Ladies' Column

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 426, 23 June 1904, Page 2

Ladies' Column

a -» West London and Paris Fashions

Bt MISS ADA. MELLEB... Lady Joaraalißt.&o.

[Am. Bighm Ebsbbvbd.]>|P§P ! " A HiNDIoME COAT. SKjKETUENING to the present, let xra qjWrp disoues coats for immediate wear. jjfcyfi Among them the sew materials in imitation of fur are much in evidence. Taupe, as the French call some of these beautiful manufactures, in ita beat quality so closely resembles moleskin that it might very well pass for the genuine fur; and, although expensive, is cheap in comparison to the precious fur itself. Taupe, made up as a Eusßian ooat or a three-quarter aacque, or even as a Victorian pelerine with muff to correspond, produces a handßome wrap. Imitation chinchilla is leee effective, to my way of thinking, than imitation moleßfein or other brown fma. The difference is more easily detected, the subtle shades of chinchilla,

so delicate in their eilverinesß, being apparently very difficult to realise in a manufactured article. The real chinchilla, too, requireß very careful wearing. It soils easily and is sometimes inclined to assume a rusty hue, when its chief beauty is at once lost. Seal plush is doing good duty in the service of semi-fitting eacque coats for women of forty and over. The richest models are trimmed with stole collars of seal brown silk guipure, or of coffee-coloured or deep cream guipure, as fancy pleases. Treated in the same way are black plush or velvet coats, the stole-collars being of black Bilk guipure or chenille, and in the more dignified examples a fringe of chenille or jet is added The accompanying sketch illustrates one of these new pluah coats. A BED SEBGE SCHOOL f BOOK. The frook for a little girl sketched JBf*> with is a pretty model for serge, andPHso makes up charmingly in pale blue frieie. I have seen two little school frocks built on the lines of our sketch, and they

created great admiration a-noag ths feUow-Bckokis ;. of: the moe-year-oHI maiden who wore them. One frock w*s of ■ poppy-red serge, with a stole collar of r ivory coloured mercerised sateen (pos- . sessiag a eheen like satin) covered with ' 1 batter-colonred guipure 2 the other frock . was of pastel bine homespun, with a stolecollar of white serge embroidered and herring-boned at the bordeia with pale blue silk, the embroidery taking toe shape I of single flowerets. ' The' cnffd corresponded with the collar, and in one case the little frook was also provided with a short stole-belt en suite. Embroidered velvet oouid, of course, be used for the — collars and cuff a, if profaned ,• or galon is suitable for a similar purpose. The frook is all in one (bodice and skirt being united to a belt of their own material) and fastens at the back, plenty of tucks covering the hips and appearing also on the bodice. Ab ouffs soil easily, owing to desk wort, trimming thereabouts might be omitted* for economical: reasons, and the onffs be of the tucked dress material. Navy serge suggests itself as the. material par. excellence for a , school frock, but it is not so c original' aa poppy-ired. If navy * . be preferred, however, trim it with m white-embroidered red cloth collar, or a white serge collar worked with red or pals bine. ;.**■* SIMPLE EVENING I>BEBSIfW ' The possibilities of nun's vailMsjwall warrant the popularity of this adaptable fabric, whioh is 'much seen just now as evening frocks for children and grownups. The choice of an inexpensive evening dress rests between nun's veiling and washing silk. Made up with lace insertions and plenty of tucks or gauging, either of these fabrics, in deep cream or white, answers oar purpose admirably. Failing lace insertions, the.skirts could be trimmed with ribbon ruchings, or fhral designs in ribbon work. Between 1870 and 1898 the French Government experienced twenty-nine changes of Ministry. Daring the same time England had.bnt six changes.