THE LADIES COLUMN NOTES BY "THE DUCHESS"

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 33, 30 April 1881, Page 353

THE LADIES COLUMN NOTES BY "THE DUCHESS"

First of all, ladies, I wish to premise by telling you that severe simplicity is the order of the day at home ; plain tight fitting robes, elegantly cut, and made of first class material. Any trimming admissible is generally on the skirt. The new style is admirable, but it costs money. — Miss Harris wears a very becoming beaded mourning costume and boat shaped hat to correspond, — Miss Casey, just returned from San Francisco, has been displaying some marvellous costumes to the eyes of admiring Aucklanders. — Mrs. Breen does fancy work better than any lady in Auckland. Her work and designs in the new crewel silks are really exquisite. — Miss Diinnett wears a pretty tussore dress with trimmings of maroon silk, and hat to match. This lady always dresses with great taste. — If every lady could make her OAvn dresses as well as Miss Fenton, the dressmakers would •suffer a syncope and solemn pause, and the feminine purse would never be empty. — By the way, I hear that it has been decided among the creme-de-la-cr6me not to wear hats to match costumes this winter, the habit having .grown far too common. — Mrs. Matthew Clark has appeared in a medoc coloured rep trimmed with silk to match, And a black boat shaped hat with velvet and feathers. — Miss Chamberlain always dresses very plainly, a fact which shows her good taste, for of course everybody knows she could attire herself in purple and gold, every day of her life, if she liked. — Miss Jenny Isaacs has lately been seen in Queen-street in a bewitching costume of white sateen trimmed with white plush, cut with a pointed polonaise. The hat consists of a white chip with white feathers. — Mrs. Arthur Lewis, whose fine figure shows •oft" her dresses to great advantage, now wears a dove cashmere trimmed with silk to match, and a coquettish little toque of the same colour with a piece of pink at the side. — A neat and pretty country walking dress, called "Nun's Dress," is made of coloured bege with kilted skirt, draped loose-fitting polonaise, drawn in with a thick cord of the same colour ; tight-fitting cape of bege, and velvet hood and toque. In pale-brown bege and dark velvet, in plum and old gold, and navy blue and red, or fill in green, it looks very well. — The Misses Whitakcr's last new dresses are of brown serge trimmed Avith military braid to match, with basque bodies buttoned down the back, and small round capes. On the "whole, I don't admire brown for Aery young ladies, and think it a colour more suitable for mature age, but on these young ladies slight and petite figures almost anything looks Avell. Only Avhy Avill Miss Flossie bury herself in that enormous lace scarf which looks so heavy and lugubrious although it did come from Paris ? Why sacrifice youthful charm to ugly fashion ': — Plush Mother Hubbard cloaks are now very popular at home as theatre and evening Avraps, especially in red. Lined Avith quilted ■satin, and bordered Avith delicate ostrich feather trimming, they form beautiful mantles. They ;are Avorn A^ery long. A great many have been made for little girls, for going out in the evening. Some plush capes, Avith lace hoods and jabots, are also a speciality. They fit tightly over the shoulders, and the hood is so arranged that it falls over the head, if desired. These capes are intended to wear at theatres, or to cover bare ••shoulders on entering or leaving a ball room. % — Young ladies ! dear young ladies ! when Avill you learn that it is not comme il faut to talk so very loud in Canning's, and criticise the upper ten Avith such unblushing effrontery ? Listen hoav. Scene, at a pastry cook's : First Lady : "What are you going to haA r e ? Let us look at the carte (pronounced as though it had been spelt cart). Beef steak and kidney pie, I think. What are yoxi?" Second Lady : " Well, I can only have sixpence worth, for I have spent all my money, so I must indulge in tea and bread and butter. Were you at Mrs. Archie Clark's dance last night?" "No." '" Well, I Avas, and you should only have seen Emily and Mr. K. He walked in late, sauntered up to Emily, and said in his la-de-da voice, ' Well, how are you ? ' ' Oh, quite Avell ; I've kept a dance for you.' 'Ah-h-h thanks.' Noav, Avhat do you think of that for engaged people ? " My clear creatures, don't you know -that people in "Society" don't wear their hearts upon their sleeves for every daAV to peck .at. And then the girls began to talk about the races, and jockies, and betting, and cheating, -until at last I fairly bolted my dinner, and fled.