THE PARISIAN FASHIONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5302, 23 March 1878, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE PARISIAN FASHIONS.

I was admitted some days ago, among a privi legod few, to inspect the toilettes Worth has prepared for the Spanish Court. There were some tor the future young Queen, a few for Queenlsabelia,seTeral for the Princess Asturias, and a quantity for the ladies about the court. The Duchess d’Orsuna had ordered fifteen, the Duchess deSeato seven, and the Countess Fernandina six. To describe ail the toilettes exhibited would require several columns of the Queen, besides being wearisome to read as well as to write ; therefore I will only indicate the most effective. The first court dress which the Princess Mercedes will wear as Queen is white satin, with a ruby velvet train magnificently embroidered with gold. And for this same presentation day the Duchess do Sesto will wear royal blue velvet, the skirt trimmed in front with three rows of rich old Alenoon lace, a band of Russian sable heading every row ; the train is embroidered all round with gold and silver arrows : above this embroidery there is a band of sable, and this again is headed with a flounce'of old Alenoon point, sewn on without any fullness. The Court train prepaired for the Duchess d’ Orsuna is of emerald green velvet, embroidered all round with Indian palms, worked in silver and gold. The front of the dress is pale green brocade, the shade known as “ clair de lune at each side there is a plaiting, and a gold and silver embroidered band above the plaiting. The court train for Countess Fernandina is of pink lilac faille, bordered with a band of white fox ; the front of the dress is of the same shade, only the silk is gathered full so as to look wrinkled, and then it is tufted with hortensias, to match the silk in colour. Another stylish court dress made for Mme. Sesto is in pearl-grey satin ; the tunic is rich ribbed silk, bordered with flowers, embroidered with chenille of a darker shade of pearl grey and silver beads. The front is crossed with scarfs similarly embroidered, and fringed with chenille and pearls. I specially admired a pale blue dress, for the Princess Austurias, and of the shade called “ bleu’ nuage." The first skirt is blue satin, embroidered all over with pearls and silver beads, describing shells crossing one another ; blue tulle is draped above the satin, partially veiling it ; the train is likewise blue tulle, ornamented with sprays of pomegranite flowers ; the low bodice is of tulle, and the sash is blue crepe, fringed with silver, the waistband being laced at the back. There was a Louis XIII. Princess dress in pink satin, which was stylish ; the skirt was worked with peails, the design describing light arabesques ; in the front were silver bows, with pearl aiguillettes ; the faille train was a rich caroubier red ; and the satin revers were embroidered with pearls. The caroubier bodice opened in front over pink satin, worked with pearls, and the demi-long sleeves were a network of pearls, looped up with satin bows and pearl aiguillettes. A Renaigsance dinner dress in turquoise-blue velvet and silver cloth ; a ball dress in pale pink brocade, trimmed with roee-bnds and white narcissus ; a Valois dress in white and peach embossed velvet, trimmed with a silver fringe ; a silver satin Valois daess, embroidered with siller thistles and looped up with chenille ribbon of the dead-leaf shade, the train also being deadleaf velvet—were allnotablerobes. It is astonishing what invention must have been expended in the preparation of these dresses ; there is no repetition in either make, colour, or trimming. The favorite color evidently is pale pink. There are but a few white dresses ; the prettiest is decidedly one consisting of several tunics of white China crepe, draped one above the other, embroidered and fringed with white jet. The court trains are lenger than any I have seen ; that for the young Queen measures more than six yards inlength. Thetrainprepared for Queen Isabella is black velvet, embroidered with gold. But it is time to turn to more ordinary apparel. The materials for the demisaison are gradually disclosed. I have mentioned in former letters that shot silks will be worn, and so will striped armures, which are thick soft silks—a sort of double foulard. The stripes are narrow, and usually in three colors, forming very original mixtures, and at a distance they have much the same effect as the shot silks. There is one armure striped with old gold, moss-green, and pale blue ; another striped with violet, old gold, and red ; a third striped with grey, myrtle green, and pale green. The prettiest armure is the one with red, blue, and brown stripes. Worth has arranged this last as a charming costume. The demi-long skirt is bordered with a deep plaiting of armure ; the long laveuse tunic is looped up at the pockets, and shows a wide hem of caroubier plush ; the bodice is armure, and it opens over a marvellous gimp waistcoat, made of red ibis feathers studded with blue jet. Feathers are more popular than ever; on hats and bonnets, as a matter of course, they are worn, but also on dresses and mantles. Ball dresses are to be trimmed with feathers that have been dipped in silver and gold baths ; marabouts are in great favor, particularly the pale blue and pale pink ones. I have already alluded to the monster pins that are seen on bonnets trimmed with feathers ; these so-called “ epingles de nourrice” are now worn for headdresses, and the newest coiffure of this sort is called the Russian head-dress. It consists of a coronet of three plaits, in which five large pins with monster ball heads are studded. For blondes jet pins are used ; for brunes pale tortoiseshell and dead gold are more becoming. Kid bonnets have had their clay, and are passing out of fashion, but they will not be regretted, for they were never pretty. Capotes of drawn satin to match the dress, and capotes made of row upon row of narrow black lace, are more popular. Mme. Caroline Reboux is making “capotes coquillages” formed of a quantity of narrow black lace which are most becoming. She ornaments them with a Princess of Wales aigrette, composed of three feathers, and sells the aigrettes separately, s» that they can be easily changed. Pink aigrettes are worn for calls ; white aigrettes powdered with gold for the theatre, and black aigrettes for the streets. Double faced satin ribbons are now in vogue for making up bows that are worn at the throat or in the hair. The ribbons are about an inch wide, and two or three colors are clustered together. Palo pink is combined with garnet, olive-brown with pale blue, mossgreen with pink, cream with cardinal. The new Worth bow for the hair consists of six stiff narrow loops strapped tightly in the centre, showing the same combination of colors as the bow at the throat. Waistbands for the front of dresses that have Princesse backs are so popular that they are now added to Princesse polonaises. Some of the latter have a belt of the same material, set in at the first dart, and this belt is so wide that three or four large buttons are required to fasten it. In other polonaises the belt com mences under the arms,

The new brocaded Chambery gauzes for evening dresses are extremely rich ; the brocaded figures are pale pink, blue, or green velvet on white grounds, that are too transparent to be perceptible, while the satin brocaded gauzes are usually tone upon tone, or else all of one tone, such as cream, ivory white, faded pink, or blue, and are made up over white silk. Low Princesse bodices are but little trimmed ; instead of a berthe, the neck is finished off with lace, and there are two bouquets, one at the waist and the other at the left side of the neck. Some pretty white Chambery gauze dresses are trimmed with wild flowers, arranged in a line down the front, bouquets and clusters being more general than garlands. Embroidery on tulle Is one of the popular trimmings for evening dresses.—Elaine de Mausv in the Queen,