BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 485, 19 April 1909, Page 3

BY ARTIFICIAL LIGHT.

(Mrs. Evan Nepean, in "Tho Queen!")

'■■ 'Evening: gowns promise to be delightful: in many iWays, and Ijhave seen some.charming new ones lately. : People .must be. hard ; to please if they cannot like what is worn; to-day--6r to-night.-. The craze for: overdresses or .tunics and dalmatics of black tulle or ndt above: gowns of metallic tulle or more; solid tissue,' suggests a; reversal of this order, of things,':and a -rather' quaint, and effective frock dined next r to me the other night—a •picturesque .striped green, 1 black, and'silver gauze .(rather opaque.silver, and stripes '-of blacks arid emerald-green satin) 'with an overdress'; of • silver tulle embroidered•;. with silver and black square sequins, with a haiidsome heavy, border, and a beautifully, draped sash of black .tulle combined with black panne. There was a high' collarette of black tulle,;with silver tassek and slides^of 'old square-cut emerald paste. .;■:-. ', ';'.:.. ■-,- '■-'. ■.Foreshadowing- the . coming '-. change '■ in wideT. : ; skirts was an exquisite dress for . a rather more mature woman, of ivory drap de sbie, and over it ,was y/mn' a sort of modified sacque. of black tulle. From the bust this overdress 1 parted and descended to the hips, : .where it was just caught up> with tile merest suggestion of-panniers, falling thence to the ground. ,This was hemmed .with a narrow band of chinchilla, and above that ran allround about' a beautifully embroidered border in ribbon-work ? and chenille of Tudor roses,, handsome;aiid conventional, in; shades .of; rose pink ■ and., deeper rose, , ;with gold, stems and thorns and dull green: foliage. At 'thei waist there was-a belt of green, satin cut in-a certain peak,; which again hinted atthe coming of. the long pointed bodice, and, the sleeves were of the: Marie Antoinette mode —formal, frills of fine old Malines.'.., A border of the same lace hemmed the Marie Antoinette fichu, that-encircle the shoulders, one of the pretty,"tuckeUjn.'' .sorljwith.no ends.. \ Jet—-well, jet is very much, with us. , Of course,, the;.smart black transparent 'frock heavily, jetted; is. extraordinarily hard to beat. The woman of golden-blonde hair, and privetiwhite skin. Jooks exquisite in. such a dress, : a'.:fairy-light: jet dog collar and tiara, and, the 'very broad bracelet , ' some smart women seem anxious/to revive looks'j very well .'on. a white arm in trellis-worked jet. ,

■'.White jet, that contradiction in terms, is an.attractive creature! A lovely white ballgown is embroidered and fringed with white jet, and owns not , the slightest'touch of colour...lt■:alsoi decorates with success the white silk''■net--panels of-a salmon-pink chameusp .dinner dress—the' real r old sahnon shade—interspersed : with,, iridescent bugles taking'gleams of pink, By the way,':'.-white- jet. is not. the; only variation; there is a kind which has an iridescent colouring, only: differing from crystal of a like sort in being opaque, or nearly so, and very pretty indeed it can be. The , crystal embroideries, .with dull "uncut moonstone"like; surface, are too charming, and so much more subtle than the'shine, and gleam of. cut :glasS.':/':* "■■•", . ?^'.: '" .. ':■': : ; s.' :."- "' ''-- " '■:■■ A';'dress withi more than a , suggestion; of the- : Watteau 1 period has the frilled lace sleeve, "each frill divided by twists of palo :blue arid .'pale'.'green satin; hows of the "same. ; cross the front of the bodico a la Pomr>adour, and', tho' gown itself, of-chalk-white satin,brocaded with, "the Bourbon sprig" in blue and green, shows a skirt with certainly more : '.'ease" than the. sheath-like petticoats' of the past '-winter.: ■ . ■•■ •'-.,■:-.'. : : ":'-■■. ■To , finish up with, a really frilled frock has been, seen, a pretty .trifle of flounces and fur-belows,-iall. of .snowy chiffon, with finest chalk-white lace edgings, with a sash of white' silk .edged with picot loops, and a posy of moss roso buds tucked into it. Possibly a. forerunner of a return of the spirit of summery Early Victorianism, but who can be sure in February? J .-.'■ ■'■■:■■, ...;"..;.