The fashionable flower of the season seems to be the violet as usual; and, next to that, quantities of roses are worn, both most unwintry flowers. The flame-coloured roses are very fine in their colouring, but do not seem to me to be becoming; the colour, though so fine, is a little hard. Very beautiful ostrich feathers are worn in the larger hats, but are laid on in such a light and airy manner as to make one feel they will be blown off in the first gale of wind.
I notice numbers of Eton and other similar jackets, which the fine mild weather, so far, enables people to wear, and which look rather chilly. White veils and white lace ties are all worn, and also give the idea of summer rather than winter. However, it is as well to get out of our rather gloomy ideas of clothing, for, as it is, we wear far too much black; and the use of so much red this winter has been quite refreshing.
The first illustration consists of a group of two seated figures. That on the left side has a grey cloth gown, with an orange-velvet yoke, much pointed in front and braided all over with ivory braid. Pointed epaulettes on the shoulders to match, and orange-coloured tabs, turned over at the collar. The dress is braided with grey braid of a darker shade in long and narrow points. The figure on the right side wears a gown of a very bright rose-crimson, with narrow astrachan edging on the bodice and the skirt. The sleeves are much tucked, the pointed space in front is filled in with white satin and ivory lace over it, points of white satin at the collar, and a band of black satin ribbon at the neck.
A CRIMSON COAT.
The group of two figures standing up in out-of-door apparel shows one of the pretty bright-crimson jackets that have been so much worn this winter. It is braided with black scrolls, and has revers of black astrachan, and a collar of the same. The hat is crimson and black, and the skirt is black, with a band of crimson heading the flounce. On the right side the figure wears a straight-cut jacket, with the ever-popular horizontal tucks, which compose the whole bodice of the jacket, and appear again on the top of the sleeve, in rather narrower form. The colour of this gown is the fashionable blue cloth, and the collar and edging of the revers are of Caracul, while the centres are of black velvet, braided with black. Several rows of tucks edge the skirt, and the hat is of grey velvet, trimmed with grey feathers, and turned up with blue velvet.
One of the new arrivals in the trimming line is fringes of different widths and in colours to match the dresses for which they are required. I have also seen some new ribbons which are fringed at both edges. Although I say “fringes of different widths,” I must remark that I have not seen any wide ones—they are mostly narrow.
Perhaps, before I conclude, I may say a few words about the dressing of the hair, which never was more prettily done. It is waved in large waves, and is dressed fairly high for the evening; but I have seen a tendency to wear it lower in the day. At any rate, we have much more liberty accorded to us just now, and we take the liberty of dressing our hair very much as it is becoming to ourselves individually; and this has led to its being much lowered.
For young people, I notice that the hair is no longer permitted to stray wildly about, but it is tied at the back, at the nape of the neck; and for the evening it is tied in a Catogan loop, the hair at the top of the head being waved in large flutings. A very slight amount of what the Americans call “bangs” are allowed for young girls.
Our third drawing presents one figure only, and it is dressed in a tailor-made bodice and skirt, which make of dresses is rising in favour day by day. The material of which it is made is a dark green cloth, which is cut at the edges of the short coat and sleeves into rounded scallops and machine-stitched, a green gimp being placed below; a white lace ruff is round the neck, and the hat—or, rather, toque—is of dark green velvet, with green feathers, and large posies of violets. The machine stitching applied to gowns this year is singularly perfect, and cannot be done at home. I am told that it is all accomplished by a single expert hand at the large and fashionable ladies’ tailors, as no inexpert person could be trusted with it.