appear to be confined exclusively to it. of the season In the earlier part there was much variety in headdresses for out-door costume; hats and bonnets were both in favour, and different shapes were worn. We see now very few of the former, and the latter are universally large; we mean the brims only, the crowns being of a moderate size, or rather gured poplin is also very much worn for spencers, and gros de Naples is in very great request. The spencer which we have given in our print is the most novel and most appropriate to the season: many are still, however, made quite high and with collars. Satin still continues to be most fashionable for the trimmings of those made of poplin or silk; but those that are covered, are usually trim-in general low. Blond is the most med with lace. We have seen some fashionable trimming for the edge which we considered very pretty, of bonnets, and they are always that were finished in the French adorned with a bouquet of flowers. style at the bottom of the waist by Those that are covered with muslin or net have sometimes a wreath of scolloped lace, which was set on plain, and only a single row, ex- small daisies laid on in the middle cept just at the back, where there of the ruche round the edge, which were two or three rows very full. has a very pretty effect: another We must observe, that the lace was novelty, and one that has a very set on broad at the back, but nar- tasteful appearance, is the laying rower towards the front, which of net over the ribbon of these coformed a light smart jacket: there loured bonnets. was no collar, but a kind of pelerine ruff, composed of scolloped lace, supplied the want of it: the upper part of the ruff, composed of several rows of lace tacked very full, stood up round the throat; the lower part was a small pelerine, nearly pointed behind, and formed by two or three rows of lace. Transparent bonnets are composed either of gauze, net, or lettingin lace, and all these materials appear to be pretty nearly equal in favour: there is always a slight intermixture of satin, and they are frequently adorned with halfwreaths of roses, which are placed in front of the crown; they are generally three or four in number. We have but few observations to make respecting in-door costume this month. Morning dress tion of our last number: it continues to be composed exclusively of jaconot or cambric muslin; ve Leghorn and plain straw bonnets seem now to be almost exclusively confined to undress: they are still worn very large, and are ornamentedwith ribbon only. Bon-has not varied since the publicanets of the same description as that given in our print, are much in favour both for the carriage and dress promenade; and gros de Na-ry fine India muslin, both sprigged ples bonnets, profusely ornamented with blond or net, are much worn for the latter. Head-dresses composed of transparent materials are very general in carriage dress, but and plain, is also worn in dinner dress, but only partially, for silks are decidedly higher in estimation, and they are by no means of a slight kind; gros de Naples, le vantine, and others of the most || tween each of which was a space substantial fabric, being now as much worn as in the winter: it is true, they are of light colours, but the materials are too heavy for the time of the year; slight sarsnets and fancy silks are much more appropriate to the season. Dinner gowns are in general cut low round the bust: frocks are most in favour: backs still continue to be worn very broad; they are in general made with a little fulness. Sleeves are worn very full, and always short. There is less variety in trimmings than we ever recollect before at this season of the year. Satin, gauze, and blond are the fashionable materials: they are disposed in flounces, ruches, and rouleaus. The most novel and pretty style of trimming that we have lately seen, are gauze flounces, edged with corkscrew rolls of narrow satin ribbon four or five of these are placed at a little distance from each other; they are stiffened at the edge so as to stand out from the dress, and have a very light and tasteful effect. of about half a quarter in width, which was filled with a piece of gauze laid on plain, and richly embroidered in a bouquet of natural flowers mingled with Indian wheat and grass; the embroidery was an intermixture of silk and chenille; a row of scollop-shells composed of white satin, and placed very near each other, surmounted this trimming, and another was placed at the bottom of the dress. The hair is now much more displayed in evening dress than it has been for some time. Toques and turbans are, it is true, still worn but their use is, with few exceptions, confined to matronly ladies. Flowers are more in request than any other ornament for juvenile belles. Pearl ornaments, though not so generally adopted, are, however, worn by many élégantes, and they have certainly a beautiful effect upon dark hair. In very full dress they continue to be worn, as well as diamonds, with a mixture of flowers in the hair. We have seen at the house of the