Weekly Mail

FEMININE FANCIES, I FOIBLES. AND FASHIONS. BY ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I.IFK OF MADAME IIEC AMIER. A few days ago I finished reading a moat, interesting book, The Life of Madame Recamier," the famous beauty, who turned the heads of princes, politicians, and learned savnnts alike, to say nothing of men of no particular eminence. Indeed, all who came under hef influence seem to hajjfr been subju- gated and yet spite of all, "MpPr biogra- pher says, Madame Hecamiers reputation suffered nothing. That she was a good and virtuous woman seems to be proved by the faot that Monsieur Recamier, though he did not occupy the same home to the end of his life, remained his wife's most attached and faithful friend. It is pathetic to read ,bow, when very old and nearly blind, she jdevoted all her powers to relieve the Bufferings, tnental and physical, of the aged man with whom she had been very intimately associated so many years. The secret of her singular life is kept well; either it was not discovered, or otherwise admirably preserved. Certainly, I failed to solve the mystery of certain, so it would appear, impossible rela- tions. It is told that once, during a visit to England, Madame Recamier and a friend took, unattended, an airing in Hyde Park. They were severally dressed in white Empire gowns, and wore white gauze scarves. i'oon, how- ever, the surpassing loveliness of the beauti- ful Frenchwomen attracted such a crowd of admiring followers that the sorely embar- rassed ladies folded their scarfs round their faces, as Eastern women do, and beat a hasty retreat. HER DRESS DESCRIBED. The Empire dresses in which Madame Recamier is nearly always depicted had very skimp skirts, well above the ankles, which showed the outline of the figure very palpably. This, by the way, was the effect desired, for to produce it the fashionable beauties of the day, including Madame Reoa- mier used to damp and gum their very scant draperies to make them oling to the shape as closely as possible. The short-waisted oorsage, wide, soft sash, short puffed sleeves, low neck, and hair dressed in a knob at the back, pretty much as is the fashion now, were features of the style of dress introduced by the Empress Josephine, If I remember rightly, Madame Reoamier wore her front hair dressed in a olump of short curls on either side her face, with small combs to keep them in place. Ileel-less sandled shoes and white hose were worn in those days. Many of the charac- teristics of the Empire dress are repeated in the so-called Empire gowns of to-day. The short waist, folded corsage, and wide silk sash are present; while the low neck and short tieeves are happily, if not altogether absent, reserved solely for full dress occasions. But we have trains instead of short petti- coats, though the skirt proper is really as clinging and nearly as skimp as that which Madame Recamier damped and gummed on her sbape'y limbs. EMPIRE SASHES. A firm of drapers who are famous for being first in the field with tasteful novelties are selling Empire sashes ready made. The soft silk is carelessly folded, making a wide belt, which fastens smartly with a bow on one side, With the fashionable cross folded bodices, these wide, soft belts are most effective. And corsages for evening wear, out three-quarter high, and so forming a back and front, are improved by the addition of a sash. I forget the price of such sashes, but I know they are within reach of girls with limited dress allow- ance and where there is a family of girls, the purchase of a model for a pattern would enable them to duplicate it at a considerable reduc- tion of the cost of the pattern sash, Soft ehot silks and self-colour surabr. are em- ployed, and black sashes, of course, are on the list. In London one sees so many attractive trifles which serve to brighten up a toilet not in its first freshness, and the new sash is one of these. FOR SPRING WRAn. Even the most optimistic folk can hardly hope that spring will be consistently mild— such an one, in fact, as the poets love to paint. Our spring is usually as fickle as a weather vane, and we have to prepare our dresses accordingly. Usually, we have one or two days oppressively warm, and then an- interval when fires and furs are more than acceptable, In view of such prospect, based on previous experience, I have just provided myself with a useful dress, which, by a little arrangement, can be made to meet the requirements of the season, however fickle. The material is a light make of navy blue serge, the skirt cut so that it falls perfectly straight in front from waist to feet. fhere are but two seams, and I perceive that