LONDON FASHIONS.

Patea Mail, 17 July 1880, Page 3

LONDON FASHIONS.

(From The (Jureii.) As the season advances, there is a better opportunity of judging which, among the many fashions brought out at home and abroad, will really bo adopted by English ladies. At the present time hoods find great favour, and jackets and dress bodices alike display them, cither of one plain tone, or lined with rich brocade, striped silk, or plain silk of bright colour. They make an easilyarranged outdoor covering, and hook on and off at will. The separate hoods, with short ends attached, wliici , crossing in front, fasten at the back are the newest style. In Kottcn How, some of the new cassock mantles have been exciting observation ; they arc worn very high in the neck, and are gathered on the shoulders and down the centre of the back, like an academic robe. Nothing could well be more peculiar or unbecoming ; they make the shoulders look very high, they hang loosely about the figure, come below the knees, and have short sleeves about as deep as a mosquetairc cuff. Black evening dresses display a coloured plaiting at the edge of the skirt, and so do some black morning dresses, 1 ho ugh this same colour may appear in any other part of the toilette. Many of the manlelcttes are composed entirely of richbeaded passementerie. The richest mantles of the season display a mixture of multicoloured beads—bege, blue, steel, amber, and jet: besides the short sleeves many of the new mantles have long pendant ones reaching to the hem. Young girls wear cashmere jackets fastened at the back, made in cashmere, resembling the jersey in the closeness of their fit ; they arc trimmed with jet, Hankerchief dresses, made of some soft woolen stulf, bordered and sometimes spotted in red and white, black, white, and brown and while, appear in the Park and other fashionable gatherings. They arc made with three plaited flounces one above the other, showing the border, the tunic forming a point at the side ; the bodice long and basqued. Long untrimmed coat bodices, made of woolen shawl-patterned brocade, with skirts of plain material, arc worn just now by ten out of every twenty people in the How, and large dolman mantles of the same material also affected. Cotton dresses arc made with coats of the same brocaded patterns, and skirts of selfcoloured sateen. Mr Catt, of Sloane street, has brought out some new washing trimmings, such as cream-coloured galon with an inter' woven pattern like crewel embroidery, and others well covered with cashmcricnne designs. A washing fringe, after the St Etinne order, made of crepe braid with colored twisted strands at intervals, is also new. So are the galons for woollen gowns of cashmerienne designs intervowen with gold. In lieu of buttons, hooks and eyes of large size and of most ornamental character have been introduced, made in blue, bronze, and ordinary steel cut in beads. The soft, figured, cream-coloured Madras muslin is now being extensively used for drapery on dresses. For simple dinner dresses it is arranged over batiste, with some pretty lace of the same colour ; and for ball dresses, over silk or satin skirts of its own colour or of mauve, ol'i-goKi, or any other fashionable shade. Sometimes the drapery is raised high on one side, showing a sue-

cession of narrow flounces of-lace or alternate muslin and satin. Tnc muslin is very moderate, aud. two yards wide. Large light summer hats are made of Madras muslin, with just a spray of flowers or a bow of deep-coloured velvet mixed with a little coffee-coloured lace fastened in to one side. They are made on a wire frame and are all over-gathered. Straw hats are also trimmed with it.