NOTES FOR THE LADIES. [Selected by the Aukland "Star's" London Correspondent.]

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 59, 19 July 1884, Page 5

NOTES FOR THE LA DIES. [Selected by the Aukland "Star's" London Correspondent.]

Polonaises are fashionable with blouse-like fronts gathered at nock and waist, sometimes finished with a bow of velvet or ribbon, coming from the side seam, or beneath the pleats at back and tied in front.

Brocade is used for evening toilettes equally with velvet, but they are less useful where economy must be studied, as the skirt and waistcoat, to have a good effect, must match either the ground or the flowers of the broche* ; therefore there is more limit than in the case of the dark plain or embossed velvet.

The black mantles are very pretty this season, trimmed with a profusion of black lace, jet, and bead passementerie. Brocaded and plain velvet, and also broad stripes of velvet and grenadine, are to be most fashionable. One novelty in the latter stylo has epaulettes and brandebourgs of oxidised silver braid, laid on black lace. It is caught up high at the back with clusters of black velvet loops, and silver braid ornaments.

The " surplis," or accordion skirt, as it is called in English, is certainly one of the prettiest fatjons ever introduced ; when properly arranged it will bear any amount of wear without losing its shape. To insure this, the method adopted by the leading di'efsmnkers — and apparently unknown to others — is to tack the pleats at the back to fine elastics, not tapes ; this causes the innumerable folds to spring back at once after any disarrangement to their proper places. With these skirts two short pleated paniers are worn, hardly reaching below the hips and joining the short pouf, placed rather high at the back.

The rago for fancy bordered handkerchiefs is us great an over, and at present those with plain bands of colour are considered in better taste than the vandyked ones. For half mourning, borders of delicate grey, with, sometimes, dots of black upon them, and the monogram in black, are more used than black.

The principal spring shades in materials of all kinds will be resdda— verdigris, pea-cock-green, China red, greys of blue or pink tendencies, ash grey, dove grey, wallflower, Turkish maize, mastic tint, and light grenat. The shades known as "mastic" are those of the crayons used in chalk drawings ; mastic green, especially, is a lovely tint ; pistache green, that of the bean of that name, is also a great favourite in velvet, patin, or rich silks, and is found to blend with several others most harmoniously.

A few new-shaped hats aro beginning to appear. Some have the brims straight and projecting in front with a half wreath of flowers resting on a plain layer of coloured velvet. The back is turned sharply up against the crown, apparently pinned back w ith a fancy-headed pin and a small tuft of the llowers to one side. Others have a large wide bow of velvet in front, and a few feathor tips fixed far back at one side, curling over the flattened edge.

The Paris milliners are making use of " the harmless, necessary cat " as an article of adornment for bonnets and head-dresses. Broad- brimmed hats bear one or more little stuiVed kittens, artistically arranged round the edge, according to the wealth of the wearers.

Not content with imitating every known flower and fruit for adorning their dresses, ladies have commenced a raid upon the vegetable kingdom. A few months back the tomato, according to a milliner's journal, was very much in vogue as a bonnet trimming. The pumme d'amour has, however, lately been eclipsed by the mushroom. The following is a description of a fashionable chapeau : "A coquettish little bonnet of gold tissue displays on one side a bed of mushrooms half concealed by grass, the trimming and strings being of dark green velvet. " The next novelty in all probability will be a "duck" of a bonnet garnished with green peas.

The patterns of washing materials leave nothing to be desired, and an immense choice of styles is ottered.

Some handsome new woollens, embroidered in satin stitch or brocaded with silk in two or three shades, are very elegant, and, made up with voile Indian crepon, or Bengaline, are very fashionable. Cachemires and soft woollens, embroidered or spotted, with chenilla, are very effective ; the chenille may be of the same shade or colour, or of some contrasting hue, such as red or blue, or moss green, pale blue on dark blue or green, &c.

Shot brilliantinos and shot voiles imitate silk effects wonderfully, anil are far more serviceable than silks of a low quality.

One lady's dress at Sandowu was strewn over with a design of horse shoes— not quite life-size, but about donkey-size. A perfectly delicious coat was of darkest ruby plush, trimmed with beaver. Hardly any hats were to be seen. It is now chic or chien, whichever word you like the better, te wear a bonnet, except when travelling in the country.

The new colour is gipsy red, a peculiarly vivid yet soft shade. It will gladden the hearts of pretty brunetteg, and indeed I never have seen a lovelier picture than was made by a girl the other day, who carried one of the new parasols. Her dark hair, dark eyes and clear skin, with its warm flesh-tint, were touched with a glow of colour from the sunshade, which was made of gipsy-red batiste, edged all round with a pleated frill of the same material, and dotted all over with knots of narrow red velvet. You can't imagine how wonderfully it brightened up her beauty.

Hair stripes of silk or fine wool are much worn ; they are shot, and the two fine lines mingling at a little distance produce very brilliant effects. Very small checks in hair-lines and tiny squares are useful and ladylike as travelling and morning dressos ; they are combined with plain material of one of the shades, or if used for the entire toilette, are trimmed with ribbon velvet.

The pedigree of the corset, says a writer in the May number of "Good Words," stretches far back into antiquity, and may be briefly summarised. "We recognise its fundamental features : First in the antique fascia; of the Greeks and Romans ; second, we lose sight of bandages throughout a large portion of the Middle Ages, and then discover the existence of an embryonic corsage ; third, the end. of the Middle Ages and the commencement of the Renaissance are marked by the general adoption of tight-fitting lace bodices ; and fourth, from j

the middle of the sixteenth till the end of the eighteenth century the sfciffest of whalebone bodices were worn, disappearing under the Revolution, but only to be transformed later on into the modern corset."

I suppose some of ray readers will like the new mantillas, which are short, and much bunched behind, with long ends before. The pattern on these may, if desired, be outlined as in the case of the short jackets referred to. Bonnets beaded to match should be worn. Scarlet'bows of velvet or ribbon are used to decorate black bonnets. Black straws, with crowns decidedly square, are distingue trimmed with scarlet. Transparent bonnets, too, are worn. Hore is a model :— Wire frame string with jet beads toform pattern, then covered with spotted net drawn over in voluminous folds, but not so full as to render the framework invisible. The small projecting brim is edged with black lace ruche. A bunch of ox-eye daisies and field grasses is fixed at the side. An exquisite bonnet was made of almond-coloured surah, with bind and strings of black velvet, a handsomely cut large jet butterfly being the sole ornament. A hat with a large rim, slightly turned up on one side, was lined with velvet. In the front were three bows made of two-inch wide velvet, arranged one above the other, blue, orange, and green, being the colours selected. "Eccentric, but not lovely," was my passing comment.

Brides now carry bouquets of Jacqueminot or Bonsilene roses in preference to those that are pure white in colour. The white roses, lilacs, and lillies-of-the-valley are, however, much more suitable and becoming.

The " betrothal " bangle is a novelty. Ifc is mado of a circlet of pure gold engraved with a motto or couplet of touching .sentimentality, and it is so fashioned that it is not possible to remove it safe by filing when once it encircles the arm of its owner.