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THE LADIES' GUILD.

We have received the prospectus of a new Institution under the name of the Ladies' Guild, which deserves the particular attention of our readers.

It appears that a lady of the name of Wallace has lately taken out a patent for an invention in glass decoration, which is capable of various applications.*

"Miss Wallace's productions," to use the words of a criticism in the Builder, "consist in principle of imitations of gold and silver in glass, without the use of either metal-of the protection of actual gilding or silvering under an almost invisible, yet magnifying coat of glass -of a peculiar mode of adding metallic and pearly brilliancy to colours, to painted and stained figures, and to engraving, all in glassof imitations of precious stones, and of other inventions."

The invention is applicable to picture-frames, mouldings, and cornices; tables, work-boxes, screens, and other articles to which papier maché is usually applied, and which have the peculiar advantage of being protected by a covering of glass, so that the gilding, &c., can never tarnish, or be injured by any external influence. The object of the "Ladies' Guild" is to form a school for the instruction of "Women of the Educated Class" in one of the departments of this invention, which Miss Wallace reserves in her own hands, suitable, from its light and artistic workmanship, for female labour, and applicable to screens, work-boxes, envelope cases, &c., &c., which is offered to be taught to persons above the age of twelve, for the very moderate charge of two shillings a-week. The articles produced by the pupils will be sold for their own benefit. The school is at present (for we understand it is contemplated to remove the Institution to a larger house in the Regent's Park) at No. 4, Russell Place, Fitzroy

Square, where applications for admission to the class may be made to Mrs. Hill, the VicePresident.

The point to which we would especially direct the attention of our readers is that contained in the following paragraph of the prospectus :

"It has long been a matter of regret to those accustomed to look on English society with the eyes of thoughtful observation, that so few remunerative employments are open to women of educated minds and refined habits. To such the main resource-we might almost say the only resource as yet-has been education-a noble and interesting task indeed, but one which, for its efficient performance, requires not only a rare combination of mental and moral powers, but also that the task should be to the taste of the individual undertaking it."

The writer might have added that the position of a governess is too often one of peculiar hardship; for while a rare combination of mental and moral endowments is expected, the important and onerous duties required are seldom either sufficiently appreciated or adequately remunerated-while the treatment is too often that of an upper servant, the salary is frequently far inferior. We hail, therefore, with great satisfaction, an Institution which offers to educated women a means of emancipation from a position too often of irksome slavery and degrading dependence, and opens a prospect of obtaining on easy terms, and in an independent manner, a comfortable competency;

We may add that it is further stated, in the prospectus, that ladies who would like to aid in the establishment of the Ladies' Guild, by advancing sums of money as loans, will receive 3 per cent.; and that ladies with fixed moderate incomes may join an Associated Home in connexion with The Guild, by which means they may join the Institution, and live more economically than in a separate position.

FASHIONS FOR JUL Y.

Paris is still pretty full, owing principally to the number of foreigners who take it in their way to the Great Exhibition in London. Our own fashionables are leaving us very fast; some going to London, but only for a week or two, and then to the watering places. Others are going at once to the Spas or their country residences. This change has given a spur to trade, which it really wanted.

Percale, printed and striped, and coutils de

* Specimens are exhibited in the Great Exhibition; but, by a curious mal-arrangement, are placed on the south-west wall amongst the agricultural implements!

laine chinés, and striped in front, are the materials employed for deshabilles for the country and the watering places. The robe is made either as a peignoir, or with a skirt and corsage separate; but in either case a petite veste pardessus is indispensable with it. These accessories to morning deshabille have for some time been laid aside, but they will be adopted during summer, only with this difference, that they are much shorter, and cut round the bottom in square dents, with a space between each dent. Some of these dresses, of printed percale, have the fronts of the skirts ornamented en montants with guirlandes dispersées; the petit pardessus, always of the same material, is ornamented with

square dents at the bottom, encircled with a very narrow flounce. The sleeves are very wide at the bottom, and trimmed with two or three flounces. These pardessus sit closer to the corsage than those that were formerly in use, but they are not quite tight.

The coutils de laine chinés have also the pardessus of the same material, and striped like the robe in front. The form is that of a Turkish vest, open on each side only. The vest and the openings are bordered with an embroidery in arabesques, made with a narrow silk galon. The embroidery at the sides mounts high above them, terminating in patterns of the Turkish kind. A lighter kind of work ornaments the little pockets in front of the pardessus. Similar dresses are made in percale mille raies, that is with very narrow stripes, and large ones in front; in that case, the vest is embroidered in a narrow white cotton galon, or has a very narrow flounce.

