Ladies' Column.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 403, 28 January 1904, Page 2

Ladies' Column.

FASHION AND THINGS .-Jj FEMININL. ' M

Bt MISS : ADA. MBLLEB J ' :./ : |ji [All Eiohtb EKaaavKD -\A*

£A? BBA.SIDE COSTUME 0?," SBBGffi, v IN spite of the many 4 new materials i' 4 with attractives that nave entered f, iato the -world .of dresa, eerge "'. - remains, aa ever, the mainstay of »** the traveller's wardrobe. One of the simplest and most serviceable styles for V the seaside is sketched in the accompany- ■s.■ ing picture,v which shows a Barge dress with little flounces at the hem of the skirt and a sailor blouse, finished with a stitched collar, the vest being of pique or batiste, and the scarf, knotted loosely in front, of crepe de Chjne. Carried, out in cream or navy-blue serge, with a pale , - blue scarf, this simple dress would be • ' most charming, and could'hardly ba re* ",*" placed by anything more useful for everyday wear. It is an excellent style for

yachting purposes or the river, and is a dress that the home dressmaker could ran up very cheaply and quiokly. The skirt need not be lined, the little flounces at the hem helping to keep it well down j but, of course, the hem should have an interlining. On breezy) days great inconvenience is often experienced with a skirt that is light in weight. It will be found an advantage to pin it invisibly to the underskirt, the latter helping to keep the upper skirt in place. Ani if the underskirt is of thin alpaca, or some such material, less slippery of snrface than silk or linen, it will still further assist matters. The lead-weighted skirt is out of the question, since with the movement of walking the ankles receive the weight of the lead buttons with every fresh step.

A CHILD'S COTTON FBOCK. The white frock illustrated in the accompanying sketch is a smart style fer a girl of eight or nine, and makes up very well in holland, pique or other linen materials. The skirt is arranged in a series of flutes caught with straps of its own material and pearl buttons, and the loose coat repeats the handsome collar of embroidered linen. For washing purposes it is better that the flutes on the skirt should be left free, and secured only with

the detachable straps rather than be stitched down beyond the waist. A frilled linen sun hat, after the style of the sketch, is much to be recommended for children's wear. The crushable Panama hats are also excellent for use in hot weather, as the brims can be rolled back when the sua ia absent, and turned down mushroom-wise when there is a glare,

GAUZE VEIL 3. What with the motor-cat and influx into England of American visitors, the gauze veil is a very prominent artiole of attire just now. The American tourist and her «ganze'; are practically inseparable, the long floating veil wound round the crown of her hat and thrown back from the face being characteristic of her get-up. Green is supposed to be the most restful colour fcr the eyes, and I notice a good sprinkling of' bottle green' chiffon! veils, with large 'mooches * among others? that are being worn just .now. Thankjs to motor fashions, it is now quite possible to make a veil of practical use in securing a hat as well as merely a shield for the hair. The seaside veil should unquestionably be of gauze or chiffon. Another fashion, very useful at the seaside to combat the glare of a force Bun striking on an open parr.de, is the pair of blue pince-nez made "possible' by motorists. They spare the eyes and save many ft headache.

A HINT ON WASHING LACE. The rage for lace collars continues unabated. In washing them they should be squeezed in a warm, soapy lather untu thoroughly clean, and then rinsed in fresh water/after which wring out an much water from the face as possible,. beat the collar between the folds of a towel, and finally spread it out on a pad of flannel or a folded bath-towel, picking out any points or corners of lace carefully and pinning the collar in many places, to the towel. ; -■<?