ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2504, 19 March 1902, Page 63

ILLUSTRATED FASHIONS.

Dear Emmeline, — It is an old saying, the frequent repetition of which is almost wearisome in our ears, that at no previous epoch were the modes more altogether charming and adaptable than at the present time. Nor is their charm any the less great for the fact that they are suited to all sorts and conditions of women alike, for tbere are no bard and fast rules nowadays as to how we shall dress, and every woman can please herself so long as the garment •worn is pleasing to the eye of the onlooker becoming tc its wearer, whether the material employed be rich or plain. From the petite to the athletic-look-ing damsels there are fashions for each and all, though truth forces me tc 'onfess that Madame la Mode smiles most kindly on tho^e dowered with goodly stature and slender figures. Common sense must, however, play a strong part in the decisions of the well-dressed woman of limited income, for should she follow " the latest craze," she may efface all natural charms of outline or style, and lose her identity altogether, whereby at the same time she totally destroys all claims to smartness. One must have a distinct note of personality as well as up-to-dateness pervading her mind "and her garments alike if sh"e intends to claim any precedence in the world of society and dress. The ?mart and

charming toilette here deputed i= expressed in bavry surfaced grey i ntirial which, its? ail the worltl knows, is the material par excollenri> for outdnui wfar this season. The bodice is distinguished by its chic simplicity, and i-- made in the Ruseian blouse fashion, which, as one of tho leading lights in the realm of ladies' tailoring assures me, is likely to retain its popularity throughout all the winter season. It is made with a collar of Russian embroidery edged with black astrachan, and worn with a. smart hat of the same shade in grey felt trimmed with a big bunch of Parma violot3, the brim being bound with black %el vet. The two lines of astrachan round the tkirt can be dispensed with if preferred or should expense bo a matter of great consideration. There is a \ery pretty tone of red which might be termed wine-coloured which has a vogue all its own among the smartest sets. «\nd is. very becoming to many' women. Red and white also contend closely for fa\ouritism, the former having moie to recommend it in the eyes of the eeonomicallyminded than the latter, as it soils much le;3 readily. Red is an excellent colour for children's winter garments, whether for indoor or outdoor wear. I saw a pretty yet simple little coat worn by a young girl the other day, and have selected it for illustration. It i; •imply enough made, and has for tiimining

bands of gtitehed \el\et of the -an.o tone of colour. A little collar of \ehet nm-,hcs the neck, and a bow of \chet ribbon with* long ends falls down the front. It i, worn with a red felt hat trimmed with red Mlk spotted with black. This is a .smart toilette, ■which any little girl, whether of rich or middle-class parentage, might wear. Another much moro picturesque but infinitely Jess serviceable one was of white Oriental eatin, made lather long and trimmed all round with white fox fur. The charming iittle maiden who wore this had her cuily head -rowned by a large, rough-'urfaeed. •white felt hat. trimmed with white ostrich tips and tied by strings of soft white satin ribbon arranged in a quaint bow under the chin. A white fur muff .-onipleted a -toilette which made one wonder whether the wearer had not stepped direct from out a Christmas card. The mention of the«e messengers of friendly greetings reminds me how greatly the fashion of sending cards ihas declined of late years, for the practical tendency nowadays inr lines towards the eubstitution of small articles of bijouterie, or dainty trifles for personal wear. The delightful afternoon b!ou~e .sketched is of peaeh-'joloured silk, with v collar, and kt In x>£.£.t. embroidered in £ieeii and uink

devices on a cream ground, while her© and there a touch of gold adds to the richness and brightens the general effect. A knot of

dark green velvet appears where the collar joina the front. Embroidery play= an increasingly important part in dres>, and becomes more refined and elaborate day by day. Sometimes very fine chenille i* used in the most delicate colourings to embroider sprays of roses, violeta, and other flowers on cloth gowns. The sprays are apparently thrown on in the most natuial-lookiug manner, without the ?'ightest hint of stirTnes-. From white cloth the gue'der-ro=e i = fashioned, the real flower being simulated in a most wonderful manner, while the green leaves are worked in silk and chenille, all this being necp» a anly done by hand. — Yours truly, COQUETTE.