The Northern Guardian. — 1895-09-24 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

LADIES' LETTER.  MT DEAREST NELL/E,  I think last week I described a sealskin jacket to you. This material is to be quite the thing this winter, and I must tell you of a short cape made in it. It is a most elegant garment, with a yoke, and a small cape on the other. It is lined with cream and gold brocade. This cape, which is a most stylish one, is likely to be extremely fashionable during the forthcoming dendsaison.  Crepon has by no means lost its popularity, and I saw the other day a very stylish dress of that material. The crepon was that known as Ophelia, and the cuffs were to match. The sleeves, like the draped sash and streamers, were in Pekin silk, striped cream and Ophelia. There was a pleated front and neck band, with Pompadour bows in silk muslin, and sailor collar, and vandyked ends in antique Venetian lace. The hat was in mixed straw, faced with lace, and lavishly trimmed with roses, foliage, and loops in chine ribbon. This style of dress also looks well in alpaca.  This is a suggestion for renovating one of last year's winter dresses. It is a brown cloth with black almond boucle effect, and in its present condition has a black silk yoke, short basque bodice, and plain gigot sleeves. The skirt, too, is moderately full and gathered into the band. I should cover the yoke with a brown velvet collar, edged with a kilting of black silk, and the cuffs on the sleeves should be carried out in the same way. Both neck a waistband may be of black or brown silk, folded and cut on the bias. Do not forget this latter hint, as no fabric belt or band sets well cut on the straight, and this is a fact which seems to be forgotten by so many young amateurs. Then the pleats will require attention, as there are two worn now instead of three down the back. The gathering should be taken out and arranged differently, and a lining of horsehair would be a great improvement.  Though shop windows are beginning to display autumnal, or rather, wintry headgear, we still cling to the rough straw, shady hat, te shelter us from a sun that has lost, so far, little of its power. Undulating brims are very fashionable, and will continue to be so, even on the smaller hats, which are being shown as the latest Parisian models. Here is a very becoming hat, in moss-green straw, and trimmed with chiffon rosettes and velvet bows. Just inside the brim, which is turned up a little, is a band of violet velvet, matching the ribbon bows. This is made with an inch-wide strip of velvet cut on the cross, folded and slip-stitched on to the wire, which it really covers. Right round the crown are pale pink pansy rosettes. Pansy and poppy rosettes are very fashionable just now, but they are not easy to make, for so much depends on the deftness of the fingers  Then there is a very charming up-to-date hat in brown satin straw, inter:nixed with chenille, and arranged with a waved bri:n. It is trimmed with pink velvet roses and green poppies, which have crinkled petals. On one side of the crown is a stiff white aigrette, while draping the crown is some Pompadour ribbon tied in a large bow at the back. Felts are, in spite of the rivalry of straw, very popular, and of course they will become still more so as the autumn comes on. A neat grey summer felt has a highly-curled brim, and is trimmed with grey rep bow. These hats are extremely comfortable for travelling and riding, etc. Your loving JENNts.  Early on Saturday George Weston, a man of 40 years of age, committed suicide by jumping from Waterloo 'Bridge, London. No effort was made to rescue the unfortunate man, who sank almost immediately. Weston, whose motive is not known, had lately returned from work in the hcpfields.