LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 24, 14 June 1890, Page 14

LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

Descriftiox of Plate No. I. (.See Fushion Plate.) No. 1 is a picturesque wide brimmed hat. in pole grey felt, very -lightly turned up all round in front, but made with quite a close brim at the back. The trimming consists of two lovely pale grev ■vstrieh feathers, which rest upon the brim all round, wtiile the crown is drape<i with folds of darker grey velvet, held in place by a steel ornament. No. 2 is a I>eeoming seal plush mantle, entirely novel in shape. It is bordered round the neck and down the fronts with bear for. while theendsin front are further ornamented with an edging of brown silk cordsand barrels. At the hack thi- mantle is quite short. The bonnet in this sketch is also entirely new and exceedingly becoming to almost any kind ••f face and style of coiffure. It is made with a crown of twisted satin in two shades of brown, while the sides are of dark brown velvet, arrange,! with a diadem of -haded •wtrich feather trimming and has a very soft and pretty effect. The strings are of satin ribbon. No. 3 is a graceful little evening gown of pale pink satin Merrilleetj-. very prettily drajed in the manner shown in the sketch, and arrange,! in front with wide panels of cream guipure lace, divide,! by bands of bronze-green velvet, reaching horn waist to hem. «»n one side the satin draperies are caught together by a full ro*ette-l»w of satin. The bodice is male in a very pretty fashion, and ornamentci with guipure lace and" blaek velvet to correspond with the trimming of the skirt. No. 4 is a smart but useful gown of cashmere in the new shade of dark heliotrope so much worn in Paris this winter. The folded bodice is arrange! with a Y-shaped vest of black velvet back and front, and a wide Empire bond, with long sash ends at the side, also of blaek velvet. The skirt is slightly drape! in front, and very folly gathered ar the back. Three rows of blaek velvet ribbon are placed round the skirt some few inches above the hem. The blaek velvet sleeves are drawn high upon the shoulders, ami form a characteristic feature of this smart little gown. ' hit rd many pretty gowns shown tc me. I was particularly pleased with a simple little dress in old-rose doth, the square-eut draperies of the skirt being bordered throughout by a narrow edging of grey astraehan. This combination of colour is quite new and very effective. The bodice of this gown is particularly pretty. It is arranged with a Figaro jacket ot cloth and a folded vest of silk, matching exaetlv the colour of the doth, and beaded at the throat by a Vshaped band of old-rose doth. The high Me»iicis ediar is smartly eut. and bordered with an edging of grey astraehan. A green velvet gown made with the bodice and skirt draperies cut all in one looks particularly well with one halt of the bodiee made of green b»o»/y, an-i the other half of velvet. The green velvet sleeves are laced near the shoulder in a quaint but verv pretty fashion, and finished with follypuffod epaulettes ot tn&ire. I was also much pleased with a very simple little gown of heliotrope doth, bordered round the front with a deep fringe of silk in the same lovely shade of colour A centre breadth of velvet was placed in the sttaightly-eut bock draperies, and the bodice was made with a back entirely of velvet. In front there was a corslet of velvet, eut in prints, and a deep Vandyke velvet collar, with folds of doth between eaeh point. The sleeves were prettily arranged with epaulettes of velvet.