LADIES’ COLUMN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 86, 10 December 1914, Page 7

LADIES’ COLUMN.

PARISH FASHIONS. Varied are the new features in Paris fashions. Military motifs are very strong. Russian designs delight every lover of luxuriant attire. Along comes the full skirt, plenty of lace and tulle, and all the frou-frous that dainty woman adores. The great feature is the long, tunic. As everyone knows, tunic styles outnumber others as three to one. But it is the long overskirt tunic that shines, the type that is three-quarters of the skirt, and even five-sixths. You may be quite sure that it is going to influence styles for months. It will rule through summer, and as tins wanes it will lengthen till it is all skirt, ami that will result in the latter's,return to volume. Thus the silhouette to be will, in cases, gives us a skirt from three to four yards wide, and an associate feature will be the lovely pettiocat. VOLUMINOUS SKIRT. Paris has long wanted to revive the voluminous skirt. The Russian tunic provided the chance of doing it so deftly that one might trace the process. The short tunic is not strictly Russian unless we say peasant. The Russian tunic of the classes is hereditary with them —long and skirty. In a diary, the British Embassy to Sweden, then a Great Power, 1645, the Ambassador speaks of something of intense interest, the first appearance of the first Ambassador ever sent out by Russia j then the Duchy of Moscow. He appeared before the Swedish Queen in a long coat, buttoned fairly tightly to the waist and then spreading like a woman’s skirt to between knee and foot. That is tin. hereditary Russian tunic, and it is one which has come in as tne most telling feature in present styles, with a sure life for months. It is assisted by trasash. This is the once round and ther again in festoon to hip, with knot o, overfold. The ends are long —as Ion; 'as the tunic, and while the latter may be as subdued as you like, the sash is gay, or, if not, then rich. Not to wear a sash with the tunic is to discount its appearance. It is built for a sash and must have one to accomplish its purpose. The variety of sashes is only equalled by the variety of dispositions. One tunic has a swathed bodice and the sash appears to be a continuation —a happy conceit, but requiring much dressmaking. ” Incidentally the tunic finds some expression in the neweji cape. What the cape does is.to simplify it, and in this connection I notice a growing inclination for frontal straps. That is to say, the cape is associated with cross pieces over tho bodice front, very like the cross straps of an old military uniform. Summer is giving up this, fancy in more or less modified style. As the season progresses the straps will widen. Later on they will 'constitute the entire front, being brought over the shoulder, and then we shall see below the simulation of a waistcoat. These capes grow in length to back, the edge undulating and then, if there is a tunic as well, the effect is ideal. But the style is rather advanced. Before we can utilise it for all it is worth we must see summer in the background, HATS, The little hat is still one of the dressiest. But—you can have a little hat that is large at the same time. This depends on the way it is trimmed. A coquettish shape is indicated with r daring trimming. Two ribbons are employed, one plain, the other not, the latter a check or floral, and the design impressionist and faint. The millinery ribbons are exceedingly beautiful,, but there are none so nice as thos< patterns are of pastel softness. A hat of this character is smart with almost any kind of dress, simple or ornate. The sailor is one of th correct shapes for smmer wear. It is in various adaptations, but nevertheless of sailor type. Tho many smart styles of trimming are beyond mention, but -one of the most favoured and becoming is that of a succession of smart mixed picquets around the crown, with a high-standing mount at the side. I have already spoken of the. sailor with the narrow'brim with extension of transparent material, The shape itself is of silkj even velvet, and a simple flower,of tiny wreath lends enchantment, A DELIGHTFUL SKIRT. Kilted skirts of striped, cotton with coatees of plain linen ate delightful. A three-tiered skirt of white soft linen, embroidered in blue around flounce with loose kimono-shaped coatee of blue linen to correspond, with a sailor collar L white, embroidered in blue makes a particularly effective costume. With it is worn a little high-crowned sailor in white moire tagel, with a band of blue cord ribbon wound round the crown from the top left side of the crown , (where it is secured by a high white' quill) culminating on the brim with a tiny bow. Another vagary of this season is the use of black tulle on cotton frocks. Naturally, this is the waterproof non-crushable tulle, and it is used as a tunic and to form a large waist bow. Frequently black velvet ribbon is used as a foil. Queer as it sounds, the . tulle drapery on cotton is tremendously successful. A PLUM PUDDING RECIPE. ] Required: One pound of beet suet, 11b of currants, lib of. sultanas, 11b of brown sugar, 41b of flour, 41h muscatels, ub of mixed candied peel, 2oz of candied citron, the-rind and juice of two lemons, one nutmeg, 3oz sweet almonds loz of Vm+W la-/ of

mixing with it while doing so the flour and crumbs, as these will prevent it from clogging. Clean and stalk the,'currants and sultanas, stone tho muscatels and raisins, cut about half of them in halves, and chop the rest. Cut the pec. in shreds, or, if preferred, chop it. Place all these ingredients in a large basin with the sugar ? grated lemonrind, nutmeg, shredded almonds, and salt. Mix all well together. • Melt the butter in a small pan, and stir it into the other ingredients. Beat up the brandy. Stir these into the dry ingredients, mixing them well in. Have some well-greased moulds of puddingbasins, or, if preferred, some scalded and floured pudding-cloths. Press the mixutre into the moulds, cover the tops of each with a scalded andfloured cloth, taking care to make a pleat in the cloth to allow room for the pudding to swell. Put the puddings in plenty of fast-boiling water, and let them boil steadily for eight hours or longer.