Ladies' Column

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 358, 19 March 1903, Page 2

Ladies' Column

FASHION alsd" THINGS J. FEMININE. Bt MISS ADA MELLEB a gbaceful"mantle. £f|*£S the season of evening amuse9M$ meats—theatres, concents, and affjg so on—has began again, it has occurred to me that a suggestion for a mantle which would do duty for evening wear as well aa day wear, might be useful; for there are hundreds ofc, women who have not a sufficient, nse fotan essentially full-dress mantle to care to include it in their wardrobes, and yet they go out fairly often in the evening, making their journeys in trains and other i public vehicles, and find the need, therefore, of an evening mantle of some sort—something quiet and unobtrusive in style, hut rather more dressy than the ordinary day coat. A mantle, such as the one sketched herewith, would, I think, meet the case of a great many women. It carries no age with it, and would be as useful to the debutante as to her mother. Satin-face cloth would be as useful a

material as any wherewith to compo»e the coat, which is finished with stitching, and is cut semi-fitting and with bell* sleeves. The novel and attractive feature about it is the lace fichu, which falls in long ends down the front, and is caught at the bust with a flower-like rosette of lace. The high roll collar is lined with velvet. Thoughts that occur for the colouring of the coat are chestnut-browa or olive- green satin- cloth with lace scarf in a. deep shade of cafe an lait j or ruby* red cloth with black lace. Or the whole thing—cloth and lace—might be carried out in dun-colour or dove. It would be possible, of course, to discard the laoe if it were required for day wear, A BLACK EVENING DBBBS. Black or whito remains the favourite choice for evening gowns, and it is perhaps hardly necessary for me to add that

of the two black is the most won. It was a long time before Paris dressmakers could induce Iheir clients to believe in the beauty of black, and such a thing as an all-black dress was never worn at one time—and that not very ma»y years ago—unless it signified mourning. There is a story to the effect that years ago one of the great French dressmakers tried his hardest to persuade the Queen of Spain, who used to be fond of wearing gay colours, that black would be as becoming to her as red and .yellow t but Her Majesty would have none of it, and continued to wear hor favourite bright colours. One day, however, she surprised the dressmaker by appearing before him in a black dress. • See, now/ she is reported to have said, ' I have taken your advice at last 2' But Hub is a digression. Let us turn to the real object of my allusion to black for evening wear, which bids me at once draw your atteation, mesdamee, to tho sketch of a very charming evening dress in all-black, suitable for tbe age of fifty and thereabouts. The chief part of the robe might be built of soft blaok silk, grenadine, voile, or some such material, and the smart sleeveless coat, with its long, becoming basqiw, suggests an excellent opportunity »t jetted or plain lace or guipure, or i«r sequined net, little bunches of sequins bordering it all round, Bands of sequined or place lace insertion (aooordiag to the material of whioh the coat is composed) hold the sleeveß at the elbows, border the decolletage. and head the lace flounce on the skirt, Knots of velvet being fffectively used here and there. The coat is finished at the neck with a frill of laee, cascaded down the fronts, and lace frills finish, tte sleeves, while at the waist is a narrefj draped belt of black velvet; whether it be of sequined net or of lace, should be lined with either-net or chiffon, whioh will gire it greater endurance, and yet keep to the transparent effect.

Bind together your spare hours by cord of definite purpose, and you know not how much may be accomplished.—Taylor.