MILLINERY HINTS FOR OUR GIRLS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 26, 27 June 1891, Page 117

MILLINERY HINTS FOR OUR GIRLS.

HOW TO MAKE A STYLISH AND FASHIONABLE BONNET AT HOME. Now that cloth is such a very fashionable material—even being used at balls, two of the most stylish ball gowns we have noticed being of this fabric, one a white cloth embroidered with gold and edged with white fur, and the other a pale pink with brown fur—many of the hats and bonnets are made of the same to correspond with the gown and jacket; the effect generally being very stylish and complete. My first sketch this week illustrates one of the methods of making these cloth chapeaux, which are easily built at home at trifling cost. The one in question is made thus —Cut a large circle of stiff black net (such as milliner’s use) and cover with sarcenet the one side that is to go next the head, and the other with the cloth, edging all round with a narrow silk cording, beading, or whatever most carries out the scheme of the costume best, then nip it firmly up so as to form the curves or pleats round the edge, and trim with knots and ends of velvet also harmonising, and a group of the same at the back, where tilted up, from whence come the velvet strings tying underfthe left cheek. If you want to make your chapeau very novel and stylish, you must let a serpent« la Cleopatra nestle amongst the folds, or if you flatten the brim, using the cloth rather more sparingly, and tightening the wire, you can let it coil slyly almost on yonr hair, at all events, just at the edge of your bonnet. This is how you make the reptile which is often worn on a bonnet fashioned like this, though it will go just as well with a cloth one as first described : — Supposing your choice to be materials of deep prune or scarlet velvet and jet, make a small flat cap of the velvet folded, bringing the ends up smartly at the back. The serpent forms the border or brim of the bonnet, and can easily be made with care by forming a skeleton, as it were, first of milliner’s ribbon wire the required length—allowing for all round a twist or two at the back, and the head and tail to cross in front. Put a roll of black wadding round this, more to make the increase of size for the head, of course, and cover carefully with black silk. Twisting strips of sarcenet ribbon round is easiest, fixing all firmly by sewing through the ribbon wire. When the body is thus firmly

formed the skin of jet is easily manufactured out of flat jet bead or bugle trimming twisted or wound round, each edge being secured to the other neatly. Two larger black beads can form the eyes, and any bit of black osprey or aigrette will form the sting or tongue, which, in these millinery reptiles is chronically en evidence, perhaps to prove beyond all doubt what they are intended to represent. Gold or silver braid, or steal beading may be used in place of the jet when preferred, grey velvet and steel making up very stylishly. A very dressy little capote which I saw the other day was of soft tobacco-brown felt, bordered with a strip of longhaired felt in a darker shade of brown. This was turned up to the crown at the back in a couple of pinches, and in each bend nestled a tiny bow of ribbon velvet, one of yellow and one of seal brown. A cluster of yellow and seal brown tips, held in place by brown velvet wings, at the back on the flat, soft crown, and a couple of fly away bows of velvet ribbon on the brim in the front completed the trimming. The bows were fastened on with tiny square-headed gold pins, which added greatly to the effect. Another bonnet had a crown of fawn cloth, richly embroidered with green and gold and copper-coloured beads, and a softly-folded brim of dark green velvet. The skating season very naturally serves to render furtrimmed hats extremely modish, and we ought to be thankful for this opportunity to make such a use of fur, as in combination with velvet, especially, it produces some charming effects. Some of these stylish little velvet toques are round, others oval. A very pretty one in crimson velvet had a band of Russian sable tied in front, the head of the animal forming the top of the knot. Another, oval in shape, with a crown in dark red cloth, had a bordering of astrachan, the higher portion of the brim at the back being covered with black velvet. The only ornament was a mace-shaped pin, thrust through the folds of the crown. Such ahold has fur trimming upon out-door costumes just at present that it is considered quite treasonable for a lady of fashion to be seen in a fur tiimmed costume without her bonnet or hat to match. The crown of the headgear must be made of the cloth, while the brim may be of velvet, with a band of fur. If the street costume be embroidered, the crown of the hat should also be embroidered, the objective point being artistic unity.

The large, broad-brimmed felt hats look particularly picturesque with a bordering of fur round the edge. This example is in dark plum-coloured felt, with brim broader in front than the back and very low crown. The fur edging is grey moufflon, and on the top of the crown is fastener! a very large pleated bow of plum-coloured Surah silk, and two little tufts of the grey fur. This is a stylish and very becoming chapeau. Some very pretty, jaunty little toques are also worn, of cloth matching the dress or jacket, with fur twisted in amongst, or bordering it. These look B|>ecially well for skating, which graceful and exhilarating amusement has had such an unusual chance of being enjoyed this severe winter, the skatists, in fact, lieing the only members jubilant over the Arctic weather. Some very stylish and picturesque costumes have been seen on the ice, chiefly made in cloth, and nearly all trimmed with fur of some kind ; generally narrow borderings. One cannot help noting that married women wear younger headgear than formerly. There is little disposition to shadow forth matronly dignity by the use of the bonnet. I am inclined to think a woman is justified in looking as young as possible, especially in this frivolous age, in which the matron is rather ceremoniously elbowed aside. I met a charming married woman on Sunday morning, in company with her daughter, who will debut another year. Now, this married lady is getting dangerously near 40, but she has a slight, erect and graceful figure, and looked extremely well in a fur-trimmed toque. Plush felt is very popular in hats ; so, too, is black velvet, the brim beingborderen with ostrich feathers or a narrow band of fur and full tuft of black ostrich tips supported by a bow of black satin ribbon being poised at the back. <ln some of these hats you see both feathers and flowers, and flowers are even seen on those having bands of fur on the brim. In rather eccentric style I have seen a plaque-shaped hat in Lincoln green velvet, the brim being bordered with a band of sable fur, with a trimming consisting of a great bow of green satin ribbon supporting a tuft of derm-long green ostrich tips, these nodding over several half-open pink velvet rosebuds, branched with a few leaves, and a single bud with leaves dropped on the fur border—a very striking and really artistic confection. I saw a very quaint but exceedingly becoming hat at a fashionable wedding the other day. It was of white felt, and seemed to have no crown at all. In the centre was a salmon-pink velvet bow concealing the fastenings of eight lovely salmon-pink ostrich tips, which drooped towards the

wide brim at all points of the compass. Round the throat was a little ruffle of salmon-pink ostrich feathers. The frock was of white cloth opening over an underskirt of salmon-pink brocade. The whole effect was indescribably unique and lovely. As futile would it be to find two human countenances exactly alike as to discover among the bonnets of the hour a couple that have been built on precisely similar lines. It is noticeable that a strong family likeness distinguishes the headgear of those who wear bonnets, but in the matter of detail there is endless variety. Some are oblong in shape, others round, while many look like miniature saddles. The trimming, whether it consist of fur, velvet, or feathers, is put on at the extreme back, and is repeated in an almost nonueopathic quantity at the edge of the brim in front. Jewels are no longer used. A diamond, pearl, ruby, or emerald-topped hair pin is often employed to keep the bonnet in place, and as it is once more correct to fasten the strings beneath the chin, a jewelled lace-pin so utilised is very much in the right place. However, as jewel-studded passementerie is a great feature in the manufacture of headgear, it is considered bad taste to put any real gems near it.