FOR THE LADIES. Feminine Facts, Fancies, and Foibles.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 42, 22 March 1884, Page 5

FOR THE LADIES. Feminine Facts, Fancies, and Foibles.

The favourite hats are still of the highcrowned, straight-brimmed type, known as the Henrill.-lil. shapes, and usually accompany all every-day toilettes with any pretension to style or fashion. Gauze and silk muslin form charming young ladies' ball toilettes, sprinkled with Sowers ; chenille spotted gauze is also much used with flowers or birds to holdup the draperies. Trimmings for all purposes keep pace with the richness of embroideries. Fringes and passementeries, whether for dresses or mantles, orchenilleorbeads, or both together, have attained an unusual height of luxury this winter. << iris' hats are distinguished this winter hy the straightness of the brim, and very tew cavalier hats looped up in one place are now seen. Most of the seal muffs are provided with a silk cord to suspend them round the neck. Many pelerines and muffs of undyed seal are worn, lined with blue satin or brown satin to match. Fur boas are much worn ; they are very soft and comfortable, and far more becoming than the capes. Muffs are worn rather larger, unless by very young girls who study appearance more than comfort, and who use the milliner's, not the furrier's muff. Feather aigrettes in the hair are more worn than flowers this winter ; if flowers are preferred; they are moulted en aigrette. They are, however, very expensive. Ball dresses are exquisitely pretty and graceful owing to the extensive use of silk gauze or tulle for the paniers and draperies, and magnificently embroidered silks for the skirt, corsage, and train. Fine serge, cashmere, foule cloth, and every kind of woollen material continue to be extensively used, in combination with velvet or good velveteen, for house and walking dresses. Velvet is as extensively used for visiting toilettes as is velveteen for the plain morning costume, but it is made up in more elaborate styles and richly trimmed. A charming dress for a girl of nine is made entirely of dark grenat satin. Back and front are pointed, pleated panels, with a satin sash tied beneath the points with a bow in front. A plain pelerine covers the shoulders, finished off, with a small turneddown collar. The sleeves, collar, and pelerine are edged with narrow chenille fringe, and a row of white lace edges the pleated skirt. Very pretty new capotes are made of rows of narrow silk braid gummed on the shape quite close together, so that they have the appearance of a thick, glossy ottoman. They are made in all colours, and these braided capotes are newer and more fashionable than those of velvet and other materialsFur is much worn as trimming for dolmans and redingotes, as well as for all outdoor costumes made of warm, serviceable, rough-surfaced cloth, either as bands in various widths or extremely narrow fringes, which are placed beneatli the edges of the material, giving it the appearance of being lined throughout with fur. For young girls' evening wear, nothing can be prettier or more fashionable than bronze shoes, the toes ornamented with velvet bows matching the prevailing colour of the costume, and surmounted by gilded, silvered, or oxydised buckles in delicate filigree work of Italian or Renaissance design. The favourite colour just now for children is red, even for indoor dresses, red flannel or some warm fabric being used generally. The costume is very simple, consisting of a straight Princess dress edged with a guaged or pleated flounce, which does duty for the skfrt. The exquisite fit, neatness, and stylish simplicity of the Jersey commend it to everyone, and contribute to its already attained and fast growing popularity. Jersey material is now used for ladies' jackets and corsages, trimmed in various, ways, and complete dresses for little girls and suits for boys have been for sopaq time past in great favour,