LATEST PARISIAN FASHIONS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1882, 2 July 1888, Page 3

LATEST PARISIAN FASHIONS.

(from oue own cokresfoni>bnt.j Paris, May 15. Among articles of feminine apparel tbe crowning one, whether It takes the form of bonnet or hat, la certainly aa Important as any. For admirers of the opposite Bex, it Is, moreover, more easily appreciable than the majority of tbe other oomponenls of a lady's wardrobe. It can at anyrate be seen m its entirety, and may thus be judged by the crlt'osl male bye. Straw, m Innumerable forms aad Bbapes, will evidently form the body and underatruo * tare of this season's headgear. Most of them will contain a lining of, thj aa*ne material, albeit m different color, thus black straws will bo lined white inside, and vice versa. Black and white promise, indeed, to be the predominating fashion m bars during the coming eummor — if summer there i« to be. These straw constructions, as well as those compounded of tulle, laoe, flowers, or wire, will pueaess the combined advantage of being at onoe atylUh and comparatively cheap. The new Italian straws, soft and supple as allk, will prove an exception to this rule of reasonableness, and, from their very novelty, may be expee'ed to prove excessively dear. They will be trimmed with enormous bunches of feathers, for the most part white. The shapes themselves are low, but height will be amply supplied by the means of superposed trimming. The garnlahlngs of ribbon, m particular, promise to assume monumental proporpcrtlonr, the favorite width being No. 80, hitherto associated only with waist bands for infants or young ohlldren. In bonnets so trimmed there are to bj neither flowers nor feathers, but any •mount of artiatio arrows, pins, and other small jewellery of all sorts either m gold or jet. No skilful milliner wilt thus be able to complain of waut of loope for the exeroise of her delicate art. I 1 ; is still the fashion to dress the hair high, ala Psyche. Some ladies find that it becomes them to wear their hair a 2a Gftdogan, falling m a braid down the baok. Bat they are exceptions. Nor has the Chinese fashion of oruahiog all the hair tight back and fastening it on the crown of the head, met mooh favor, " Bangs " and leaving the hair loose" on the forehead are going out of fashion, or, at least, the prizes are not so heavy as at one time. It is no longer considered m good taste to put too many ornaments m the hair, feat hep, pan aches and wreaths are out of fashion, A light fillet of tulle passing tbrouuh the hair, and fastened m front with a diamond pin, is a sufficient head ornament. It is also permiesable to hold the knot of hair m place by a multitude of small diamond hairpins. Evening glovea are very long, and are made of undressed peau de Sue*de. If not m full dress, the gloves Bbould be grey pearl peau de Suede. Black kida are only worn when m deep mourning ; but blsok atookings and shoes ate m vogue, and may be used on all occasions, no matter what the color of the dress is. Low shoeß wi^b. black stockings a,ve worn at small parties, but on full-drees occasions the stockings should be of fine silk, and the part that shows should be made of fine Uhantjily lace, while th,e shoes should bo of black satin, either pain or worked with beads. Isabella of Bavaria, who wore a peaked bonnet a yard and three-quarters m height, would find harself , if she returned amongst us, m that particular bonnet, quite m the fashion still, for though bonnets are flatter, lower, and closer as regards their absolute shape, yet trimming ia piled on to suoh extent, and such excessive height is produoed by it, that Mme. de Campau'u description of the head gear pf Louis 2£Vl'a time is quite applicable now. She wrote :—" Headdresses, with their superstructures of gauze, flowers, aad feathers, obtained so great a degree of loftiness that the women could not find carriages high enough to admit them." Compare the above with the' decoriptjon of a bonnet reoentlly seen on the Boulevard*, whioh was of a fine blaok straw, with a wide brim, muoh pointed m front, lined with a red fancy straw, with -gold thread interplaited with it ; the crown was high, and on the extreme ton of It yas placed the trltcmlng', coaslati&g of flame-oolored rlbbonj'feet m large upstanding loops and end*, glorified ' balr'qshea 'arid, brownish green grasses rearing ' theje hgads amidst the bo^ys— a gory iojrnace qn the head— the height attained by crown and trimming combined, being little aharfc of two feel, ***» ir.aeot mania has broken out again and beetles and suoh small game, meander over gauza and tulle, gerc^ themselves on bows of ribbon, or find a home m the heart of a full-blown rose. L»oe, artistically arranged, ia one of the moit perfect materhla naed m bonnet trimming — it lends itself so admirably In clever lingers, to the purpose, and the ne^jr method of cafalng it above ttie 1 brim In * olroalav ih'ape, thickly gathered with a knot'ln 1 the centre, Ia n graceful ai it U