the short-trained back is out cross-wise; the front is, as dressmaker's phrase it, cut on the straight." The width of the skirt at the bottom is considerable, but a very few gathers are seen at the waist, and these drawn into very narrow compass. The bodice at the back is made like an Eton jacket, but as the looss fronts which are usual with that style do not suit me, I have a corsage open below the bust, and then crossing over to the left side, fastening in- visibly. The revers on either side the V- ihape opening are lined with soft blue silk, and fall cascade fashion. I have a white figured silk vest for smart occasions, and duplicate in navy blue silk with small white spots for morning wear, When the days are cool I shall wear the bodice I have just described. Then as we get those gleaming days in later spring, when delicate people find the typical grasshopper a burden—days far more trying than the hottest days of summer— I shall substitute for the serge bodice a pretty bambrio blouse. This slips under the band of the dress ekirt. Shoulder straps or braces of navy blue ribbon, lined with stiff muslin, with a smart bow on either shoulder, are easily secured to the band, and a blue Petersham belt with handsome steel buckle will make all complete. This method is much trimmer in appearance than that of wearing the blouse over the band, and the ribbon straps give colour connection, making the blouse look less supplementary. However smart in appearance a blouse bodice is, I never quite like the disconnected appearance they have when worn above a skirt with whioh, in strict sense, they have no particular connection, A blouse bodioe, if it is to look neat and trim, requires most careful arrangement. It should be firmly belted, and the gathers carefully regulated before the band is pat on. If worn inside the dress skirt, great care must be taken that no unsightly division appears. The skirt- band must be fairly wide and moderately tight as to girth. The shoulder straps I mention greatly assist in preventing unseemly partings. CHARMING BLOUSES. "V ery charming blouses have been intro- duced this spring. They are most oarefully fashioned, and, apart from this, the materials used in their construction are quite capti- vating-lovely silks in all colours, variously patterned, or in plain colours; fine cambrio blouses daintilv made in a variety shapes, are likewise prepared for fvture wear. Some of those I have bought have frills down the centre to below the bast; these frills are hem-stitched. I have one fine white cambric blouse for very warm days, also a pretty navy blue and white spotted silk and a red silk blouse. A pale blue cambric spotted white completes the list. It will be seen how easily and with how much economy 1 can vary the appearance of my gown. I may add that I gave three-and-a-half guineas for it—minus I the blouse bodices. It fits admirably, and I can confidently recommend my dressmaker to anyone wishing a first-class fit and style. Mesdames Thorpe and Alfred do not take ladies' own materials, but have a selection of charming patterns, and give estimates of cost. I wish it to be understood that I have only my readers' interest at heart by making this recommendation, as I pay the same price for my gowns as other people do, no favour being shown nor desired by me. THE ETON JACKET. Abova I alluded to the Eton jacket now so fashionable. This, by the way, is quite the newest form of cutting dresses. Ihe jacket is intended to be worn with silk or cambric shirt fronts. Everyone knows what an Eton jacket is like, so I need not describe it; but I may say that an especially neat figure and a certain length of waist are requi- site if the style is to prove becoming. WHITE PETTICOATS. I am told that white petticoats have been struck off Fashion's list, but that will not affect my taste for them. Nothing looks nicer than a white pettiooat, though I confess I have seen some very pretty skirts made of thin serge, trimmed with white or red braid, or with a frill of worsted lace. I think I have mentioned before the spotted oambrio skirts, trimmed with black lace. The lace is easily removed when the skirt needs washing. In a trousseau prepared for a lady married a few days back, I saw some very dainty skirts of this kind. A dark blue cambrio with white polka dots was trimmed with two rows of black lace. A second skirt of pink sateen, printed black spots, was similarly fashioned. t-ilk may be substituted for cambric. The idea is one I can recommend to the notice of my correspondents. FASCINATING MILLINERY. Millinery is of a most fascinating kind, and the style is distinctly French in many cases. For example, a low-crowned