I may cite in a more dressy style for early morning home dress, the peignoirs Fontanges, composed of taffetas chiné, foulard des Indes, in large flowered patterns, and jaconot muslin in small flowered ones. They may be made open, or closed in front, descending in long deep folds, confined to the waist by a ceinture of ribbon, the broad ends of which descend to the knees. We have gone back to the time of Louis XIV. and Louis XV. for the trimming of these peignoirs; and the narrow flounces of ribbon, surmounted by ruches and edged with lace, is a garniture at once elegant and historic. The skirt is decorated with three or four of these flounces, mounting as they rise high on the skirt and the fronts of the dress. A fanchon Louis Quinze, composed of blonde, black lace, and ribbons, is generally worn with these peignoirs.

A skirt and casaco of jaconas perse, chiné, or Watteau, should be adopted for a morning walk in the garden or the park of the chateau. The skirt is trimmed with deep volants disposed in quills. The Casaco is moderately wide, closed on the breast, and trimmed likewise with flounces; they are very narrow, and only hemmed. Nankin is also adopted for these dresses, and in that case the garniture is composed of bands of broderie Anglaise.

The chapeaux adopted with these dresses are quite different from those employed for the promenade; the Swiss form is generally adopted, a very small crown, either pointed or rounded, with an excessively wide brim falling over the face and neck. These chapeaux are of paille Chiné, paille Suisse, or paille d'Italie. Fancy straw may be adopted, but it is less in vogue. Coquelicots, blue bells, and different kinds of field flowers, are employed to trim it. Paille Chiné, yellow and black, is decorated with strawcoloured ribbons, and coquelicots, with black hearts. A broad ribbon, placed across the middle of the crown, with a narrow scarf of roseribbon turning round it, and ending in a knot with floating ends behind, is a favourite garniture for Swiss straw chapeaux,

I have now to speak of what is most admired in Paris, and will be worn in out-door dress for the season. The chapeaux most in request for négligé, are of paille chiné in two colours, or two shades of the same colour. Some of the most fashionable of the latter are of two shades of green, lined with green taffeta, and trimmed on the exterior with narrow velvet tastefully arranged. The edge of the brim is decorated with a voilette of black tulle, spotted with an embroidery in straw, and edged with a wreath also worked with straw. The interior is ornamented in a light and simple style with rosebuds and blonde lace. If these chapeaux are of two colours, straw colour and black, groseille and grey are the prevalent colours. The garnitures are mostly composed of straw flowers intermingled with velvet.

Fancy chapeaux are in great request, both for the public promenade and for half-dress; some of the prettiest for the former are composed of bands of paille dentelle alternating with rosecoloured taffeta biais; blonde lace drawn a little full falls lightly over the biais. Sprigs of roses intermingled with rose and straw-coloured ribbon decorate the exterior, and half-blown roses and blonde lace the interior of the brim. Crin is a good deal employed for fancy chapeaux; the prettiest are of the lace kind; three bands of it, and three of ribbon drawn full, placed alternately, form the brim. Sprigs of small flowers of various colours intermingled with coques of ribbon decorate the exterior, and tufts of the same flowers mingled with ribbons the interior of the brim; they are placed very low, and terminated by the broad ribbon brides that are now always attached to chapeaux. A band of crin, with one of ribbon, forms a full and rather deep bavolet.

Rice straw is a good deal employed for fancy chapeaux; the crown is composed of it only; the brim is composed of bands of it alternating with ribbon, tulle, or lace. I may cite among the prettiest, those that have the brim formed of three bands of paille de riz, and three of taffeta ribbon, in different shades of yellow-the first as deep as orange, and the last pale lemoncolour. Two branches of yellow acacia droop on one side of the exterior; and small yellow flowers intermingled with coques of ribbon decorate the interior of the brim.

I may name, among the most elegant demitoilette chapeaux, those of paille de riz, having the crown composed of entre deux of rosecoloured taffeta, divided by narrow bands of paille de riz; there are on each side three bouillonnés of rose taffeta, smaller and less voluminous as they approach the brim; on the right side of which is a branch of red rosebuds with foliage. The bavolet turns up so as to display the neck very gracefully; it is of rice straw, and very full. Roses without foliage, and with a nœud of taffeta, decorate the interior of the brim.

