions now. Tiieso ruches, which "partake of the nature of those which were hitherto formed of chiffon, are ing.de in gauze, tarlatan, silk, muslin, ancl othev .light and thin fabrics. Beside being used simply as borders, these ruches are curved about in many wonderful ways in the formation of some outlandish and uncommon pattern — the more uncommon and strange the better. In addition to all the many fancy buttons from which we are afc liberty to select, I notice that buttons covered with velvet or with panne, which has practically the same effect, are being introduced. At a recent big function one big princess robe was worn which fastened with a single row of panne buttons under tha right arm. and these continued to the edge of the long tunic, which, as it was scalloped round the edge, was otherwise trimmed with the same buttons. On the French models, when the ribbon work is called into requisition, I find that it nearly always is cleverly mingled with chiffon and lace so as to prevent any degree of stiffness whiph might result from the use of the ribbon by itself. It is amazing how large a quantity of lace ia used in the present modes, for nearly every gown has some, at any rate, about it. Those who have good old lace are in their element ; -while those who do not possess any, and cannot afford to buy it, make shift vrith the marvellous imitations which are splendidly got tip nowadays, and which are nearly as effective. Eritire boleros are formed of guipure lace, sometimes worn over colour, and often threaded with chenille, for chenille, too-,

Is one -of the many little etceteras which, as (things are, we cannot do without. Accordionpleated materials are sure to be in great demand, for this method of treating pretty soft and thin materials has now been brought to perfection. — Tours truly,

ZEALIA.