PARIS FASHIONS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 231, 16 December 1874, Page 2

PARIS FASHIONS.

The mantle most in favor this season is still the dolman. There is a difference in the shape of the sleeves, which are no more pointed, but square. When, which is the rarest case, the arms are passed through the sleeves, these fa I i straight ; nevertheless, the seam is left open half-way up. The richest are embroidered all over, with little or no jet, and finished off with thick fringe, or a band of feathers. The plain dolmans are striped with broad woollen or silk braid.

A pretty style of Polonaise is trimmed in this manner : —The front is striped with braid a shade darker than the material. This braid is about 1| inch broard, and disposed at intervals of 2 inches. The strips pass over the shoulders, and come down to about 8 inches below the waist. They end there b} T three loops placed one above the other. The tuck-ing-up of the Polonaise is arranged in such a manner, that the braided part simulates a sort of basque. Behind, the Polonaise is edged with three rows of braid ; three rows of braid, with loops at the outward seam, encircle the sleeves.

Another pretty trimming of the same kind is made with very narrow braid, like a diminutive plait of hair, sewn on very closely toget her, and placed crosswise in front of the tunic, either in straight lines, or in rounded ones, or in wide-open V. At the end of each line a bit of braid about 1 inch long is left free and unravelled, forming thus a crimped fringe, which has a pretty effect. Polonaises of gaze de Chambery—white, with satin stripes of some pretty light shade—look charming over silk skirts of the same colour as the stripe. I have seen a toilet consisting of a violet skirt, with a Polonaise, in which the violet satin stripes were about 1 inch wide and the transparent white ones 2 inches. The tunic was very long, and most gracefully draped on one side, the other being trimmed with a series of violet bows. Pink and white, blue and white, green and white, look also extremely pretty, and are more juvenile than violet. To Banish Melancholy.—Sydney Smith said that if a lady could always have a bright, fire, and remember all the pleasantthings that were ever said to her, she could readily banish melancholy. There is sound philosophy in (his ; for these little pleasures often banish melancholy better than higher and more exalted objects; and no means ought to be thought too trifling which can oppose sadness in ourselves or in ot hers. Sincere love can never fail to make its.‘lf unmistakably felt. It speaks a language which admit s of no counterfeiting or imitat ion. There is a touchstone in the human heart which must enable every woman to judge whether the love which is declared to her be genuine or not. One Word.—A gentleman once wrote Io a lady whom he had offended by his dilatoriness, and who for a long time had refused to speak to him. His lettter was earnest in supplications for forgiveness. It concluded thus: “One word from your lips will make me happy. When and where will you speak it?” —Her laconic answer was : “ Next Wednesday? at the altar.”~rTo which he sent the following equally laconjjfr reply : “ 1 will be there.”