THE LADIES COLOUMN EDITED BY "EVA"

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 14, 18 December 1880, Page 125

THE LADIES COLOUMN EDITED BY "EVA"

— Pinafores are "out." — Jet capes are much worn. — Tinsel fringe did not take at all. — Lace lappets are something new. — Kilted skirts are still fashionable. — Silk-carmelite is a new dress stuff. — The sixpenny Zulu hats are all sold ! ! ! — Fichus are fashionable for evening wear. — Cuff's in pompadour are the latest novelty. — A cluster of small oranges is sometimes worn in bridal wreaths. — The new Tarn o' Shanter hat, is an imitation of the old Scotch bonnet. — The "coronet" is the newest and most becoming style in bonnets. — Sleeves with but one seam are now invariably worn. — For holiday costumes, I should recommend cream sateen, or white muslin. • — ■ I see several ladies already sporting in white muslins. — Pompadour stockings are preferred, to those known as "clock worked." — Ponsonby Park is a nice place for "spooning." — In summer hats, the Marie Stuart takes the lead. — Chenille ties, in various colours, are now obtainable.

— How certain young " sparks " will go into raptures when they see Miss N. out in her newdress of cream sateen, with short skirt and pointed basque.. — Rumour speaks favourably of a veryelegant jacket of black silk, worn by a certain Parnell belle. It is said to be a pattern of neatness and elegance. — Young B. says, a certain young lady looks " absolutely bewitching" in a poke hat, done up with Indian muslin, and I believe he is just about right. — Lace and net has had such a run lately, that great difficulty is experienced in keeping up the supply, and urgent messages have been sent for a fresh shipment. — There exists great excitement amongst the young ladies— and some old ones too— over the beautiful figure now exhibited in Longuet's window. — The " charity hood" is a new style of head dress for children. From its size, I should imagine it ought to answer admirably for some charitable purpose, say carrying buns for the orphans at a tea fight. — A very stylish and becoming head dress which has recently attracted my "eagle eye, 5 consists of a white straw hat turned up at the front, lined with black velvet, and trimmed with white silk, a white feather and gold pins. — Ladies should be careful not to engage in loud conversation in the street. The other day I heard two talking about "getting around" a certain young fellow, so as to raise a strawberry feed on the forthcoming Sunday. — When the Orangemen want a really elegant head dress for their grand master, they should take a trip over to the North Shore on Sunday afternoon. There is the "orangeist" hat there I ever saw. — The Princess Dolgorouki has three children by the Czar. The eldest boy, named Boris, is a handsome child, between" nine and ten years old ; the next is a girl about six years old ; and there is one younger child. — The private party given in the Temperance Hall, on Friday evening last, did not bring out any new or striking costume, the only remarkable feature in the dresses being a great variety of colours. — Where the waist and skirt of a dress are made separate, sew a flat button at the middle of the waist-bottom in the back, and work a button hole in the middle of the skirt-band; This insures fastening the skirt on straight every time. — I really hope no deluded fair one has gone and made the skirt of her new dress one yard and a half "long." The paragraph last week should have read : "Skirts are worn one yard and a half 'wide,'" and not "long," as appeared. — What may be termed a really "immense" costume, now adorns the elegant figure of a young lady who figured conspicuously at the liink Fancy Ball. The dress is a straw-coloured sateen princess robe, with kiltings in front, revers at side, and Langtry hood of pompadour. — Paintings on hat-brims are the newest freaks of fashion in France. The Comtesse de Paris was the first to have her coat-of-arms painted on her bonnet and strings, and now several of the huge Velasquez-shaped black felt hats which Sarah Bernhardt takes with her to astonish Transatlantic admirers are elaborately ornamented with flowers, buds and butterflies, painted by some of the best Parisian artists. — Now here's something to make you envious, ladies.— Fancy a prune cashmere dress trimmed with heliotrope pompadour, a deep kilting round the skirt, pompadour sash, and rink hat to match, with prune brim and pompadour crown. Well, this forms the latest toilet of a charming young lady, well-knownin town and I couldn't possibly blame any of my readers for imitating it, although some fair ones say, " It is not nice to do so." — According to an English lady friend, the days of the "Jersey "and " Tarn o' Shanter " hat are numbered. The Princess of Wales is to lead the fashion during the coming season, and there will be a radical change as to costume, one of the first being the banishment of these Langtrian adjuncts to the feminine toilette. We shall see how Mrs. L. Avill stand this usurpation, even though it be attempted by Royalty. The Prince will have a hard card to play, if there should not be a peaceful and submissive surrender in the cause of loyalty. But a woman would sooner lead the fashion than be loyal any day in the week ; inais notis verons. — When the ladies of Auckland wish to have their neAV dresses admired, they go with one accord to Queen-street. It is but a poor place for a dress exhibition, but every time I go there I see some new and startling costume. One of the newest is a Avhite muslin polonaise and skirt, with deep kilting, Avell made, and "goodly to look upon." Another Avorthy of notice is a pale pink sateen, made with yoke bodice and draped sash. Another rather lively "turn-out" is a pompadour dress shoAving through a maze of green, while, as an agreeable contrast, I Avas much pleased Avith one of navy blue and cream, made with polonaise and skirt. Miss M. looks charming in that new faAvn costume of satin cloth and wine silk, in fact, it would be rather difficult for her to obtain a more elegant dress. — A very amusing piece is iioav being played at the Vaudeville, Paris, called " Nos Deputes en Bobede Chambve," and the dresses in which the actresses appear in it are charming. Mile Massin Avears tAvo ; the first is a peacock-blue surah, trimmed with bands embroidered in gold and flame beads ; beaded birds are worked on the skirt and butterflies on the bodice ; her black bonnet has large red feathers studded Avith ruby and diamond beetles. The second toilette is heliotrope silk trimmed with embroidered gauze ; sleeves and fichu of old Brussels lace. StraAv hat, trimmed with gold lace and feathers, and tied under the chin with lace lappets. Mile. Clery appeared in cream coloured surah, trimmed Avith three flounces of black surah, edged Avith white and red. The Avhite bonnet is trimmed with black and red.