Ladies' Column.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 455, 19 January 1905, Page 2

Ladies ' Column.

LATEST LONDON AND PARIS FASHIONS. By MISS IDA MELLES

[All Rights Rsssbvsd.]

THEEE is rather a foeling for chocked materials, and as shepherd's plaids have been somewhat forsaken during the summer, they return to us with almost the charm of novelty. A tailor-made, newly built, has a pretty pleated skirt and a charming little coat shorn off at the waist and fitting the figure at the sides. The front and back also fall to the figure, &id the fronts are laid upon a straight, simulated waistcoat of white oloth, braided in black. A scarlet straw hat, trimmed with soarlet ribbons and a posy of blaok roses, accompanies the dress, and a black neck-tic and modish little turn-over of lawn and lace are worn at the throat. A costume with a larger check is carried out in slate-grey tweed, the pattern ; being marked in pale, dull blue and ochre, and the coat and skirt are made up with touches of dark blue oloth and ochre yellow buttons. Eton coats and coats with cape sleeves are expected to be popular, fashions for the cirly autumn—and in truth, there are few styles so generally becoming as the cape effect, whether it be produced by a mere sleeve, by the well-known Highwayman cape, or the smart little pelerine with bolero back that is the youngest example of a cape. The new tailor-made coats and skirts are built on very quiet lines ; and, on the whole, the effects are simple and in many cases border on severity. Old mode.s die hard, and the fitted skirt i$ not, by any means, entirely displaced by the newer gathered skirt. In fact, it is difficult to imagine the everyday tailor skirt "of fitted character sinking into titter oblivion, since, on utility grounds, it is, as yet, unequalled. The full skirt is inconvenient in wet and windy weather, and the superfluity ,of material is cumbersome when stout cloth or frieze is concerned. The grace, however, of a well-cut, well-made tailor skirt of -full character is unquestionable. It is jgenerally more becoming when arranged with a centre panel that is not affected by-gathers. A PRETTY KOUSEjIIRgSS; Cloth remains the matorial tor useful toilettes, the sniooffi satin-face jualities being; the . mbpf*'' dressy and becoming,. Black is, o|- ; course, prime Svourite, and the-colgurs.;Which We likely to lead the way are pruije, a richjshado of slaret, a golden or nut'browri, and a quiet lark shade of green. The costume sketohed-: s adapted to fine hipth. in any of theW ;olours or to velveteenv- : A : prattyj an^ ; lovel feature of the blouse „ bodiceWtEefti silk scarf threaded through the lace cellar, yhioh is cut very deep and square, Th^

Bleeps are finished with lace ouffb, and the blouse is pouohed at the vraist over a fitted corselet belt. The skirt is gathered at the-

waist, and inlet with bands of-lace lower down. If the sl<irt, however, were of velveteen, instead of cloth, the lace might bo omitted. Nuns veiling or cashmere might be used instead of cither of the materials suggested—or tho blouse might be of velveteen and the skirt of cloth, tho colours agreeing. Threaded, effects are still much encouraged, the dress material itself being slit for the threading. A new cloth skirt embodying the idea has a straight, kilted flounce sewn to a stitched band, which is pierced and threaded with ribbon-velvet, and tho effect is repeated on the kilted sacque ooat, which is apparently hung to its yoke by means of a ribbon threaded through a stitched band of cloth. AJ< ACCOJIDIOJf-PLEATED COAT. A few years ago modes suitable for matrons of middle-age differed considerably from those designed for young women; but to-day .grandmothers wear similar modes to those affected by wives of thirty and younger, and tbe woman of fifty or sixty requires far less individual attention as regards dress designs specially suited to her age than was the case a quarter of a century ago... She wears what the young woman wears, appears in hats and blouses, and bears her years lightly. Dress can age a woman very much, so far as appearance goes, or can apparently lift years from her age, and tho tendency of dress to-day is, as we all know, to make a woman younglooking. A becoming littlo coat for the

middle-aged woman is sketohed herewith. It is made of black accordion-pleated soft silk, and is built like a sacque mounted on to a fitted yoke. The neok and fronts are trimmed with a stole of burnt ivorycoloured guipure, frilled on the shoulders and round the back with black, accordionpleated chiffon. The sleeves are caught below the elbows with bracelets' of inchwide, black ribbon velvet, and thence flow loose and wide, and are trimmed near the edge with two rows of black bebe" velvet. The coat is also trimmed with rows of velvet to match. This becoming littlo sacque coat might -be. copied in nun's veiling or thin I cloth. I

SEYREJST BLUE ROSEST Among the incongruities of fashion that have received ajbuse at one time or another islthe vogue of muslin flowers coloured out of harmony wijh the laws of nature. Blaok roses, were first worn, were much written j about, and many of those whd took part in the discussion disagreed with the introduction of anything so contrary to the-.-wkys of nature. But black ro?es have flourished, notwithstanding, and this year are: accompanied by Sevres blue roses, which are.dehghted in by the smart milliners. TbW blue flowers appear in smair* Banksia' varieties, and als£ as large full-blown roses—whioh remind ; me to lay. stiiess' uponthW-faot that" one bflhe mil-linery-notionsctt.the moment is the,;, use of a Single,, full-blown cr<?wn or brim of ,a introlSced as wells perhaps, ljteneathithe brim. ' t ;s£hother way in which ipses have been, mirchworn during the Bummer is m'sn doublaiwreath, or; maybe a single wreath,:-thi flowers being paoked. closely together; and unrelieved by'foliage.. A wreathj of Sevres bike roses on'a hat,of navy beooming, "'the - brim |bey6hd.-ttxe?flowers having "a scarf/of of lace, regarded almost indispensable to the hat of the moment, is sotijejunos in danger; of: tastefully arranged is'a additf&Q?' to the picture haji it a black hat by atfjgh-clasß miliiner, wasconfinoMßiicfciy. to tbo back of tbo hat, and pleats. At ibo same tiing thißmm was softoued at- the odgo|iy o! the lace, bu#' tKyte" was «<|iE£?onnd curtain. takes upon itself; JfiC"iJ6lour.;<)f .«£)&.&, a blue fall ourtawy^..green ; hd and. -to^fM -.■;£.