lady who furnished our dresses, some bouquets for the hair in evening dress, which were very novel and pretty: they were composed of flowers of the season, intermix well imitated, that they might deceive any eye. Bouquets of this description are also likely to be in estimation for toques and half-dress caps. The materials for full dress are various: white satin is in general estimation,as is also gauze or lace over white satin; but rich silks are also very much worn. Figured gros de Na-ed with various kinds of grass, so ples, striped satin, and fancy silks of different kinds, are as much worn as the light materials which have been for some years past considered fashionable in grand costume for summer. Dresses are worn very much trimmed: blond is very fashionable; but the most novel trimming that we have seen, was composed of transparent gauze, disposed in deep full puffs, be A new stay, called the corset à la Grecque, has made its appearance in the course of the last month: it is cut in a manner likely to be generally approved of, because it displays the shape in the most easy and graceful style, without com- || day, uncommonly numerous and pressing the form in the slightest brilliant. We observed with plea-. degree. sure that, with few exceptions, the As an account of the court dress-dresses were composed of our own es is always given in the newspa- manufactures; and certainly the pers, we do not notice them in ge-richness and beauty of the silks, neral; but we cannot help observ-gauzes, blonds, &c. afforded a ing, that at the drawing-room held proof, that the productions of our by his Royal Highness the Prince own looms are fully equal to those Regent on the 17th, the dresses of of any foreign country. the ladies present exhibited the most complete mixture of magnificence and taste that we ever witnessed. The court was, in compliment to his royal highness's natal Fashionable colours for the month are, pale blue, light green, lilac, rose-colour, light slate-colour, and peach-blossom. FRENCH FEMALE FASHIONS. My dear SOPHIA, or work. There is a half-sleeve, about half a quarter in depth, confined to the arm by an easing, and finished by a row of work, and a double row of work is set on very full upon the shoulder. The robe ù schall is a revived fashion; it is one which I am inclined to think you borrowed from us about two years ago, and which we have now OUR promenades still continue to be filled with white-robed belles, who walk out without any other covering than a gown, which is always either made high, or worn with a fichu and ruff; it is composed of perkale: this is the only material now seen in promenade dress, but there is some variety in trim-introduced again, when you have mings, and some also in the make laid it down. of gowns. I shall endeavour to describe to you two or three which are at present fashionable; first premising, that these dresses constitute also the home costume, except for full dress. One of these dresses, the robe à schall, is a low round dress: the back is plaited in on each shoulder, and is crossed behind in the handkerchief style: the fronts are formed in a similar manner: the sleeve is long; it is very full in front of the arm, but the fulness is confined across by narrow bands of work; it falls very far over the hand, and is finished at the bottom with lace Vol. VIII. No. XLIII. I had nearly forgotten an essential point, that of the trimming, which consists of a very broad piece of soft muslin formed into little puffs, and intersected with one or two rows of work set on in waves: this trimming has a pretty effect when it is not put on too deep. Another of these dresses, which has no peculiar name, but which might be called the robe of formality, is made tight to the shape: the body is completely covered with very small tucks, which are placed across; there are at least half a hundred. The sleeve is almost tight to the arm; it is surmounted H by a winged epaulette, which has a double row of muslin trimming disposed in large plaits; it is finished at the hand with a single row of trimming to correspond; and there are from four to six narrow flounces, also disposed in large plaits, at the bottom of the skirt. This dress is very fashionable, but not quite so much so as the robe à schall. The prettiest of the promenade dresses, at least in my opinion, has a full back, a front tight to the shape, and a collar composed of three rouleaus of soft muslin; a single fall of muslin, disposed in large plaits, forms an epaulette: the long sleeve is of an easy fulness, and slightly embroidered at the bottom; it is finished at the hand with a single row of muslin trimming. A sash, composed of perkale, is tied behind in two small bows with long ends; the ends are finished by a muslin trimming, disposed in large plaits: there are two rows, one placed considerably above the other, with small tucks between. The trimming consists of an intermixture of flounces and tucks: the former are set on in waves; there are three, and between each three tucks. This dress is the only one worn with