LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume IX, Issue 37, 10 September 1892, Page 915

LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS.

VERY HANDSOME EVENINC GOWN. These appears to be a continual struggle after novelty in the designing of dress skirts, and this fact has led to the production of a new style, which is variously called the tiumpet or cornet or trombone skirt, as one pleases. It is shaped precisely like the Haring end of a brass hand instrument, being curved outward rather sharply and very full at the feet. While the effect of the sides and back is very good, the front, must be carefully arranged, or it has a Happiness which is anything but agreeable, and suggests an error in cutting rather than a distinctive style. The present fashion of long skirts has created a revolution in the fit and finish of petticoats and the lower portions of dress skirts. As it is necessary to raise the long skirt, it has become imperative that something in the way of attractive finish be provided for the under side, which is always more or less visible. For this purpose there are imported handsome ruchings or rutHings of coloured silk, either plain or changeable, and also in black and white. The illustration represents a lovely dress suitable for evening wear at a decidedly stylish party, be it dinner or ball. It is composed of pale yellow moire silk, beautifully trimmed with dark brown velvet embroidered with coloured silks and Horal designs in jewels. The dress could be carried out in less expensive materials, say a white surah for the base of operations, black velvet edging worked in metal thread and beads. The dress is cut en yrincesse fitting like a glove. The girdle is of beautiful jewelled embroidery, but could be imitated in loose braid and metal thread or iridescent beads. This could be easily done by clever fingers. Spring costumes are beginning to be demanded, and the choice of materials and styles is very nearly limitless. For every-day, practical, out-of-door use, there is nothing better than a light-weight, medium quality serge. Dresses of this sort are made with plain bell skirt with a bias band at the lower edge, or with a hem turned up and stitched. The Russian blouse, with or without trimming, is excellent for wear with these skirts. This blouse may or may not match the skirt in colour and quality. It may be made of surah, fancy wool or some grades of wash materials A handsome suit of this sort has a serge skirt with Russian blouse of Bedford cord ; another skirt is worn with a blouse of Tartan surah ; another with a blouse of white pique : another shows a coat basque of white corduroy with gold and white trimming. The possibilities of combinations of this sort are almost endless. It is well always to have a fitted waist of the material like the skirt, which may be worn if desired, as there are occasions when the blouse is scarcely as appropriate as the fitted bodice. ♦♦♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ In silken fabrics there are taffetas with tiny dots of embroidery, glace silks with printed designs in shadowy tints of contrasting colour, light qualities of surah with printed or embroidered figures, and the universally popular crepon in every imaginable colour, tint, quality, and combination. In rich silks the moires in plain watered effects, moires with brocadings, moires with stripes of satin alternating with stripes of changeable colour either plain or brocaded, are among the desirable goods for ceremonious dresses. Black dresses of fine wool material for the street have the usual skirt in bell shape, and, it is a pleasure to say, will be sufficiently short to do away with the necessity of holding them up. ' It cannot be too strongly emphasized that short skirts are approved by the Paris and London houses, and no lady need feel out of fashion if she wears a dress that just escapes the ground. She will not only be quite as stylish, but will be far more comfortable, and will win and merit the respect of all sensible people.