LADIES’ COLUMN.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1700, 1 August 1879, Page 4

LADIES’ COLUMN.

THE PARISIAN FASHIONS, [From a correspondent of the “Queen.”] A French wit remarked recently that our mothers donned costumes during the Carnival only, but that we wore them every day ; and t his is very true, for tho toilettes of to day resemble fancy dresses or “ traAostHsoments ” moat closely. The Parisians wear jewellery and ornaments made after designs copied from those worn by peasant women of foreign countries; indeed, by all classes of people in all ages. V arious ideas are adopted from fashions worn at all epochs, from tho reign of Charlemagne to the Restoration, and always in the hojjo of producing a novelty, somethieg very ugly is frequently resuscitated and copied. The days are certain to come again when we shall sport patches and farthingales, coal-scuttle bonnets, and other atrocious old modes. In the meantime pa;iers are brought to tho fore again, and in a mild form we are wearing them. Short dresses are no longer slim and sheath-liko, but, on tho contrary, are covered with puffings in front, which arc drawn into masses of drapery at the hack. The new materials enhance the effect of such elaborate designs with their chintz colourings and fibrous patterns, in which the irregularities of nature, rather than sot forms, can be traced. Bat while crinoline and other inartistic styles are looming in the future, there are some artistic and picturesque features recently introduced ; and a grand advantage in current modes is tho ease with which they cun be adaptod to individual taste ; hence m'any gain credit for originality who are only clever at suitable adaptation, and even to bo credited with originality, is not possible when slavish devotion to the changes of fashion is strictly adhered to.

I was led to these reflections after a visit to the Maison Roger, whore the Empress of Austria, the Empress of Brazil, and other crowned heads send their orders. There ware plenty of spring novelties to inspect in the form of Watteau costumes, gauze costumes, Dauphine and Lamballo toilettes ; in fact, Louis XV. and Louis XVI. styles under all forms and with variitions.

The materials principally used in these dresses is shot silk, sometimes also called glacd silk, and -which is likely to be in extreme favour during the warm weather. This silk looks best in the pigeon’s throat colour, in bronze shot with gold, and in pale blue shot with pink ; it is also produced in stripes of two colours—black and gold, violet and pale blue, pink and grey, red and oldgold. Plain double foulards, and flowered foulards are still worn ; also Eolienne, which is a charming silky ribbed material. I have already mentioned the Pompadour cambrics, and the Indienuea with painted flowers ; nothing more appropriate than the chintz colouring in washing dresses, especially when made up with plain colour and trimmed with fine embroidery or lace. The most simple form of make is with a jacket and two skirts, the upper one turned up lavouso fashion. Then in light woollen materials there is no lack of choice—fancy woollens, goat’s hair, b6ge fou’6, Indian cashmere. Empress cashmere, mohair, neigouso, voile de religieuss, and thin cheviots. Moat of the costume that Mme. Ecgcr had made for the races were short, some had paniers, and in others the paniers were only simulated. There were two notably pretty costumes. The first was of Pompadour f oulard—a white ground covered with pinkish flowers ; the front of the skirt was trimmed with flounces to match. These flounces were cut out at the edge in large square dents, and between each square there was a kilting of claret foulard. A Watteau coat-bodice of claret foulard with three paniers and five seams in the back. These three paniers were very long ; in fact, the centre one of the back almost formed a tunic. 11 hey were ruched with a double plaiting of Breton lace, with flots of strawcoloured ribbon on the side of the panior that was gathered. The Breton lace in front commenced at the throat and was continued until it joined the panier at the side. The second costume was of glace silk, striped with straw colour and pivoine (peony), a light shade of reel. The skirt opened in front, showing a small portion of strawcoloured silk ; at each side of the opening there was a ruche of Breton lace, rrc! at the termination of .the ruches there was •. ■ crawcoloured bow. The back of the .-l. : was slightly draped, so as to form a a’ fant, and the bordering of the skirt con t-i I of killings of shot silk, separated with a plaiting of Breton lace. Boclice with simulated paniers, which means that the basque being rounded at the sides has a panier basque at the back, that forms a pouf. In front there is a narrow band of straw silk, which is not a -waistcoat because it stops at the waist, where is finished off with a strawcoloured bow. At the sides of the skirt there are small pyramids of Breton lace, between two revers of straw silk.

