TME LADIES COLUMN EDITED BY "EVA"

Observer, Volume 1, Issue 25, 5 March 1881, Page 256

TME LADIES COLUMN EDITED BY "EVA"

— Coloured "boot laces are the latest folly. — Some girls are. going so far as to wear white canvas shoes. What next ? — Bridal veils are now worn over the side and back only. — White flannel is going to be the rage for lawn tennis costumes. — Feather fans are a novelty and can be had cheap. — Dresses with, side buttons are the next thing our shop girls will go in for. ' — Jacket-sleeves can be made a little wider now. They cost more but look better. — Gold (imitation) lace is much used in silk and plush ties, but has an abominably vulgar look. — A dressy cap for evening wear can be made of creme lace, with a red plush crown. — The Misses G.s pink sateens have excited much favourable comment. — A new Jersey bodice is cut in elastic silk, and fastened with very small buttons down the front. - Mrs. Hancock looks perfectly bewitching in her new crone tussore silk, with Avine-col-oured trimmings. — A lady 1 don't know looks very nice in a grey cashmere, trimmed with silk of the same shade, and made with a skirt and habit bodice, a deep box pleating of silk surrounding the skirt. — Another noticeable dress consists of pompadour sateen, trimmed with bands of pale blue, ala princess. Don't anyone copy this or there will be a row. — In my list of the notable dresses at the cricket match I omitted to mention Mrs. D. Nathan, who wore a very handsome crane, silk, trimmed with lace and fringe. — Fair ones, who Avant to follow the fashion without cutting the hair in front, are informed that false curls for wearing in that particular place can now be obtained. — One of the prettiest dresses I have come across lately had a pleated skirt of old gold, with a black silk polonaise, long on one side and drawn high up on the other. — Mrs. 8., of Graf ton-road, now wears a handsome dress of cream lace, with trimmings of pompadour satin and cardinal silk, and bows to match. It is very becoming. — Mrs. Waterhouse, a Newton lady, noted for stylish dressing, has just got a very tasteful and most noticeable fawn-coloured silk. It is made with long polonaise and set oil" by a 4 'duck of a bonnet," to match. — One of the loveliest dresses seen at the Domain last week, consisted of brown silk, made with a princess robe, and trimmed with narrow killings and fringe. The wearer I am told was Mrs. D. of Onehunga. — An exceptionally elaborate lawn tennis ■costume came under my notice last. week. The bodice was laced at back, the sleeves were laced at elbow, and the sashes were laced on the skirt. It is the first and only thing of the kind I have yet seen. — Who is she I wonder? A rather dark complexioned lady in the first blush of womanhood, wearing a distingue costume of black •cashmere, made with skirt and polonaise and trimmed with broad hands of heliotrope. Her headgear is a delightful little rink hat with a bl&ck brim and heliotrope crown. — A very charming young lady, whose name I must not mention, but whom you will easily recognise, has afforded much pleasure by accidentally standing in front of "Eva" the other day, for a full ten minutes, in Sue of the pettiest costumes seen out this summer. It •consisted of creme sateen, with gold braid work around the polonaise and box pi eatings around the skirt. — One of our local milliners who has a lot of Tarn o' Shanters on hand is very wroth because myself and my lady friend hi London, dub them vulgar and only fit for shop girls and the dtvii monde to wear. I'm very sorry for the good lady, but we can't distort facts. The Tarn o' Shanters are detestably "bad form," and no one possessing really bon ton, would think of wearing them. — A great deal has been written of late about kissing. This pleasing custom appears to have been unknown in England till the year 449, when the Princess Eowena, daughter of Hen.gist, pressed her lips to the cup and saluted Vortigern with "a little kiss." From a passage in Evelyn's Diary it would appear that men • kissed each other in the streets towards the end of the seventeenth century. The Spaniards found the custom prevalent in the New World. The kiss of peace was anciently given by the faithful, one to another, as a testimony of cordial love and affection. After the priest had given the salutation of peace the deacon ordered the people to salute one another with a holy kiss. It was also given before the Eucharist until the twelfth or thirteenth century. Towards the end of the third century I find the kiss of peace given at baptism. Henry 11. refused to give Beckett the kiss of peace, at that time the usual token of reconciliation, in 1169. Altogether we compare unfavourably as kissists with our ancestors Shakspeare had great ideas of kissin". You cannot read any play of the Great Master's without finding an abundance of talk about lips and the application thereof. The modern novel deals fully with the theory of kisshif which even in these prosaic days will afford the painstaking philosopher an occasional opportunity of practically testing.