Ledies Column

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 347, 1 January 1903, Page 2

Ledies Column

F ATSHIof AND THI M& Bt MISS ADA MELLEB.

(All Bights Rksebved.j A SERGE DBES3. SfjTKHEBE are shades , and shades of ?#JvK | what is termed' navy *'iplu& ?s6uie | being very much 'brighter'than l others, and again others showing a good deal of violet in their composition. The sheaper navy serges are usually more dull-looking than the better ones, but sometimes, even' in a cheap pattern,* full, rich blue ia obtainable. The serge gown should therefore be carefully chosen, and the best and bluest colour selected. The model "sketched'*in this" column shows a serge costume made up with a'sailor blouse and trimmed throughout with white braid in a sort of Greek-key pattern. The: little vest might be of the braid laid

on to white flannel or Cambridge blui sateen, or of white batiste and insertion. A pretty effect would also be obtained . by facing the collar with light blue, the white braid in any case forming a border. A white flannel blouse made after the fashion illustrated could sometimes be worn with the blue serge skirt, and would be effective and suitabla for the seaside. Suggestions for the waistband are that it should be of serge, shaped in front and stitched on to the skirt, or of red leather, buckled, in which case the note' of red might be repeated ia the loosely knotted scarf. ■ ■ :

. CHASMS.. Charms for the neckchain, watch chain or bangle are still among the it shionable fads of the hour, the latest novelty in the way of charms being nothing more nor lesa than a little model of the. King's hand. It is made in various metals —the most effective for the purpose of being ' vieux argent '—and forms a quaint and pretty ornament that is'being worn round the necks of girls and women, and that one sees attached to the watchchainp of menfolk. Bead neckchains having been somewhat overdone, the tendency is in favour of' the 'long \ gilfr chain devoid c f bead?, or very sparsely set with a stone here and here. BOOTS AND SHOES. As the summer holiday means living in the air as much as \t, is important; that boots and shoes should be fairly stout and quite comfortable Brown shoes for morning wear are most useful, as they show the dust less than black ones. There are various shades of ' brown' leather, the smartest brown shoes being something of the shade of brown paper. Some very fashions ble walking shoes of black glace are made with long tongue-pieces and buckles, and require neither buttons nor lace?. American boots, which are gaining favour in England, give a very slender appearance to the foot, but at the same time allow plenty of room by their almost exaggerated length. To be comfortably ehod means much to the enjoyment of the holiday, and a point to be remt-mbered in buying brots or shoes iB that it is just as necessary for the footgear to be sufficiently broad. Short shoes and boots are often responsible for enlarged toe-joints. A CB4SH OB LINEN COSTUME. Coloured art linens are made up into very nice coat and skirt costumes for summer wear, the colours for which there seems to be a preference being pale green, lilac, blue and pink. The most expensive of the art linens show a coarse grain and glossy surface, and are sometimes made up with a woollen laoe, which is an ex cellent finish. Crash, of which I have before written, is somewhat of a novelty for dress purposes, and has met with a

good deal of favour, particularly popular being skirt? of crash handsomely tucked. A skirt of .this persuasion is sketched herewith, together with a short, semifitting coat of the same material. The costume is suitable for crash or art lineii, and is celf-trimmed. The skirt fastens under a band of stitching at • the left front, and is finished with many rows of tucks, which, in a stout material, such aB crash, have the rich effect of cordings. The coat collar is tucked all over, in a diagonal direction; the cuffs are also tucked, and the coat is finished with a band of stitching round the bottom and down the side front.