AMERICAN FISHER-MAIDENS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2704, 9 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

AMERICAN FISHER-MAIDENS.

The American girl (according to tho San Francisco Argonaut) has developod a violent passion for fishing. This is a fashion imported from France. Everyone has seen French prints of girls standing aakle-deep in tho edge of the water, with, their skirts kilted up to their kiieos, and with a long-handled net in which they are supposed to be catching some sort of fish, while they look very theatrical and self-conscious, but very pretty and jaunty. Where the trout hides in the deep pools of the shallow brooks, they add a rod to their net and hang a basket at the side in which to put their speckled treasures.

Tho gown's the thing, however ; it doi not make much difference what 01 catches—the great point is to have chance to wear the '' etching" costume i the fisher-maiden, to show one's daint taste, and to have something novel to di A pretty example of the fishing-dress w; worn at Cape May by a Philadelphia gir the skirt of it being in broad stripes i red-aud-white flannel, which came only I her kuee, having a hem about a foe wide, and being set on almost plain a round, all the fulness coming directly 1 the back. The loose sailor-blouse was ( white washing silk, turning over with deep round collar, cut very low i the neck, with a broad scarlet seal passed under the collar and tied in big sailor-knot with floating ends. Th shirt was confined at the waist with wide soft red sash knotted on one side The sleeves were close-fitting and cam only to the elbow, leaving the smooth round, olive-skinned arm bare belo\ that. With this she wore long scarle stockings and a pair of cork-soled whit canvas shoes, without heels and tied ove the instep with strings of red braid Above her dark, rosy face, she had drawi on her fluffy black locks a little searle Neapolitan fisher's cap, the tassel o which hung down over her left ear. She had a loug-handled net with which slu captured crabs, aud a general delightful ness iu appearance with which sin captured more men than shell-fish Another for a New York girl, was a grey green serge, the short-hemmed skirt bein; embroidered all round the hem with : pretty sea-shell and sea-weed pattern,dou< in white ; the shirt is of grey-green silk opening nearly down to tho waist over a pointed front of broad stripes of white and green running , crosswise, the poiui being finished with a big eailor-knot oi white silk. A grey-green -silk is tiec about the wrist. The stockings are in green and white stripes, with canvas shoes, tied with green, and a white Tam o' Shanter has a huge green pompon on its top. The troufcing-girl cannot go in for quite so much picturesquones.s or such light colours as the crabbing-girl. These delicate tints do not appear as well in the woods as on the bright sunny beach, and her costume is iu dark shades of corduroy, heavy diagonal cloth, and thick serge, as she must tramp through briar and undergrowth to reach the shadowy pools where the trout lurks. 'Che dainty lisle-thread stockings which serve the crabbing-girl very well in the salt water, would be soon torn to pieces in the woods, and must give way to long leggings of soft undressed leather, which have little buckles and straps running down the outside of the leg to make it firm and shapely ; or else, if she is a very ardent fisher indeed, and will go wading after her prey, she will wear long soft rubber boots, which draw nearly up to the hips, and enable her to plunge into the shallows and wade in marshy places with a confidence which only comes from the knowledge that she will not have to stand for hours afterwards with wet feet. A pretty dress which went in the trunk of a famous trout-fisher up to tho Adirondacks, was a dark grey-blue sergo, the front of the skirt being plain and forming one broad box-plait the widf.h of the hips, all the back and sides being laid in deep kilts. The shoes were of pigskin, with corrugated rubber soles, and over theso wero buckled a long pair of reddish-tan undressed leather-leggings, which came considerably over the knee. There was a loose shirt of heavy white silk, which had little tucks down the front, brier-stitohed in blue, and with a loose blue tio knotted undev the collar ; this was held by a broad leather belt. For evening- and cool days there was a Norfolk jacket of the bluo serge. Sho wore on her head a little fore-and-aft of the serge, aud two straps crossed her shoulders, one holding , her red leather fly-book, banging on ono hip hoi , trout-basket being on tho other.