ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2387, 30 November 1899, Page 56

ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

| Dear Emmeline,— Alas, the lovely summer^ j time is going, going, nearly gone, and soon we shall have to be thinking about furs and . thick winter stuffs, a.nd put away our dainty muslins and cottons until another year. Still, there are days of warm sunshine before us ■ yet, and these last days of September promise a brilliant birth for October, often a verypleasant month. 4 All sorts of out-door recrea- , tions will continue in full swing yet awhile, and to this end I have designed you a new 1 , tennis or golfing blouse, and one that will comfortably replace the lighter ones of hotter days. This example is of green taffeta silk, not a thin and frippery glace, as these wear so i badly, but a good thick taffeta; , The .cuffs and large collar, are of -white silk_or linen, with a broad hemstitched- hem. The collar round the throat is of the same, under which 'is tied a little bow of green velvet. The blouse, you will see, is made with three box pleats, and ie by no means difficult to comprehend. The large collar forms a square be-" bind. The hat M natural-coloured straw; . bound with black, and trimmed with twowhite quills thrust through a chou made of white taffota ribbon. This green shirt beara the advantage of looking well with either a navy blue, a black, or a white skirt. But of really new fashions there is but little trace as yet ; the fashions that are and have ' been during the summer are still enough to claim our attention, as we shall meet them m only a slightly different guise throughout the - winter. Neatness will be our watchword, antl fit our loudest cry, whilst colour arid ma> terials wili hold but secondary pMcjs. 4ut*

mobiles have brought many fashions into being before unheard of, such as white linen coats, and tho severely simple linen tailormade frocks. For evening gowns we shall fmA sparkle and glitter sought after a great

"deal, and embroidery of sequins and scales ] •of pailletteß will be just as modish as eyer. -Fringe, it is true, was but little seen last year, and will be much in evidence this, bordering many evening gowns. . A great future is predicted for ' Princess gowns, and many will bear scarves round the shoulders, and others 'very deep yokes of a differing material, which will extend over the tops of the shoulders. Scarves will be worn, too, as extra wraps, and partake more afler the early Viciorian period, with laced and fringed ends, and carried moie or less gracefully over the arms. Of course, as you may expect, the fur boa has come to stay, and this year we shall see even more of it than last, as it will be larger and flatter than of yore. Sable will remain the queen -of furs throughout the year, but it is better to wear good mink than second class sable, as mink is a

charming fur and will be very fashionable again- Fur capes will continue in our regard, but those of cloth will be given somewhat tho go by, on account of the coming popularity of the more graceful long cloak, more like a dolman, that will be seen in tho later winter days. Sac coats, of covert coating or tweed, will, on the contrary, be greatly favoured, and the linings of these, please remember, must be of softest silk or satin ; glace silk is quite demode. One needs a very good figure in order to wear successfully some of the latest frocks,

as tho cut is so extremely simple as to show off every curve of the body. But if you will only tako my oft-repealsd advice and buy good corsets and often, I think you will find . quite an average figure passes muster well. , The little gown I have sketched for you ! here is very charming for autumn, either for ; travelling or daily wear, and its exquisite • plainness is very French. The material is j navy-blue cloth; the rovers of the double collar being faced with a fancy plaid silk which also forms the waist-band. The vest is of guipure, with a mougseline-de-soie cravat. The "bodice is not quite tight-fitting, but blouses slightly in front. The toque is of I blue-crumpled straw, with one large chou j of navy-blue taffeta, ribbon, through which « is thrust a black and grey quill, and at_ the , other side of this is a bunch of blue lobelia. I have been asked several times for designs for crepe-tcimmed mourning dresses, and though we do not wear half so much crepe as J we did several years ago, there is still much of it used for very deep mourning amongst many people. I think that when a dress is » to be trimmed with crepe alone it should be . put on in such a fashion as to be easily re- i moved and replaced. This design examples this . and is, I think, neat and graceful. The mate- i rial might be black voile over taffeta, or sateen, cashmere, or a fine black cloth, and the

crepe bands on the skirt are cut on the round, lined with silk and laid on. Black voile makes very successful mourning gowns. But it is rare to wear crepe now for any one but a very near relation, a husband or a father, and generally gowns are chosen of a dull black material, such as those I have mentioned, trimmed with tucks, pipings, and chiffon or peau-de-soie. Crepe is hardly ever seen, in any hats save widows' bonnets, or on cloaks or capes save again those for widows' wear. I think little children should never be put into unrelieved black ; it savours too much of the unnatural and forced. — Yours truly COQUETTE.