Ladies' Column

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 362, 16 April 1903, Page 7

Ladies' Column

FASHION AND THINGS FEMININE.,,. ~ Bt MISS AD! MELLEEt TWO FLINNELETTE-BLOUSES. |TKHE sew flannelß and flinnolettea m| for blouses are exceedingly pretty, a novel feature about them being the fancy borders with whion they are provided. A plain flannelette or a sprigged flannelette can be made up to look very smart according to tbe new fashion. Tbe two accompanying designs show modes for blouses of plain and sprigged flannelette with fancy borders. The flowered blouse looks verv pretty m pale bluo flannelette with a pink rose-bud or tiny floweret all ever the surface, the border of the material being used for the three mitred straps and the collar and fluffs, all of theeo being hummed with plain blue twill. The bodice is finely tucked and the straps are laid upon the

tucks, the sleeves also being tucked. The second blouse works out well in red flannelette with a black embroidered fancy border, or in cream flannelette worked with Indian red on the berder. This (tractive blouse is made with a vest strapped with bands cut from the fancy border. The smavt little turn-over collar, the cuffs, and the stripes on the sleeves are also of fancy trimming (cut to a narrow width), and the revers show the border at its full width.

COSTUME WITH PLEATED SKIRT. Several of the new model skirts are much pleated, and for a rather thin quality of cloth the style is useful and has the advantage cf making a poor material appear richer. The full length costume pketcbed showß one o£ the new pleated skirts, the pleats being set into a nip-yoke, which is continued as a plastron down, too front. The hip yoke is desirable where the pleated skirt is concerned in order that the fashionable simplicity about the waist may be maintained. The pkats Bbonld be stitched down near the edf;e to so far.as the knees, and then fall freo so 'that, the necasary flow maybe obtained at the foot The coat that completes the costume is of the Russian type, and is double-breasted, being arranged in a single box-pleat in front, and overlapping the poiriti'd waistband. The round collar is bordered with velvet and

between the cloth and velvet is a narrow band of fur. The cttlf* io the sleoveß harmonise with the collar, and the band collar in also touched with fur. A large caboshon and tassels give a pretty finish to the coat, the caboehon being attached to"the point of the cellar. As it is, the costume is quite simple j but it cui.d easily be made more dressy by the addition of fancy braid on tbe box-pleat, hipvoke and plastron, and also on the vest. "Grey, Mac*, dark blue or dahli«-red soft cloth, trimmed with black velvet and browu fur (and black braid if approved of), are good ideas for the drsss. ■ THE HEIGHT OF FASHION. If one were asked to specify the moßt distinctive features of this season's modes, the answer would unhesitatingly bo Ru«sian coats and basques. There is a positive msnia for Kuasian coats and blouses, and the charm and smartness of the style favoured amply justifies the shower of applause which has greeted its arrival in our midst. Not that the Busaian coat 'in a novelty, by any means, but itbas never before taken its place as the leading fashion or been produced in the rich and'beautiful materials of'whioh it is now made. ■ ■'■ too, is no novelty, but is a very different thing: today to what it was years ago, when it consietedtof a gathered flounce hung upo» tiie hips and sometimes extending to the knees or thereabouts. ' To-day the basque is smartnes's itself; The shorter it is, the spjarter the effect, and it must have no fulness, only the ease yielded by the cross-way material.