Chapeaux of paille d'Italie are much in favour, both for public promenade and half-dress. Feathers are rather more employed than flowers for these chapeaux; but the latter are equally

fashionable. Some of the most elegant have the crown decorated with a fanchon of rosecoloured taffeta glacé de blanc, and bordered with a row of white blonde lace; a bouquet of white and red moss-roses is placed on each side of the crown; they droop over the brim, being partially shaded by the lace of the fanchon. Half-wreaths of intermingled roses of the two colours decorate the interior of the brim; the brides are very broad rose-coloured taffeta ribbon glacé de blanc. Broad rich brides are not only in vogue, but are absolutely essential to the garniture of an elegant chapeau.

trimming. It is made for the first in taffetas of dark colours; the garnitures may be lace, fringe, the material of the dress, or velvet ribbon; the last is very profusely employed. Muslin mantelets begin to be a good deal seen; they are trimmed with volants of the same, festooned but not embroidered. Taffeta mantelets for dress are generally of light colours; they continue to be covered, I may say loaded with embroidery; the upper part in the style of a revers bordered with a rich effilé or lace of the same pattern, but narrower than that round the lower part. There are two styles of embroidery, the Pompadour Feathers are frequently adopted for the ex- and the chatelaine; the first is a rich melange terior of rice straw chapeaux; these plumes of the passé, point d'armes, and petits galons of formed of the bands of marabouts are of great passementerie: it is sometimes disposed in knots lightness and beauty; they droop in what is from which bouquets of flowers descend. The termed a shower on one side of the brim; a knot chatelaine is in arabesques and gothic patterns of ruban chiné, a white ground, chiné in a variety | mingled with beautiful and luxuriant foliage. of colours, attaches the plume, which is shaded in all the tints of the ribbon. A narrow ribbon of the same kind is twisted round the interior of the brim; light sprigs of small flowers are intermingled with it at the sides.

Flowers composed of straw are very much in request for fancy chapeaux; water-lilies, pinks, boutons d'or and daisies intermingled with long light foliage of brown or shaded green velvet: the last novelty for paille de riz chapeaux is the guirlandes en traines; they are made to encircle the crown and descend in a touffe panache on each side of the brim. Some of these traines are intermingled with blue-bells, small hedgeroses, mulberry blossoms, and a number of very small flowers mingled with sprigs of heath blossoms. Nothing can be in better taste for the chapeau of a young unmarried lady than a traine composed only of ivy leaves intermingled with half-blown Bengal roses, either white or red.

A mixture of straw is now frequently seen in the chapeaux and capotes of crape and tulle, in half-dress. Several capotes of rose-coloured tulle bouillonné have the rows divided by a band of paille de riz; the garniture is a tuft of roses without foliage placed on each side of the exterior; the interior is decorated with rosebuds intermingled with blonde. Some of the most novel tulle chapeaux are spotted with an embroidery in straw so very fine that it looked like gold thread; the brim was encircled by three straw ribbons fulled on one side so that they had the appearance of narrow flounces; a bouquet of marabouts was placed on one side of the crown, a small water-lily of straw was attached to the tip of each marabout; the ribbons that encircled the brim were brought round the bavolet; the interior of the chapeau was decorated with these little flowers, intermingled with rich blonde ribbons that formed the brides of the chapeau.

The vogue of mantelets has triumphed completely over that of pardessus; the two most decided forms are those of the scarf and the shawl kind; those that are not exactly one or the other partake in some degree of either. The mantelet écharpe is the most in request both for négligé and dress, according to the material and

The garniture of the mantelets châle is a lighter kind; it is principally lace and ribbon: some are of that rich black net called filet de soie; they are trimmed with broad black lace. A new style of trimming for coloured taffeta mantelets is composed of plain tulle of the same colour, and very broad bands of narrow velvet, always to correspond, are placed three by three at about an inch distance upon the tulle; a heading of very broad velvet encircles this trimming, and is the garniture of the fronts. I have seen also tulle bouillonné employed for these mantelets; it is divided into three or four rows by narrow velvet. I may cite among the most elegant of the dress mantelets those of white taffeta, the ground embroidered in white silk and soutache; the tulle that trimmed it was divided by nine rows of a light ornament of passementerie, representing a chain of narrow rings in white silk; magnificent buttons closed the mantelet in front.

vogue

It is expected that during the summer a lighter style of trimming will divide the with the Pompadour and chatelaine: some models of this style have just appeared. I have selected three of the most elegant for our first plate. Light shawls are dividing the vogue with mantelets; they are of black lace, embroidered muslin, and printed barège; the latter are both long and square, with cashmere patterns of the most novel kind.

The silks I have already announced still preserve the vogue in elegant promenade and halfdress; but they divide it with barèges more numerous and more novel than any that have yet appeared. They are all white, or light grounds; the barège corail is a tasteful mixture of branches of corals, herbs, and sea-flowers. La rose d'eau naturelle united to long herbes rubannées, and branches of coral, form patterns equally splendid and novel. The barège à plumes marabouts represents willow marabout plumes, surmounting bouquets of flowers. The barège pastel is a shower of flowers exquisitely copied and coloured after nature. The barège hatteau with patterns of ribbons disposed in true-lovers' knots tying tufts of flowers. The barège fontange is striped, imitating ribbons of all colours.

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