Among tho simpler costumes for day wear, I should indicate short dresses of silvergrey, or prune de Monsieur Eolienne, the skirt bordered with a band of embroidery in the Chinese style, pale blue on silver faille ; and this band serves as heading to a flounce, which is interrupted at regular intervals with a striped blue and white kiltmg. Large square pockets of blue and white embroidery ornament the sides of the skirt. The bodice has a bib of grey Eolienne, scolloped with blue and white at the top, and forming a guimpo in silver and blue embroidery. Indian cashmere dresses are now very frequently trimmed with shot Pekin, tho stripes being alternately dead silk, and bright satin ; myrtle green cashmere, trimmed with myrtle Pekin, forms this spring a favourite costum?. Tho new mantles at tho Maison Roger are very stylish, amongst ■others there are visite scarfs of ribbed velvety’ gauze, trimmed with black Breton lace. Jackets called “Marechales” are made of blue or dark green fancy cloth, and trimmed with thick gaious of ribbed silk, richly embroidered with amber-coloured jot. Breton lace is decidedly the favourite spring trimming; for evening wear real Mechlin is worn, of which the Breton is only an imitation ; Japanese embroidery’ is much affected, and there is a novel trimming called “ the seamoss,” which is suitable for evening wear only. It is a broad band of chenille, resembling in colour sea moss —not seaweed—and it is set, at irregu’av distances, tho moat minuto sea shells ; above this band there is another of what is called Caere de perlo ribbon, which is moird, and precise',/ imitates mother-of-pearl—very novel and handsome looking. Below the chenille band is a fringe of artificial seagrass, which is pointed like blades of meadow grass, but of a pinkish-grey colour ; the effect is capital on fabrics of transparent texture.

Karcisse yellow will be worn this season in ribbon flota ornamenting dark blue, green, and brown dresses. Reversible libbons are still made in great variety, the newest contrasts being rose and white, blue and straw, lilac and french grey, serpent green and blue grey, &e Besides the new mother-of-pearl ribbon alluded to, another beautiful ribbon baa lines like the tracings in a shell, while some are spotted like a tiger lily, the aim of manufacturers apparently being to imitate something like beautiful in nature, and in such a way as to be recognisable. Silk turbans are now giving way before tbe newer stylo, which resembles the Phrygian cap, which in rid is rather suggestive of our first great Bevolution. These Phrygian caps are in all colours—striped white and blue, spotted strawberry colour and white called “The Fruit Gardener,” and this is fastened in with an enamel strawberry flower. The “ llepublique ” is the name given to a new bonnet recently introduced. It is similar in shape to the Phrygian cap, and fhe arrangement of the silk wiih which it is trimmed stimulates the peculiar folds of the liberty cap, which it resembles. These are, of course, red, but Itopublique bonnets will be worn in all colours, and many are white. The new parasols are flatter than the canrpy tops of last summer ; they are somewhat in the Japanese shape, and are made with narrow gores on a foundation of sixteen ribs. These ribs are gilded or bronzed, and are so pretty that the silk lining of the parasol is put behind them, close against the outside, so that the whole skeleton or frame is shown. The outside is of rich satin in stripes around the parasol ; these stripes are an inch wide, and alternate either with moire stripes or gay Persian stripes of many colours. The sticks are of straight natural wood, fancifully cut at the end to represent a fly coming out of the handle, or perhaps a png’s head; or else they are uaished with Mexican onyx, carnelian, lap's lazuli, or other stsne. White holly, bamboo, and real olive sticks are the prettiest of the light-

wood handles ; a pheasant’s head or that of a pigeon, or a swan with its long nock curved to form a hook) is cut on the end of tho stick. The top piece of wood or ivory outside the parasol is scarcely an inch high, and is thick like a knob.