ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2399, 22 February 1900, Page 56

ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Dear Emmeline, — The time of year has sarely arrived ■when we all feel there is- no lace half so charmingly as "oor am fireside," and thai thought naturally brings us to the consideration of suitable garments to lounge in comtorc ! Siuely the person who invented the tea - gown deserves to be imm.ortali.sed, and were I endowed with the jift of ■song I would write a sweet littlo poem to her, for, of course, it must have boon a woman who created the first tea-gown ! A charming garment of this type, though not in the lenst floppy or neglcge, i? made of a. very fine voile, with a full front of accordionpleated ereoe-de-chine, and a lace sleeveless enpt. The s-lis-htlv low neck is filled in with hnncK 01 the <ame 'are over white chiffon, and the r."ck-band i= of the lace olso. The sleeves are quite new, and arc scccidion-pleatecl lound the aim, with two liifle pleated frills at the elbow and wriat. and the long skirt h.»b stitched bands of the voile forming an upper skirt, anil another band at the hem of the sJkirt. A gown like this would be quite suitable for a little home dinner warty, and wculri certainly be most comfortable. Anof a favourite model is of accordion-pleated chiffon with a yoke and long- stole ends of a thick lo.ske of lace, and very full elbow sleeves, and a wide empire band that fastens wpII above the waist, but this style is unsuitable for toll women, as the long plain skirt has an unpleasant knack of adding inches where they are. perhaps, undesired. Embroidery of all kinds can be used on tea,•jov.'ns, and a very pretty simple little gown F saw was made of thin China silk of rose colour, with a large embroidered collar of white satin, and a waistband of black velvet. The qmJbroiderjr was cunningly, \vroufilit in jtold

»nd silver thread, with faint touches of pink, and the collr.r had a frill of old lace rd the edge. Round the wearer's bare r.cck v. as twisted a little lace lie, on which was fastened an old pasco buckle. Thc^e little ne=- en; to be much used this season, and it behove.*

those of us who possess stores of old lace to overhaul them and send them to be cleaned, not forgetting to remind the cleaner to tint them a faint cream colour. I don't like fur hats as a rule, for they are heavy, and sometimes ugly, and who wants to cany a heavy dead weight on her head? But still I have tallen a victim to a delightful toque of block glace, stitched and tucked beautifully, with a brim of black caracul, and a high quill, made of heaps of tiny feathers stuck on to the one big quill, and held in place by a pretty Rhine stone brooch. Beneath the brim at the left side is a big bow v of bright emerald- green velvet, that gives iust the necessary touch of brightness to a hat that might otherwise look heavy and dull.

Another toque of chinchilla fur I was compelled to admire, and it fiad a twist of bright mauve chiffon round the crown, and a large bunch of lovely vioiettes de Pannes at one side. Almost all the new felt hats are tucked and stitched, and one never sees a plain felt, except for countiy wear, but the smart ones have to be trimmed with satin and fringe, and have many beautiful wings in beds of chiffon or tulle, for town wear. "' The tie of the moment is of white tulle, spotted with black chenille, and will last clean exactly half an hour, always supposing there is not a fog ! But a useful little neck arrangement of caracul would matoh the toque in my sketch, and a big caracul muff

is a. warm and modis 1 ! pos^c-ion, :ind I think wo shall require something warm it v.c w ear the fashionable litile iiton g3?ce coats that arcjust now ?o much en evidence. Thee httlo cqatd barely re^ch the wai^t, are Flraiiped with cloth, ru'd ha^.e Hec re\er=, pud the glaco part is tucked entirely. Beneath ihe coat ii is decreed that we shall wear a cream satin bodice covered with tinted laco, and a cloth skirt to match the strappings on the coat. I have seen this mod^l very successfully carried out in brown, and can pietuie it being made very satisfactorily in dark blue, with a crepc-de-chinc tie, aid, of course, fringed ends in pnlc heliotrope. 3,fy sketch- is ot a little breakfast jacket made of pink cashmere, v, ith a Iprge lace collar edged uii'i frills of ponges silk, and

lace cuffs. The waist ribbon is oi black ribbon velvet, and a, band of the same velvet forms the collar round the neck, under a little double lace. The fastening is intended to come below the box pleat in front, ond the jacket should fit tightly in the back. Another breakfast jacket that is perhaps mere useful is made of Roman satin in a powderblue shade, and fasten? on the shoulder. This iacket should hang straight from the phouldeiS, and have two pocket a in the front, and a large embroidered r.pilor collar at the back. Tbe pockets arc most essential, for one does not like to be thrust unprepared upon a world of women and men at breakfast time, and who knows when they may not desiie a. pencil or a pocket knife?— Your* truly, COQUETTE. .