pale brown straw with rather wide brim this nearly covered by a flounce of lace slightly tinted yellow, which was gathered round the rest of the crown another draw in oblique direction, leaving a small margin of straw beyond. The crown was encircled by t vo bands of apple-green velvet, and on the left side was a group of three ostrich feathers, these shaded green, tho tips falling gracefully right and left, thus modifying the cockade- like arrangement of the feathers. Another model was of cardinal-red straw, with low orown trimmed with black watered ribbon and violets. A string-colour straw had trimming of red roses, ficelle-coloured lace, and green velvet the brim was lined green. A black chip hat was trimmed with string- oolour lace and red anemonies. Another string-colour straw was decorated with rosettes of black baby ribbon and black watered ribbon and red roses. Baby ribbon is very extensively used in millinery just now, and fawn and black with string colour lace, whilst somewhat sombre in description, is a combination that has a very French look. SHOULDER COVERINGS. There are also a great number of shoulder coverings made in these neutral oolours. As, for example, a cape to tho waste of fine fawn corduroy clotb, edged a wide flounce of black 1 lace, studded with jot. The cloth above the lace and also the sides in front are trimmed with narrow jet passementrie, the bigh collar made correspondingly. A black ribbon bow and ends finished the cape at the throat. Fawn and black may be reckoned as the lead- ing colours in shoulder coverings. CLOAKS. Many very long cloaks of fawn cloth or woollen corduroy have epaulets of widestring- colour lace, which taper to a point back and front. Long black bows and ends appear at the back, starting from beneath the oollar, or otherwise the bow is placed iik front. A CURIOUS CHANGE. It is a curious fact that, whereas bonnets are stringless, bats are all made to tie, and in many cases milliners are making the strings so long as to descend over the skirt to the feet, these re-placing, in a sense, the, long boas, which are becoming rather too universal to be popular with exclusives. PAPER PATTERNS. Patterns of the sac-whale back coat and of the longer cloaks are to be seen, as, indeed, of all the new shapes in shoulder coverings, and are to be had from (Mers in paper models. The cornet foltirt, the umbrella skirt, &o., See., can likewise be bought in paper, and it is well to spend a little on a correct paper model than trust to the services of the local dressmaker, who in so many cases fancies she can copy any design from illustrated fashion books — designs that have cost the artist infinite pains and trouble to perfect. THE EMPRESS SASH. A pretty blouse bodioe made to hang lightly over the broad silk sash I mentioned above bad the neck trimmed with band of velvet niching the waistbelt ia colour. A natty bow without ends hid the united ends of the collar-band, from which in front depended three pieces of ribbon velvet of equal length, these severally beiug fringed with beads. The distance between each strand of velvet was about half an inch the length of the strand measured about a span. Leg-of-mutton sleeves are correotly worn with this style. The new sash is styled Empress." WATTEAU PLEATS. Watteau pleats are seen everywhere, but we are beginning to improve upon them. It is now usual when making a double box-pleat to put the hollow of the pleat outside, instead of underside, so forming four knife pleats which face each other. This method of arrangement gives a narrower appearance to the back than the old style did, and the drapery flows more gracefully also. PRETTY BALL DRESSES. In Paris the newest ball dresses are made of shot satin, or moire. A pearl colour moire, shot with rose colour, will have the upper part of the bodice, and the sleeves of rose- colour velvet. The same style carried out in blue and fawn is pretty. A LACE SEASON. This is to be a lace season." The English manufacturers are successfully imitating Chantilly and other makes of foreign laces, and have also introduced some very bold designs—trees, Cupids, and the like. These I consider far less tasteful than the true lover's knot" and corresponding patterns which obtained last year. SCARVES. Scarves were worn in neyliye style during the earlier part of the present century. They were principally made of gauze or of lace. Unlike the lace scarves of our day, knotted about the neck, they were simply laid over the back, crossing the arms above the elbow leavina the ends to fall as ther would' a careless fashion of arrangement now revived; and the reticule, with long ribbon suspenders slung across the