A CHAT WITH MOTHERS ABOUT THEIR LITTLE ONE’S DRESSES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 11, 12 March 1892, Page 259

A CHAT WITH MOTHERS ABOUT THEIR LITTLE ONE’S DRESSES.

/S HAT are you going to make your little girl for an autumn dress? A pretty and comfortable ■ \ V.- frock is made of some soft thin serge, camel’s hair cloth, or other material. The skirt, which reaches just oelow the knees, is gathered and smocked, so that the fulness is drawn in for quite a distance below the waist-line. The

bodice is a round, full one, smocked to form a guimpe, and having for its neck iinish a prim little stock of pink ribbon. About the waist is a soft sash of Liberty silk or of the material, that has its edges hemmed, and which is tied in bows and ends at the back. The sleeves are full, and allow the arms plenty of room, but are gathered in at the wrists, and smocked to form the cuffs. The hat is a felt of a shade to harmonise, trimmed with folded silk or ribbon. The stockings are black, and the low shoes are of black patent-leather; the gloves worn are of tan undressed kid with a little stitching on the back. Somebody says, ‘ prim ?’ Not a bit of it; but you want to teach your little woman that she is to be gentle rather than rough in her manners, and I know of nothing that will do this so well as making her understand the true value of a proper personal appearance. 1 once heard a bright woman tell that as a child she disdained her clothes until she was presented with a pair of kid gloves, and from that time on she had a great desire to live up to them.

FOR LARGER GIRLS. I JIGH NECKED bodices of cashmere frocks are laid in L v ery fine pleats to the depth of a yoke, and then shirred at the top, leaving the waist full over the front above the gathers at the belt. The collar, cuffs and girdle from the side seams are of silk, edged with silk, gilt or silver braid. Sashes, guimpes, and a rutile for the edge of the skirt are of plaid silk on cashmeie dresses. Round lownecks worn over a guiinpe are edged with a turn-over frill of the dress material, or a finish of passementerie. The always girlish plaid frocks have a gathered skirt, made up on the bias, and a high waist shined across the front like a square y r oke, and at the centre of the waist-line. 1 his is bias, as’are the full topped sleeves ; and the girdle, collar and cuffs are of piece velvet, or rows of velvet ribbon. \ ery full bodices for large and small girls, are gathered on coids

in several rows round the neck, waistline and at the top of the sleeves. Shirt front plastrons of black silk are on misses’ gowns of brightly coloured cashmere. Blaek China silk, figured with yellow, has a yoke and sleeves of yellow chifl’on or silk. A COMFORTABLE HAT. ALTHOUGH you are grown-up, you know exactly how uncomfortable a hat may be. You know how it may give you the headache by being too tight, keep you in a continual state of nervousness by coming over your eyes, or threatening to blow oft’ of your head, and so in buying the hats for the little women think of comfort as well as beauty. Although they are a little warmer, if a hat will not stay on the head without something to hold it, ties are recommended in preference to rubber. The rubber band must, to be of any use, be rather tight and usually cuts a red line in the tender skin. Then some injudicious mothers put the rubber behind the ears, which results in forcing them forward, making them an ugly shape and ruining their natural beauty, for a beautiful ear is something to be prized and yet it is so seldom possessed. PARTY FROCKS. OF course some pretty dresses will be needed when the little ones go out to parties. The illustration gives two, suitable either for a large garden party, if long, puffed sleeves be added, but still more for an evening with young friends in the house. The first is a pretty combination of white silk tulle and dark brown foulard, with a sash of brown and white surah, and a brown and white checked skirt, dark brown stockings, chamois shoes and gloves. The second is a dainty little frock of white satin and dark grey silk tulle, pale grey silk stockings, white shoes and pale grey gloves. These are French dresses, but could be reproduced in materials which I should call much more suitable for children’s wear, say nun’s veiling, with blue Liberty silk, and sateen and washing silk, or pretty woollens and plaids. Heloisg.