ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2389, 14 December 1899, Page 52

ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Dear Emmeline, — The ever-present question of Avhat we shall wear is just as interesting to-day as it was yesterday, for every week Madame la Mode has some new fancy to show us, some fresh trifle of trimming to essay, or some original combination of colouring to attempt. Undoubtedly we are donning to-day garments whose cut and fit and style of trimming are far better taste than those we have had for some time. We have relegated to th,e past the hideous leg-of-mutton sleeves, " dress improvers,"' and soup-plate tip-tilted hats, and the flat, severe aspect of everything is far more graceful. Of course, we have rushed to extremes, and' already the eellike skirt has passed ,its premier jeunesse In Paris, and men like Worth- and Felix are commencing to make our gowns much fuller though quite as long as heretofore. Plain cloths made rich with embroidery will be grcf.tly worn, and when we cannot have embroidery we stitch ! Stitching, in fact, has never been in greater favour, and in Paris there is quite a furore for this very simple, but effeclivej style of ornamentation. One of the newest kinds of embroidery consists of a stamped-out and cut-out design in cloth, and then the colours are painted in roughly with a brush. ' This is what the French term Brederie Peinte, and is generally appliqued on to a lighter or darker cloth. The Directoire style has us, I think, firmly in its grip, and I predict that we shall see much that is of the Directoire period worn during the coming winter. Directoire hats, with their waving plumes and jam-pot crowns are quickly appearing,

and I am illustrating two here for you of a very becommg order. The first is in prunecoloured velvet, trimmed with the favoured comete ribbon, also prune-coloured, and two white ostrich feathers held by a " motif " of strass. The second is of '" automobile " velvet, with a little scarf of rose velvet, two ostrich feathers shaded automobile and rose being held by a golden clasp at the side. Ostrich feathers are as much worn as ever, and the best quality are practically uncurled. lam glad to say that, so much hnving been said about the barbarity and cruelty of fashionable women in wearing the plumage of wild birds, there is, at last, a revulsion in favour of the birds, and we men are slowly beginning to see how evil a light this savage fashion of feather decking puts them in. The girl of 12 to 16, usually so ill-pro-vided for by Fashion's dictates, is just now very well catered for in ?he pretty frocks ami blousos of the moment. It is, I think, imperative that we should dress our growing daughters neatly, prettily, and in an up-to-date style, as they are usually very sensitive on the matter of dress, and it is a1?a 1 ? well that they should be accustomed to pretty, neat clothes, and 'to know how to keep them neat and in good order. They arc far less likely to over-indulge in dress later on if this plan is kept to. I saw some particularly nice frocks made for a fpmily of daughters recently. For a little girl of 12 there was oue of the timehonoured sailor suits of blue serge, but the kilt of this boasted three little edgings of

pale .blue braid on the • hem, and- thd breadth in front Avas trapleatecT and fairlyAvide. This dress. was made with a-closelyr fitting waistcoat or vest inside of paleblu*

clo.th, and the single-breasted square-cufc. reefer coat bore a collar of pale blue edged Avith pale blue braid. Another -.pretty frock of a. very different style Avas of red cashmere Avith a white silken spot all over it. The full bobe bodice was gathered, round a yoke of shirred muslin by means of two rows of narrow velvet ribbon run in and out of the cashmere and tied in boAvs on theshoulders, and red velvet formed the belt. A third frock for a girl of some 15 years Avas of figured grey material, with a plain skirt and blouse bodice, box-pleated in front, and trimmed with tAvo groups of five cordings either side. A broad, turned-over collar and cuffs io match of Avhite washing- silk, prettily hem-stitched, and a bow of darker grey velvet tied at the throat, the .same veh'et at the waist, made a charming and distinctive touch. The frock I am showin gr you is of Venetian red serge, the large collar and sailor's knot tie of velvet in % darker shade of red, the cuffs and belt of the same, Avhilst the changeable vest is of red foulard silk, spotted with white.

Nothing is more lovely or more graceful than the evening dress of the moment. Hard satins and unyielding silks are out of favour

AJJ K\ EMSG GOAV.N OF Cili PE-DE CUIMS AND LACE.

and everything soft and clinging is our wish. .We suffice ourselves with one or tAvo materials in each frock ; we' no longer cram several stuffs, lace, and passementerie a 1 ! into one gown ! Crepe-de-chine, one of tlu choicest of all choice stuffs, forms the gown you see sketched here, in conjunction. Avith gocd piece lace of the guipure order. The crepe is silver grey in colour and is made over soft pongee" silk. The tunic of lace is laid OA r er, pointed behind, or it may b» straight with equal grace. The crepe is formed into a fichu effect across the shoulders, and the sleeves are 'slightly nicked. A good crepe-dc-chine, remember, ATears splendidly and dyes perfectly. Of course, the fortunate owners of old lace shawls. can use them to marvellous advantage on a dress of this sort, without cutting the lace at all. — Yours truly, COQUETTE.