WINTER FASHIONS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2976, 8 January 1881, Page 5 (Supplement)

WINTER FASHIONS.

The winter fashions have now been decided upon. For visiting purposes large cloaks, sitting close on the shoulders by the aid of two plaits, will be worn ; the skirt portion of these not too full, and meeting down the front, or some form of the pelisse or visite shapes. They are made of double cachemire, silk or woollen matelasse, drab royal, drab duchesse, velvet brocade or satin, lined witli fur, plush, or quilted satin. Those of satin are edged with bands of fur or plush ; the pelerine or hood, one of which is the usual accompaniment, lined to correspond. They are fastened at the throat by cords and tasse?s, or handsome agrafes of silver, plain or oxydised. For large mantles with sleeves, the visite with narrow close-setting back, the sleeves taking in the seams, is the dominant style, nnd of this there are great varieties of arrangements. The sleeves may reach part of the way or the full length, may be square, round, pointed, or turned back with handsome revers reaching to the back seams. These visiles are lined with satin, the same or different color, and trimmed with passementeries, appliques, and motifs ; the trimming often representing a large collar. Ihe elaborately trimmed visites of rich materials, and the coats and casaquins are the most habilles of all confections ; the tight-fitting ones being, of course, only suitable for young and good figures. The coats are made of velvet and other rich fabrics, the trimmings being of fur, plush, passementerie, embroidery, chenille, and beads ; gold and silver embroidery is also used as garnitures. The single-breasted shape is considered the most dressy, though the double fastening is also worn. The Lasques are open or closed, plain at the back, or with folds turned underneath, and the same length all round, or lengthened into a coat habit, entirely according to taste. The habit " officiel" is very grande genie ; it closes throat with gold buttons to a few inches below the waist, opening in a point from below the last button. The basquo is straight round ; at the back arc two large box plaits, commencing a few

inches below the waist, when a small traverse of the same, fastened by three gold buttons, goes across the top of the plaits to hide their folding. Upright collar and large square cuff, embroidered in gold. This habit is made in velvet of the same shade as the skirt, which may be of satin velvet, brocade and frille, or polpin, moss green, dark blue, violet de Lorraine, prune, loutre, and black being the most fashionable colours. Loutre, i.e., seal brown, is a very favourite colour, and is susceptible of combination with many shades of brighter hues, such as turquoise blue, vieil or, dore, and corail. Black is most fashionably worn in all rich materials, and such toilettee are generally arranged bo as to admit of two or three different garnitures of colour, the dress itself being profusely trimmed with jet beads, fringe lace, rushes and plisses, embroideries, and passementeries, and the skirt edged with balayeuse of colour. The vogue of satin and velvet is increasing every day ; they have nerer been so nraeh or so fashionably worn, and they are admissible at all times and seasons. Satin is even being employed for afternoon walking di'esses in town, combined with velvet, poplin, or cachemire. The most fashionable o£ the rich materials, besides satin, velyet and poplin, are the brocards and brocatelles, with brilliantly coloured small flowers on a dark ground, beautifully ribbed silks and Pekins of satin and velvet, lampas with plain ground, brocaded with stripes covered with flowers, and the magnificent tissues woven with gold ; damasks with brocaded or velvet flowers on satin grounds, of the same tint, or in natural colours, plushed, plain, ribbed or shot; and stamped, ciseles, brocaded and repousses velvets. Next in order come the velours Anglais (velveteen), which, when of the best quality, may take rank with the velvets ; cachemires, and the myriad mixed and woollen materials, the Scotch and English makes of the latter being in great demand in Paris. " Pri'-cesse" dresses are increasing in favor for toilettes habillees, there being always some drapery added to the skirt to destroy the robe de chambre appearance they otherwise have. Trimmings are often arranged on the bodices of those to form a deep point at the front and back, and sometimes extra length is allowed to drape en paniers. The " Directoire," " Louis XV," and " AVatteam" styles are all in fashion en meme temps, the grandes couturiores, showing great taste in selecting them, as most becoming to their customers. The polonaise is rapidly growing in favour, and admits of great variety of form. There is no unique fashion in bonnets and hats; they are medium size, large, or small, according to taste and the class of toilette. The small capote bonnets and toques are still at the height of fashion for toilettes habillees, and certainly have a more f ulldress air than the chapeaux with wide brims. Plush, satin velvet, rich tissues woven with gold, Oriental materials are all used for bonnets, these being sometimes combined of two or three together. Gt-old and silver ornaments are very fashionable, but should be sparingly employed. Some full-dress bonnets have been made by Court modistes with the feathers or lace held in place by an old paste buckle. This is very grande genre, and cannot become common, as real old paste is by no means easy to obtain. A companion buckle is placed on the muff, which must match with the toilette. Silver jewellery is very much a la mode, and eliows very effectively with the dark dresses of the season. Chatelaines, silver, or gold, with a multiplicity of breloques, are again

being worn by the foreign and English leaders of fashion, and anklets will be displayed to much advantage by the short skiiting dresses, and they will be as fashionable with the short ball dresses that were the cause of their first introduction.— European Mail.