PARIS FASHIONS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 967, 6 August 1881, Page 3

PARIS FASHIONS.

It will perhaps be useful at this time of the year to give a few hints upon various details of fashions. To wear in fine weather, even out of doors, fashion favours semi-high shoes, laced or buttoned over the instep. To be in good taste, however, such shoes should not exhibit the various fancies which are adopted for those meant to wear at home ; they should be of plain kid, at most stitched with white silk. It is the same with hose. One certainly wears coloured silk stockings but there are colors which one should never wear to walk on foot in the streets. Need we say that among these are red, pink, or ciel-blue stockings ? We think not. We will add only, that iron-gray stockings, or those of any shade of gray or beige, can alone be worn for walking about: in the streets. On the other hand, colored under-skirts are completely out of fashion. It may be black — cashmere or silk —to wear under a black or dark-colored dress ; but with all light-colored dresses, such as are generally worn in summer, it is required to be white, and white only. The under white petticoat is made quite plain, with perhaps a border of Bretonne or fine Torchon lace round the edge ; the upper one, that which is worn next to the dress, has one flounce round the bottom, much fuller behind than in front, and trimmed with a deep border of white embroidery or else with some thread lace. Two gathered flounces are added at the back only, high enough to support the tournure of the dress, and strings are added to tie back the skirt. This is an under-skirt to wear with short costumes; to suit trained shaped toilettes a train is added, completely flounced from top to bottom, and trimmed at pleasure with embroidery or lace. For walking all dresses are made with short round skirts. In fashions for dresses the greatest variety continues to reign — separate bodices as well as princess robes, and even the polonaise, on condition of submitting to certain rules and modifications. Thus the polonaise, in order to be in accordance with present fashions, must be of the same color as the skirt, and draped at the back. The similiarity of material is, however, far less indispensable than that of color.