MODES OF THE MOMENT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5502, 29 February 1896, Page 3

MODES OF THE MOMENT.

— ■■ — 1 {By Nita in ihe Gentlewoman.) ! - The. Parisian, authorities iriform me, and I suppose they may be considered omniscient, that elaborate embroideries and sequin-traced laces are to be the idols of our autumn days ; that fur is to be their closest companion ; that infinitesimally striped velvets are to be amongst the popular favourites. These are all very-i mportant facts, and, let me add, also very extravagant ones, not one of those luxuries just mentioned being procurable at anything like a moderate price. It -is possible, I know, to buy a- coarse make of lace and trace it with sequins or jewels ; but then it i involvesa Vafitambunt of thnei while there i are -Very few amateur workwomen 1 whb can * stew- i'thfese - with- sufficient [■^regularity, ' Numerous elfabrorderieS" are to be* seen - in many coloured silks, traced: with-' jet, and iridescent '.pai'llettesi and th'cs.e ,; invariably -look- their, best wheti used' ori black:'. '• , Black is really to-be very much in evidence,.and I am. not quite certain that a more suitable purchase for immediate wear than a black cheviot coat and skirt coidd well.be discovered. All the cloth dresses arid- coats continue to show strappings.: Some -of these are narrow; others, -and these 1 - are, perhaps,- the more effective, are wide, and terminate in tabs fastened with; small buttons. The button manufacturers, ought to make a fortune. In gilt and silver'and jet, in enamel, and in diamonds — black.diamonds as well as white diamonds* -—buttons put in their appearance on every" gown. Those broad straps of cloth terminating in points or tabs buttoned down first appeared amongst us last autumn, when they wero rare; now, however, they are extremely . general, yet none the less attractive. .Unquestionably they need the hand of the good tailor to press and cut them well, and they are usually to be found straight down the front of a coat, where they make a pretence' of fastening it ; or extending from the shoulder- over the top .portion of the sleeve, when they give the effect of the long seam, arid induce the fulness of the sleeves to set downwards.as.all -w'eil-cbriduoted sleeVes' should. .. y \"'\ I am. convinced that braiding in its rdbst simple form will, obtain a degree .of our favour this autumn. A narrow row of braiding sewn on to the .extreme edge of the coat makes a most effective finish, and braid also*. allies itself pleasantly to the innumerable little buttons with which we delight ourselves. . 7. There is no possible doubt whatever about the contiriued popularity of the sable necktie. The newest of these extend to t^e Waist, , but those of yester-year are by no 7 means lacking in attraction ; yet these would be found more comfortable if they were fastened immediately below the j rieck, rather than quite tight round the throat, for the voluminous folds of the full Veil are apt to catch in the hooks, and that way discomfort lies. The decorated fur boa with its rosettes and its lace ends ; seems to have vanished -without the pale of our recognition, and having provided the sable with four tails we now think we have done for it all that. the most exacting beast can possibly desire. And .whilst I am talking about adornments for the neck, let me once again impress upon your memory the hew stocks, which are the old stocks, and which are undoubtedly extremely smart, .especially when they are made in -white moire, although -the more ecbnoriiical may • note * their' success in -white piqu6. : They really consist of a shaped 'neck-band supplied with two ends which cross in front to tie in a bow or to pin : bv>*jr. However, they need to be properly: cut or, they *will not set, but they manage to look equally nice when worn with a vest' to match, or with one of a contrastingshade.. I have seen, for instance, a black ; and white and brown pique vest supplied with . a white pique stock achieving great success ; then, again, I have seen the white mpire stock look well with a black 'chiffon; waistcoat. And I hear that.iri Paris these i stocks are- made of tulle, -when, however, their charms must be so very ephemeral, .and only fit, indeed, for the extremely wealthy orthe extremely'prodigal. I dp -not beUeve I have discussed dressy ing-gownß and teaigbwhs here lately, andj. as these are amongst my favourite hobbies, j it seems a pity to leave them all unhoribured and -unsung ; t especially just now, wheri, doubtless, the many muslin and lace draperies with which we have been delighting, ourselves have.taien unto themselves a bias., dishevelled air, and are only fit to . be relegated to the recesses of our wardrobes, or delivered over to the untender mercies of the purchaser of old clothes. Creppri is a capital material for autumn •'dressirig-gowns, and the best colours are undoubtedly Gobelin : blue and scarlet. The simplest and prettiest way of making a dressing-gown is with a frilled fichu and front of a coritrasting shade of soft silk ; a very high draped belt of the same silk brought up beneath the armß will at once give the 'gown a picturesque touch. Yoii may take a seven-yard length of crepon, double-width, and eight yards of China; silk, and achieve quite charming results with their combined aid. The Gobelin* blue will look well allied to a lighter shade, while the red unquestionably call's aloud for white if you choose a scarlet shade, but a dark red maybe successfully united to pale pink; while the reseda shade, of green may he most becomingly joined to an electric shade of blue. Face cloth maybe relied upon to make such gowns, but those for wearing in this season will not require lining in the skirt, an absolute necessity with cr_pon, for crepon is a material which cannot stand alone; despite its modernity, it lacks individuality; ''■' '■ :'*'- :; " " '""/: ■'■' : . ''"'."''