PARTS FASHIONS.
(From our own Correspondent.)
Coquetry is in nowise disposed to sacrifice any of its rights during the great heats, which have reached a • climax almost unheard of in these temperate regions. It is absolutely impossible to have. recourse to any- thing but the lightest fabrics, so necessity, mother of invention, has come to the rescue with a beautiful substance called grenadine gauze, which is so aerial in texture, that it reminds one of the impalpable gar- ments mentioned by the ancient poets. Although the grenadine is so thin, yet it is designed en soie brochee ; sometimes the pattern only consists of a square, indicated by a single thread, and in the square is placed a spot of two colours, or two shades of the same colour. The grounding is always white, and the skirts arc full and flounced—a bouillon between each flounce. A full bodice, la vierge, is completed by a little fichu of the same material, which is crossed in front and pointed at the back. All round it are two flounces, and the ends disappear in the waist-ribbon, which is very wide, either plain or plaid. Mousseline de soie cannot compete with this new material, and embossed and woven goods are preferred to anything that can be printed. There is some change in morning dresses, as pique is too heavy this sultry weather. Unbleached foulard de 1'Inde makes a charming casaque for deshabille ; it is also employed in a new costume, consisting of a full and long skirt plaited in at the waist, and a Zouave jacket, loose-fitting, without sleeves. Under the jacket is worn a full chemise, in French cambric or muslin, reaching high up to the throat, with balloon sleeves closed at the wrist. This toilette is rendered elegant if the jacket is braided and the chemise ornamented with insertion and finished by very narrow lace at the throat. The same kind of dresses are made in un- bleached batiste, a stuff which washes admirably, and is consequently much used for children. When turned to this juvenile account, coloured braids are used for embroidering. This is a distinction which ought to be observed.
White dresses, the only real things for summer, keep their ground;
they admit of no novelty except in the way of trimming. Muslin and tarlatan skirts are generally covered with small flounces, and several fashionable ladies have appeared of an evening with their flounces in rows of threes, and between each set were frills of pink, blue, or green taffetas, so full that they looked like plaited ruches. Similar frills were arranged at the top of the sleeves, to look like epaulets, and the whole was completed by a very wide taffetas sash, the ends of which were flounced. The band part of a sash was never worn so narrow as at ,present, but the ends are graduated until at the bottom they are extremely wide. The dress we have just described would do for a ball if it were made of tulle, and gauze ribbon substituted for taffetas. A full berthe must be added, crossing in front.
The handsomest things for out-door wear are made of gros de Tours or of taffetas, the inner side of which is striped white and black. The prevailing shape is the Telma, with a niche one colour over another all round, making a framework. Chesnut, blue, and gray gros de Tours are very distinguished, but they catch the dirt and show the dust. Black, so fashionable as an accessoire, is not used for dresses this season by lea femmes comme it faut. Downward stripes, checks, and spots called mignonnettes, are all the rage. These patterns are even finding their way on the bonnets, and for this purpose the pattern of the dress is reproduced in white crêpe. However, ladies who pique themselves on their good taste, always have a new bonnet to go with every dress, excepting for negligee, when they wear white straw. LEONIE D'AVNET. LEONIE D'AVNET.
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