The Wilmingtonian

WHAT SHALL WE WEAR?

A DINNER TOILETTE OF FAILLE AND PLUSH, WITH POLONAISE.

All About the Paris Bonnets Imported for Autumn Wear—An Attractive Morning Robe—New, Novel and Sure to Please.

Numbered with other new things originated in gay Paris, are some charming models of matinee robes for morning and negligee.

In the accompanying cut is illustrated a matinee with polonaise.

A French Matinee

The polonaise—which may be of any soft material, opens in front and is slit up half the length at the sides to show a white cambric petticoat trimmed with flowers of lace. The bodice portion has a tight fitting lining made with darts. Over this lining the material of the polonaise is gathered as seen. The model robe was of linen cambric, patterned with blue, and trimmed with a band and bows of blue ribbon.

Autumn Millinery.

Velvet is the fabric for dress hats, and is shown in great variety. The novelty is changeable repped velvet, showing gold with blue, red with green, brown with blue and black with red or orange. There are also plain velvets that are changeable, and others that are both watered and changeable. The embroidered velvets for trimming are in bands with pointed edges, to be used like ribbons, or in small all over designs with scalloped edges, that form the soft crowned poke or turban and also the most of its trimming.

This embroidery is done with tinsel threads of many colors, with colored beads, with jet, steel, silver or gilt beads and the pretty glass beads that have gold linings. Cloths are also embroidered in all these tinsel and beaded patterns, and the loveliest South Kensington work is seen on ivory white twilled cloth, on reseda, gray and rose wools.

Soft felt bonnets of the pliable felt made up in folds and pleats on a frame precisely as cloth would be used are shown for general wear; there are also stiff felt bonnets with rows of pinking all over them, or else merely pinked edges for those who prefer them.

The newest bonnets, says Harper's Bazar, from which the above is taken, have longer crowns and many have long pointed poke fronts, filled in with a slight face trimming.

The coronet fronts, of beads, of feathers and of velvet, are also largely imported. Trimmed bonnets of velvet from many of the best French millinery houses retain the small close shapes so long in vogue here, adding a trifle more breadth and making the trimming slightly lower.

The newest ornaments in millinery are long slender pins, daggers and buckles, or else very small pins that are used in great number for apparently pinning the bonnet and its trimming together. Rhine stones and aquamarines are in the heads of large and small pins and in rings, bowknots and crescents; the preference, however, is for long gilt and silver pins or for small ones with metal heads. Jet ornaments take the form of quills, wings, birds' beads, buckles, crescents, daggers, etc.

Pretty Lace Aprons.

Pretty lace aprons are made of skirt widths of oriental or other laces, in black, ecru or white. A yard of flouncing is used, which is cut off at the top to make it the required length. This is finished at the sides by a hem or an edging of lace, and the top is gathered over a ribbon, which forms the belt and strings.

Dinner Toilette with Polonaise.

The Paris toilette here illustrated has a polonaise of heliotrope faille and plush, and is trimmed with a rich passementerie of cord and steel beads. The gracefully arranged fronts, as well as the sleeves and skirt of the gown, are of plush. The peculiar arrangement of the front of the polonaise presents the charming feature of the dress. As will be seen the left side goes under while the right front is placed diagonally and then taken back in pleats from the waist line. The neck band is of plush, is two inches high and is trimmed with passementerie braid.

DINNER TOILETTE

The polonaise, with the exception of the neck band, front and sleeves, is of heliotrope faille. As may be imagined the toilette is exceedingly elegant and stylish in effect.

Waistcoats of Silk and Muslin.

Soft waistcoats, composed of a quarter of a yard of silk or muslin, gathered at either end, and skillfully pinned at the neck and waist, are pretty to wear with jacket bodices, being kept in at the waist by a belt. By having several vests of this description a pleasing variety may be produced in a plain costume.