a girdle of the same material, the others being confined to the waist by sashes of broad ribbon, which are tied behind in bows and very long ends. I have seen these ends sometimes as long as the dress. Egyptian ribbons are not now much worn, those most in favour being striped in different shades of the same colour. Straw hats are, upon the whole, the most numerous for the morning" promenade, and yellow straw is most fashionable. Gros de Naples is also in favour, but the hats composed of it are always white. Paille de soie is also occasionally seen in the morning promenades; but it is more frequently worn in the evening, to which also gauze and tuile are exclusively appropriated. The brims of bonnets are now of a more moderate size than when I wrote last; the crowns continue to be very low: the most fashionable bonnets meet under the chin, and are bent over the forehead in the Mary of Scotland style. Some few others are cut out very much on one side of the brim, so as to display the face, while the other side is very broad; and many of those worn in the morning have the brim very broad over the forehead, and sloped off abruptly at each side. Gauze ribbons, which are always worn very broad, are now universally adopted for the trimmings of chapeaux: they are either striped or of two colours, and in general are of a very glaring description. Evening chapeaux are always adorned with flowers as well as ribbons: wreaths are most in favour. Roses, sun-flowers, daisies, and primroses, are all worn, but we see also many wreaths of fancy flowers. Straw hats have no flowers, but a diadem composed of coques of ribbon is substituted instead. Straw hats are almost all yellow, and silk ones either white or rosecolour; but paille de soie are of various hues, pea-green, rose-colour, gilliflower, and the prettiest shade of lilac that I ever saw. Many gauze hats have the brims entirely covered with bouillonnée. Ruches are not now at all worn; the only trimmings which are used for the || of white satin, finished at the waist edges of the brims of bonnets are puffs of ribbon, or gauze laid on in full scollops: but the greatest number of hats have no trimming at all at the edge of the brim. Coloured satins are at present very much worn in evening dress; and white gauze over coloured | sarsnet slips is also in favour. Waists have not increased in length. The bust is very much displayed in full dress, the gown being looped back on the shoulder, and on each side of the bosom: the sleeves are in general very full, and they are always confined to the arm by a narrow band, which is either of fancy silk trimming, of satin, or, in very full dress, of pearls. by tabs, cut in the form of shells: they were edged, as well as the bust, with a narrow pink gimp. The sleeve was a triple fall of blond over the plain tight sleeve of the slip, and the bust was finished with a row of narrow blond tacked under the gimp. Flowers are very much in favour for the hair in full dress; they are worn in diadems: roses, mixed with wheat-ears, are most in favour. Cachemire turbans, made in the Turkish form, are much worn by matronly ladies; and an embroidered scarf, twisted through the hair, is a favourite head-dress both with young and middle-aged belles. Many of the former appear in their hair without any other ornament it up behind, and which is generally of the same colour as the hair. Evening dresses are trimmed very high; but trimmings, at pre-than a knot of ribbon, which fastens sent, are neither tasteful nor varied: they consist either of bouillonnée or flounces, or sometimes a mixture of both. At a large party where I was present the other evening, there was only one lady in the room who had neither flounces nor bouillons; and her dress was so excessively pretty, that I must send you some account of it, though I must premise, that it is not to be regarded as very fashionable. The dress was composed of white gauze, and worn over a pale rosecoloured sarsnet slip: at the bottom of the skirt was a full rouleau of white satin; above which were placed large bows of gauze, edged with very narrow blond lace: these bows had pointed ends; they were placed at considerable distances from each other, and between every one was a large shell, composed of alternate folds of white and pink satin. The corsage was composed Half-boots are most fashionable for the promenade; they are always of stout silk, which is generally of a light colour: they button at the side. Full dress slippers are always of white silk or satin, but they are frequently finished by an embroidery of silk of the same colour as the dress. The rage for diamonds has in a great measure subsided. Pearls, though not much worn in the hair, are very general for necklaces, bracelets, and armlets. Gold rings, with mottoes, the letters of which are composed of pearl, are in great favour. Coloured stones are not very fashionable: they are, however, worn by some parvenue belles, for these ladies are in general fond of glaring ornaments. You complain that my letters are too short, and yet you are uncon |