arm, which was a twin-fashion, is to be carried as in the time of long ago. PARTING THE ILun. Yet another old fashion revived—that of parting the hair in the middle of the fore- head, I do not think, for the present at least, this fashion will find many followers. To prove becoming the hair must be excep- tionally thick and wavy or curly, and the forehead rather broad and low-qualifications by no means universal. To assist Nature and in view of the adoption of the prospective arrangement, hairdressers are providing little additions, which give an appearance of abun- dance of hair. The style 1 refer to may look well on the head of Clvte, but, alas the severely classical is not a common type among us. •CUTTING DRESS SKIRTS. As the fashion of cutting dress skirts varies often, the inventions for raising the train are multiplied. Among the more recent of these is a clip, chain, and ring, through which the hand may be passed. Another make of the same holder is arranged with a waistcord, so that the skirt when walking is permanently lifted. Some means of raising the skirt should be adopted, for it is sickening to see long dresses doing scavengers' work. iNo woman with any pretension to refinement— of which cleanliness is an important part- can tolerate the thought of her dress sweeping up the accumulations of the streets, not to mention the inevitable rags that appear after a very brief # apprenticeship^ the crossing- sweeper's business, GRATE ORXAMEXTS. We have by no means done with fires. In- deed, our climate is suoh that I never addse any grate ornament that does not permit the laying of combustibles ready for lighting at a moment's notice. Not to be behind hand, however, I hasten to tell my readers who are commencing their spring cleaning that I have seen some very pretty, inexpensive screens made of bamboo and draped art muslin or silk. These screens are variously shaped and priced. I have seen some of the simplest, with one panel only, marked as low as 2s.; three-fold screens cost more, of course. SPECIMEN GLASSES. I have also been shown some very pretty tall, trumpet-shaped glasses for holding daffodils, hyacinths, narcissus, and other flowers with long stalks. One, two, or three blooms only arc inserted, with a little of the natural foliage or ferns. So arranged, a few blossoms in a drawing-room or on the dinner table make a brave show at a small oost. The glasses, however, are rather expensive—2s. and 2s. Gd, each, according to height engraved they cost more. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. ETHKL.—I copied the recipe I send from a source I cannot re-call. I have tried it, however., and desire to convey my grateful acknowledg- ments to the cook who first compounded it. Choose three large potatoes, which bike thoroughly, but not overmuch press Uri! il the inside is quite s> ft, and then caretully slit tho potatoes lr-ny tli-ways with a sharp kiiife remove the flour, and rub with a wooden spoon through a seive then add the yolks of two raw t'ggs, two good tablospoonfuis of grated cheese (Parerusan preferably), a little cayenne pepper, the same of s;>H, and, Ia-t!y. the stiffly-whipped whites of four eggs. When mixing the latter ingredient, beat the mixture as lightly as possible. Fill I hr put atu skins and sprinkle fine brown bread cruirbs or, the top, with a small lump of butler above tlw crumb*. Bake in a quick oven fifteen minute?. A little g,ated cheose may ba added finally. Serve as hnt as possible on a fold napkin. This makes a nice snpper dish, and most of the ingredicnts aro ht hand in every house. The po'atoes lake time to bake, it must, be rememberui), and the process must not be hurried. It may be assisted, however, by occasionally pinching the potatoes. II fIA mL." Y'JU do not say what style of books you like. Among new publications are Wane Corellrs "Soul of Liletlr' and John Strang* Winter's ''Only Human'' and "Mere Luck" severally. Her Majesty the Queen is said to be deeply interested in Marie Corelli's works, and possesses a c >niplat.a list of them. A special copy of the latest production has been bound in blue find silver, and the Qaeen has been pleased to accept the same. "EVA."—A litt'c handbook entitled "Hardy Plants for Littlt^Vo ,t Gardens" would suit you, pi ice Is. THE CARDIFF FUR STopts, 23 Hi^h-street, C ir- diCf. hold the largest and finest Stock of Furs and Skins in the United Kingdom, including Ladies' Sealskin Jackets, VIctoiias; Gents' Fur-lined Coats, Carriage Hugs, Driving Capes, &c. Furs of all kinds freed from mal bs, repaired, re-dyed, and altered. Skins dressod and mounted. AI: goods made and repaired on the pre- iiiise.g.-H. It. Hariison, Manager.