ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2430, 10 October 1900, Page 61

ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Dear Emmeline,— The smartest and most fashionable materials of this season combine ■utility and beauty in a marvellous manner, and with so many families in mourning, black plays a more than usually prominent part both in the millinery and modistic work. This fact enables many of us whose means are limited to dress in the fashion at a moderate expense, for, provided a good black material is selected, any amount of wear and tear can "be got out of it. Linen is the fabric which many people have pinned their faith to this season, and black linen figures prominently in the wardrobes of the smartest folk. With these gowns are worn collars or revers of -white silk spotted with black and applique of lace. For those who are not in mourning, a relieving touch of colour often appeals in the tie, chemisette, hat, or sash, or occasionally in each and all. Large drawn white muslin hats niched with black, or left severely ■white, are a becoming adjunct to a linen costume. Very serviceable also are the coloured linen dresses made, for the most part, with tucked skirts and a sailor blouse. Another material, drill, is much in vogue, 3:nd has clone a good deal to oust pique from our affections. A s:rart dress of white drill is here depicted made with a loose and pouchmg "bodice strapped Milh pale blue drill, and ha\ing three collars, .the centre one of the pale blue drill, and the upper covered with twinecoloured coarse lace. It is made to open over a front of tucked white silk with a lace yoke. Very lovely also are the gowns of embroidered batiste, while Holland and striped 3an■nel make excellent boatiig costumes, occassionally coats of these materials being seen in conjunction with skirts of totally different appearance. When boating it is advisable to grace the tout-ensemble by the addition of a scarlet or Japanese parasol. More fashion able than scarlet at present is ai bright shade of cerise, which i? as becoming as it is smart, and the lack of any "soupcon" of magenta in its colouring is conducive *o the setting forth of the best points of a normal complexion. There are also some rather chic sunshades to be had in red spotted "with white. Pastel shades have become demode by rea-

son of the extensive popularity they obtained at first, and which had the effect of the appearance of quantities of cheap and rubbishy cloths in these artiptic fhades, but blue of a tone dimly related to the x^astel colour, and also not unconnected with butcher blue, is

very popular, and has its charms greatly enhanced by trimmings of guipure lace. A stylish blouse of cream serge is eet forth in my illustration. It is further completed by a collar and chemisette of coarse lace of a much deeper tone. Slitcuings of black are ona of its leading features, and (save in the exigencies of mourning) a coloured tie of chiffon or orepe would be an advisable addition. A mixture of black and white can be always adopted with safety, and for a demi-toilette nothing is more admirable. In regard to millinery modes for summer there everywhere prevails the picturesque tendency, from the very chic muslin hats so eminently becoming even when expressed in black, to the flat Marie Antoinette, toques in fancy straw, dainty in drapings of lace and clusters of roses. Perhaps the smartest hat of the moment is of burnt straw, guiltless of trimming save for a large careless bow of taffetas or silk, one or two of the loops pierced by a

jewelled pin, while a buckle — very often of considerable value — appears in the very front. Hydrangeas, which, with roses, have been so long popular, have begun to pall upon us, but ostrich feathers are as favourite a form of trimming as ever. In selecting a hat the point to be conpidered is not only just whether the hat is in itself a thing of beauty and suited to set off any claims to good looks one may have, but ■whether it becomes one's circumstances and sphere in life as admirably as it does one's face.

A charming frock is displayed in the sketch, the material employed being soft green cashmere with a front of tucked white silk finished

at the throat by a band of jewelled trimming, while broad strappings of black velvet finish the front. Round the waist is loosely knotted a saah of painted blaok chiffon, but as this latter is a very perishable item and soon becomes limp, soft black chine silk sprinkled with little bunches of roses and leaves in their natural colours might be substituted. Cashmere is still a much worn and highly appreciated fabric, arid will remain in favour all the season. It is so exceeding accommodating in the way of falling into elegant folds, and while fashion demands that om gowns be made with drawings and tuckings necessitating a considerable increase in the number of yards required, a skirt is not a weighty or awkward garment to manipulate when formed of cft?Uinere.— Youre truly,

COQUETTE.