The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-01 00:00:00

FEMALE FASHIONS FOR MAY.

(From Le Fo110.)
The variety in material for spring dresses is very
great this year. We have the epingline cotelee, a
mixture of silk and wool, covered with spots or
small flowers of deep colours, almost invariably on
a drab ground. The little stripes of black and white
mixed are also still in vogue ; the poils de chevre,
with small checks formed by silk stripes ; grenadine
de laine, with small flowers, summer poplin, grisaill•
on black and white mixture, with small crossbars or
stripes down ; and, above all, for toilette neg lige,
foulard, which, notwithstanding that for the last few
years it has been laid aside, is now likely to be ge-
nerally re-adopted.
Then, for visiting dress, we have taffetas with
narrow stripes forming checks, and in the centre of
each check a; small flower, pink, blue, mauve, &c.;
or that which is more generally admired, the small
flowers without the cross-crossbars, then the taffe-
tas antiques Chines, with white stripes, or patterns
which are always in favour, and, to a certain de-
gree, take the place of moire ; the taffetas Pekin,
which is a great novelty, &c. ; and, besides these
many lighter materials—such as muslins, bereges,
organdis, grenadine de soie, jaconas, piques—are
now shown in our fashionable houses, though, at
present, the season is too cold for us to say " they
are worn."

Negliges robes of thick material, such as poplin,
are made in redingote form, buttoned down the
middle or side, and the body a little open in front.
Down the fold is placed a row of large buttons, or
of bows with a buckle of gold or steel in the centre.
Dresses are also very generally made with a band,
either with a buckle or ribbon sash.
Very wide sleeves are still much worn, though
tight sleeves are very fashionable. For dresses of
light fabric, the sleeves ale made wide and very
open, or in large bouillons.
The skirts of these dresses are ornamented with
small flounces, not reaching higher than the knee,
and bound with a shade of deeper coloured taffetas.
If the dress is flowered over the shade must be the
same as the flowers.

Skirts are also trimmed with one wide flounce,
headed by a pinked ruche, with three other niches
at the bottom of the flounce. This is a particularly
charming style, when the ruche is black, upon a
violet green or brown dress.

Straw is to be very much used in trimmings.
Dresses are to be embroidered with straw ; velvet
and ribbon edged with it ; brandebourgs and passe-
menteries to be made of it in the same way that
gold has been so much used during the winter.
Mousselines de soie and English organdi, which
resemble crepe lisse and tulle, are in favour for ball
dress; flowers, lace, and blcnde are used to orna-
ment them. Generally robes of tulle, silk, or tarla-
tan are trimmed with drapery, bordered with a
small bouillonne of tulle or tarlatan, edged with a
narrow lace or blond, sometimes a narrow but very
thick ruche. This is very becoming.
Dinner dresses are usually of silk—some have
been made of very thick silk—double chain they are
called. They are striped Pekin or Pompadour, and
made with plain skirts. The body of these must
be made low, and one of the pretty fichus, so
fashionable now, worn with it. These are some-
times half-high, crossed in front, and ornamented
with black velvet or narrow ribbons.

The mantelets and casaques for this spring are
mostly ♦ery graceful in form.
For the trimming of mantles, &c., lace is always
considered elegant, and it is said that gold and straw
will be much used. The large and loose paletot,
which has been so much worn this winter in cloth,
is now made in taffetas, and has a wide flounce,
headed with a plaiting, or with three little flounces.
If required to be a little more dressy, this flounce
can be made of coloured taffetas, covered with black
lace, with a ruche of ribbon of the same colour, and
narrow black lace mixed, as a heading.
The spring bonnets are rather larger than those
worn in the winter. They are brought very for.
ward on the forehead, and the crowns are sloping
or full. The curtains are worn rather smaller. The
trimmings, however, are generally heavy.
Straw bonnets, which are much worn just now,
have generally a soft crown of silk. There is every
pretty material for these crowns ; it is black silk,
embroidered in coloured silks or straws, or even
small gold spots. The curtain should be the same
as the crown, and the trimming a bouquet of flowers
on one side, to match the embroidery, surrounded
with black lace.

Other straw bonnets are simply trimmed with a
scarf of very wide ribbon, put plainly across, the
ends of which are trimmed with red fringe. The
caps are over-trimmed generally with flowers or
plaits of ♦elvet.
A very pretty trimming for a Belgian straw bon-
net are ruches of white silk, with rose-buds placed
in the midst of the ruches, forming rosettes at each
side; The strings of white and pink ribbon. White
tulle cap, trimmed with rose-buds.
Rice straw bonnets, with blonde or small veils,
or barbes of tulle and feathers.
Leghorn bonnets are generally very simply
trimmed. Sometimes a double plait of straw falls
over part of the curtain, and forms a bow on the
top, like the coiffure Felix. Coloured straw bonnets
are also much worn. The most fashionable are
green, grey, or black, embroidered in small flowers,
either coloured or simply in straw.
Dress bonnets are made principally of crape and
velvet, or silk, or tulle and silk.