Ladies' Column, Spring Paris Fashions,

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1905, 20 September 1884, Page 6

Ladies' Column, Spring Paris Fashions,

Kilted skirts are still in vogue ; but the American folds called " knife plaitings " are rarely made, as they quickly get out of order. The newest style is to have alternate plaitings of two different materials, as one stripe of moire or shot silk and one of wide laoe insertion ; sulphur satin and old Grenada lace are often used in this manner, If such a skirt is light, then the bodice is round-waisted, and a wide scarf of either lace, cr£pe, or Oriental silk is tied round the hips and finished off at the back with a bow and wide fringed ends. If the skirt is dark, then the bodice is made entirely of dark silk or velvet. For morning walks in the Bois, or visits to the old curiosity shops, for which' there is quite a craze at present, the Parisiennes are wearing large blouses made of striped woolen, fastened on the right shoulder and draped on the left hip ; the plain skirt is either velveteen or dark 'cloth, and generally trimmed with a wide velvet band. Among the colors in vogue for woollen cos- , tumes, blue' and red decidedly play'the principal parts up to the present. For example, the skirt wULbe plain blue, and, the blouse will be either embroidered, with red .flowerets,

or the guimpe oollar and cuffs will be of some Bupple red Bilk' or embroidery, pleasantly relieving the simplicity of a plain costume. Moss-green and dark bine (the shade called 11 blue mer ") also make a happy combination for this style of morning costume. Soft; materials, be they silk or wool, that drape in gr,aoeful folds are still preferred. The majority of the new hate and bonnets are ornamented with gold, in the form of aigrettes, feathers shaped into lyres and dipped in gold, laoe, tulle, grenadine, braid, beads, flowers, fruits, corn, Ac, all in gold ; and the blue, red, brown, and biege veils (now fashionable) are all studded with tiny gold spots. A great many gold pins are used for fastening velvet bows and flowers on the new bonnets and hats, and the pins affect most bizarre forms — insects, flies, spiders, notes of interrogation, soarrabei, Japanese animals, griffins, &o. Insects are evidently superseding birds in popular favor. Butterflies are, however, reproduced in feathers, cut to form, and painted in body color, and. are to be seen, in company with beetles and graashoppers, hovering over the spring flowers that adorn the new bonnets, and even a caterpillar may be found creeping along their flexible stems. The fashionable world has returned to Pariß from our southern cities, and receptions and five o'clock teas are again in full swing. The tea, is taken, but no cakes are offered with it, because of the Lenten season. There have been smart teas this week given by the Comtesse de Pontivos, and by the Marquise de Tracy, where I remarked the following costumes. The Baronno de la Grange in dark blue embossed velvet ; simple skirt bordered with a thick-silk ruche, velvet bodice with paniera draped at the back en pouf, and edged with a band of. sable ; a small blue bonnet with ruched brim, a blue veil spotted with gold, and a gold-tipped aigrette ; tiny velvet j and fur mail. Comtesse Witzfeum (a foreigner) in a superb toilette of violet-blue satin ; the ekirfc bordered with narrow flounces alternate velvet and satin ; the tunic was exquisite embroidery of the last century — quite a work of art; it was worked au passe in uliadod flowers and leaves ; velvet bodice with short ba?ques, and a large pouf at the back ; bluo velvet muff with eoru lace at the ends, and a large yellow bow at the top, the ends cut in the form, of swallows' sails ; blue velvet bonnet, with a marabout aigrette, Burrounded with silver lace, narrow strings fastened with emeralds ; round the throat a laoe ruche, with a velvet band studded with emeralds ; lace on the sleevea, and long buttonless Suede gloves almost covered by bracelets. Comtesse j Bauoher wore a lilac moire dress, with long redingote, plaited waistooat in plain lilac silk, j flat lace collar and cuffs ; lilac terry bonnet, with sprays of lilac. The Marquibe de Tracy wore an olive-green embossed velvet skirt, j with plain velvet bodice, the basques being lined with embossed velvet and turned upwards ; olive-green velvet bonnet, with goldpowdered marabouts. Mme. dv Mont was in a blue cloth redingote, fastened with brandebourgs, which fell on the box-plaited velvet skirt ; her small blue bonnet, much ruched with lace, was ornamented with real camellias and roses, and similar flowers were fastened in the buttonhole of her redingote and on the top of her tiny muff ; the effeot was excellent. Mme. de Ponteves' rich black toilette was very novel. The material of the skirt was velvet, studded with terry lozenges, the bodice was a jet cuirass, and the sleeves were lace frills from wrist to elbow ; an enormous lace ruche bordered the bodice and formed the collnr. Gomtes&e Beaumont wore a dark green satin