Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), Friday 15 March 1889, page 3


LADIES' COLUMN. Br VITa. NEW MILLINERY. Autumn is here. It has been heralded by stonmy, gusty days. falling leaves from the English trees, which we try to acclimatise, and orchards of ripened fruit. After the long hot summer w welcome the season when, in the wordi of LongfellowThe silver habit of the clouds Comes down uimn the autumn sun. and with A ýslxr Rladnce- does the year take up Iis bright inheritance of gldem fruits. Again we are told that the fashions of the First Empire are to be "the only wear," and amongst the autumn displays of dainty feminine leadIger se expect to find low-crownfd widebrimmed Empire hats and modified Empire bonnets. We are not disappointed. March, the sirter of the flying boam And speoedy bhadil,. will see a revolution in feminine chapeaux. The high . pointed bonnet has had its day, and nnw bonnets are small, low. crowned, and fit prettily round the face. Madame Do iemusat, in her interesting memories of the Court of Napo. Ieon I., gdres an account of the dress worn b Josephhin, the pretty Creole wife of the "little C canm," and her ladies. Napoleon liked his wife to dress sumptuously, and she certainly carried out his wishes. as she simply lived to dress. She cared nothing for reading or writing, or needlework, and spent nearly all her time at her toilette. The fashions set by such a woman were naturally luxrious and gorgeous, and Madame de Itemusnt speaks i particularly of the gowns embroidered in gold and silver tihat had to be worn by theladiesof i the Court of Napoleon. The gold and silver that has appeared so much latterly on hats, bonnets, and gowns, are a part of ** Empire" fashions, and gold and silver laces appear to some extent on winter chapeaux. A pee at the charming millinerr displays now being held at the various establishments convinces one that Empire fashions will hold their own this autumn and during t the winter. The next thing that strikes one, on reviewing the arrmy of picturesque t head - coverings, is that the vogue of I velvet will be undoubted this season, and that green will be as popular as it was in the summer. From the sombre myrtle and olive greens to the delicate moss and foam shades and those attractive greens that recall the tints of Alpine glaciers and The race of ,tanding corn, eery imn inable tint of gree is represented. p Several shades are often combined in one hat. Here is an Empire hat of black velvet, which is trimmed with pretty white wings and black ribbon-loops, and has long ribbon-ends hanging at the back. It is edged with jet, as nearl all the round Lats this season have a finish o jet or tinsel, according to their garniture. Black ' is prophesied to be very popular, both for hats V and gowns, and is usually seen in combination with ,iher colours. Feathers in bands and in bunches, tiny birds, and the heads and wings of larger one, are all in vogue, and quils and wings are popular trimmings. u An Empire hat of dark brown velvet has tl a bow of ribbon beneath the flaring brim, c( matching the silk bows on the crown, and an it edging of gold tinel-.rings, mingled with b th2r ilken bows from the trimming. A modi fied Gainsborough Parisian hathas a low,puffed crown, and is oi fine black felt; the trimming U consists of wide loops of velvet and silk in three shades of green, rangin from very light to very dark, and black feather-tips. This is one of thie many picturesque models in which h: hlack and green ire combined. Low puffed or Is foldedcrowns, wide brims, and elvetand feather tt trimmin-s are the leading characteristics of the am hats of the year. A vry pretty Gainsborough Al was of &dunt green velvet, with a puffed crown of soft silk of a lighter tone, and was iimply trimmed with silk loops and sprays. Of coue therere re straw chapeaux for those who In dislike velvet or felt hats, and all the straws of as the year are fine and smooth, chip predominat- P ing. A picturesque Gainsborough is of fine ce lCack straw, and is trimmed with olds of velvet ci and silk in three shades of green. A mo's- o green velvet hat, with a low puffed crown and ti a broad brim, i trimmed with white winTgs that contrast prettily with the crown of white flannel embroidered in tinsel. Blueand red am r not so prominentas of yore: last season there f was a little red in everything, but red trim- ft mings will doubtless grow in favour when the p :oomy days rome. A sapphire-blue Empire ft hat is of velvet, and is trimmed with feathers and ribbon loops, while a tiny bird is placed a beneath the ftlring brim. Terra-cotta is f, prophesied to be one of the most popular o coloura of the season. and many pretty terra. cotta chapeaux appear in the millinery displays. Boat-slaped chipped terra-cotta hats trimmed with ilk loops, feathers, and wings were among the neatet and prettiest of the hats c i-hown. English authorities have remarked on the tI favour shown to the toelue-s'ape this year, and -A toques are always in favour, as among the tj most useful and becoming of hats. When we experience, as Christina Roesetti says, thatAutmnn i, a weathercock, Blown every way, we shall find the use of a neat little toque that fits the head comfortably, and has no elaborate garniture to be disarranged by the grand v ichoe, from the equiiox.i" charming in poetry, C but unpleasant m reality. The toque with L rather a high crown and straight turban brim is the most becoming shape, for it can be worn slightly off the face, and, showing the h ir,hs not a severe effect. A pretty new toque is of black velvet, with st1ried black and white ribbon bows at the back, and in front two tiny black birds' heads nrstlng in the folded crown, and supporting some of the siff cock's plumes that are partic- ii larly suited for these hats. Another velvet to'lue t is of a pretvy shade of t,.rr-cotta, and is r trimmed with ribbon bows of the ame hue. Then there are strLw toques in crimson and terra-cotti and every shade of green strar: and these simple little hats have for their sole trimming loops of ribbon to correpond, and sometimes a small bird or a wing or tio. Many pretty bonnets were to be seen, and in these, as in the hats, velvet predominated. Small close-fitting capotes were the chief 'hales, and these were shown in velvet, cloth, and n smooth straTw. Green and terrn-ctta were harmolised in one pretty velvet bonnet, of which a couple of tiny birds was the only trim a ming. Another pretty velvet bonnet was a dark-brown colour, trimmed with a bunch of small brown feathers and brightened by a band of gold lace. Empire bonnets were also to be seen, and many of these were in various shades of green straw trimmed with ribbon and feathers. Blacklacobonnets. aralways fashionable, and are most becoming for a woman past the first bloom of her v outh. There are many black lace bonnets on view, tome of which are simply relieved by a little jet, while others show a scarlet feather or a white bird. Black chip bounets are also to be seen, and a neat black chit, bonnet was trimmed with black lace and n ribbon, and was brightened by a jet brim. Black and coloured etraw eapotes simply 1 trimmed with ribbon loops, are also displayed in great variety for those rho do not care for elaborate millinery. There were many pretty embroidered cloth lonnets to be seen, and em- c broidero material are seldom used for loops or trimming. but form portions of tlie bonnet itself. i There are mmany plretty children's bonnets on view. These little people are to wear plush bonnets, with silk front and plush and velvet Sjockey-caps and Tam o' Shantere in various , I wn:rm and lright hres. .