It is said that all woollens will speedily become more expensive as wool itself has gone up; the reason of which lies in the prolonged drought of last year. Cotton is also said to be in the same case, and from the same reason. Let us hope that this will not last long enough to incommode us.
The two sitting figures in our illustration show the prevalent styles of the present spring. The one on the left wears a gown of electric blue, and a short jacket with rounded fronts. This and the narrow flounces on the skirt are braided with black braid. The revers on the jacket are of cream-coloured satin, covered with cream lace. On the right hand, the other sitting figure wears a purple cloth dress, which is scalloped with white; the front is of white cloth, with white lace at the neck. The hat on the left is one of the newest ones, with a square-topped crown, and the brims slightly turned up on both sides.
IN SHEPHERD’S PLAID.
“In Shepherd’s Plaid” shows us one of the prettiest of this season’s models, and so youthful-looking that it will be becoming and suitable for quite a young girl. It is made of silk; the yoke of the bodice is of deep rose-coloured silk, with écru lace edging. At the top of the sleeves are bands to match, and the rosy hue is repeated at the waist and at the top of the flounces on the skirt, which are also trimmed with two rows of black velvet. Black velvet rosette bows are on the bodice. A small white hat is worn with white tulle trimmings and white tips, and velvet bows under the brim. It will be seen that all the dresses worn are slightly trained, and that fashion has banished the comfortable short skirt which we have enjoyed for the past year. From what I notice, however, some women are not disposed to leave it off so easily, and I daresay we shall see it made for really useful gowns.
THE NEW BLACK VELVET JACKET.
The new black velvet jacket is shown in our next illustration; made in black velvet, very short—as all the new jackets are—and beautifully cut and fitted. These little jackets have been so much the fashion in Paris that we are sure to see many of them here, and very useful they promise to be. The revers are of white satin, and a ruffle of chiffon is worn round the neck. The toque is of white drawn tulle, with roses and white ostrich tips. The second figure wears a grey cloth gown, with a very short jacket, much pointed in the front, which is crossed over, and fastens at the side. The bodice is rounded out in front, the opening being filled in with lace and chiffon. The skirt and jacket are machine-stitched in many rows, and have bows of ribbon velvet. The hat is also a new shape, and is like the one in the first sketch, but is rather more sloping in the crown. The shapes of the sleeves at the wrist are fully shown. They are long and generally rounded, so as to fall over the hands. These tulle and chiffon ruffles are going, I think, to take the place of the feather ones which we have worn for some time. They are so pretty that the pity is that they are so perishable, especially in our grimy London. The tendency is so much towards wearing white this year that our purses will be quite depleted, if we are to follow the fashion, and keep ourselves daintily clean on all occasions.