kilted pkiit, a velvet mantle lined with old-gold satin, and trimmed with gold passementerie : the crown of the velvet bonnet was worked in gold beads, the brim being ruches of black and gold lace. Comtesse Sapinard's costume was also pretty — violei velvet skirt and mantelet, with long ends trimmed heavily with chenille fringe ; violet satin bonnet, with shaded pansies. On Tuesday evening " L'Etrangere " was once again played at the Frangais, and there was a fashionable audience to sea Pierson make her debut in it. The youthful Comtesse Grammont (nee Sabatier) was present in pale blue satin and gauze shot with pink; low square bodice, with full ruche round the shoulders, light marabouts in her hair. Comtesse O'Connor (nee de Ganay), was in a low white tulle dress much ruched ; five rows of magnificent pearls round her throat, a bouquet of pale roses on the bodice, and another in the hair. At the Comtesse de St. Paul's musical xoir6e, Princeaa Brancovan wore a black tulle almost covered with moonlight jet; round the top of the bodice were diamond flowers, likewise larger ones in her hair. The Princaas is a splendid musician. The Marquise de Chaponay wore a black satin plaited skirt and long train ; low square bodice without sleeves, but beautiful old guipure was arranged over the bodice and as sleeveß ; it formed bretelles at the back, which were fastened with large diamond flowers ; diamond eglantines mounted on flexible stems, and mixed with a bouquet of red carnations, formed the head-dress ; a similar bouquet on the bodice ; velvet dog collar, studded with diamond flowers, encircled her throat ; long pendant diamond earrings, white Suede gloves, with bracelets above. The Baronne de la 'Mure was in red velvet, made with low bodice, the velvet resting next the skin, without white tucker, the effect of which is hard and never pleasing. Mile, de la Mure was in white voile, the skirt accordion-plaited, and the bodice made with gathers of white Surah intermixed with lace, a wide sash tied at the side in a large bow; a long spray of pale eglantines at the side of the bodice, and a smaller one in the hair. Mme. Duluc, who has removed to 19, Rue de Grammont, has opened her now rooms, and is showing many novelties both in the materials and make of dresses. For spring costumes she ia using striped silks, both shot and broche with several colors — bengaline, crepon de lame, ecru guipure embroidery mounted on shot silks, and much black Grenada lace. A pretty dress of this last was made as a long, close-fiiting polonaise, with drapery from the throat and continued as a panier to the left side, the whole glittering with jet and aiguillettes. Another toilette of striped silk shot with maize and grey was made as a plaited skirt ; the large polonaise was mousseline de lame, printed in exquisite Janpanese design 3, and draped from left to right with pans of the striped silk. The novelties at Laferriere's, in the Rue Taitbout, are rich, and extremely tasteful. For dinner and evening toilettes she is using crepe mongolie in pink, red, lilac, pale blue, saffron, and the inevitable mushroom and vert de gris. The bodices are heart-shaped front and back, crossing in front, with a drapery that also forms the tunio ; the skirt is satin, the color of the crepe, and is bordered with five rows of pinked-out pbitings, which form an important edge. For reception and carriage dresses there are chuddahs errw broidered in Paris in gold and Oriental colorings ; there are in all colors and extremely fine, and are draped over silk skirts to match. Satin damasks of delicate ooloring are used for dinner toilettes, and s6me of the Bkirts are open at one side, discovering a panel of bright satin ornamented with a coquille of lace, and the plastron on the half high bqdice \ corresponds. For young girls there are blu,! and pink crepon costumes, festooned round the edge and gathered at the waist, without tunic ; these fall over silk skirts to match, bordered with a pinked-out ruche; round waisted bodices with wide sash tied at the back. The black Chantilly lace dresses are made with small velvet corslets and high lace gulmpes ; the sleeves are open inside the arm. The mantelet visites at Jj&ferriere's are made of slate-gray velvet and sioillienne trimmed in front with velvet ruches ; others are in black lace over red or pidk silk wi^h large jetted ap. plique> both front and back, and thick oo- t quille ruches on the long ends. M, Felix, of the Faubourg. St. Honore, has made Mile. Blanche Pierson's dresses for the 11 Etrangere "at the Theatre Frangais. The ball toilette in the first act is pink plush ; it opens at the side of the skirt over pink satin veiled with tulle, studded gold pampiUes; pink satin bodice, with gold epau*

lettes. The dress in the third act is white satin trimmed with white blonde, and an Algerian blouse of alternate stripes of white satin and beaded net. The last dress is black — an exquisite combination of Ohantilly laoej velvet, and satin. Eliane dis Marst. — Porib correspondsjit to the Queen.