style; others are decorated with black lace, surmounted with a double ruche of ribbon. There are several also with garnitures of ribbon only, cut in various and very pretty forms. One of the most admired carriage mantelets, both for form and trimming, is that given in the toilette de Longchamps of our first plate. When the weather becomes warm, it will be made in muslin, and trimmed with embroidery and lace, to be worn with a redingote of the same, both lined with slight silk. Lace mantelets, and also shawls and scarfs, will enjoy their usual vogue; and so it is supposed will half transparent ones of the very finest wool, printed in Cashmere patterns. New materials for robes are very numerous: at present silks only are adopted; they are gros de Naples, poults de soie, pekinets, and, above all, taffetas. The pekinets are the richest summer silks I have seen, particularly those of dead stripes covered with running patterns in beautiful and varied colours, on shaded grounds. Shaded silks are very much in request, and so are fancy silks. Barege mousseline de soie, and a beautiful and almost transparent material, tissu de barege will come in with the first warm weather. The redingote form is still predominant for the promenade, and is expected to remain so. There is little change in the forms. Those intended for plain négligé, have short rounded points to the corsages; if the robe is of a more dressy description, the point is long and deep. The corsage may either be closed down the front, or open; but I think the latter predominates. The corsage à la Dubarry, with its square opening in front, increased in size, seems likely to continue its Vogue both for the promenade and half-dress, especially for the latter, for which also corsages en cœur, opening very low, will be very fashionable; so will basquines, cleft at the sides, and forming a caraco at the back. It is expected also that the unbecoming fulness with which the skirts are set on in front will be altered, and the plaits thrown back on the hips and behind. I have heard that spencers are expected to come into favour, but I think it is rather doubtful. Sleeves are beginning to undergo modifications; but whatever their length or form may be, they are all made without any fulness at the armhole. The long tight sleeve, and those ending in the horseshoe form, still keep their ground; but the first are ornamented with mancherons and cuff's of different forms; ruches and chicorées are also employed both for them and the others. Pagodas, sabots, and engageantes are adopted for robes in elegant demi-toilette, or négligé du soir. I must not forget to say, that most of the new redingotes and robes in demi négligé will, unless they are made of half-transparent materials, have pockets. Passementerie is certainly not so much in Vogue for trimmings as it has been, though it is still employed. One of the most novel styles is formed by a light fringe, which encircles the revers on the corsage, the mancherons, and the bottoms of the sleeves; it then descends from the waists in the tablier style, leaving a space in the centre of the skirt, which is filled up by a new kind of chain in passementerie, which I should also observe adorns the corsage, but is much smaller; or else small rosettes of very narrow velvet placed in brandebourgs, and terminated at each end by one of the new small fancy buttons. It seems that narrow velvet will continue during the summer to be employed not only for trimming silk dresses, but for plain barege, mousseline de soie, and other slight materials. When used for redingotes, the velvet is employed to form brandebourgs; or disposed in Grecian patterns on the front of the skirt, they are often arranged in a double row on each side, so as more or less to form a tablier; a narrow pattern of the same kind usually encircles the pocket holes. Dresses of the robe kind are for the most part trimmed with flounces; and even when the borders are cut in festooned dents, they are frequently edged with narrow velvet. In some instances two deep flounces only are employed; but this style, unless the flounces are lace, is not so elegant as narrow ones, sometimes as many as twenty, that reach nearly to the waist. One of the most elegant robes in this style, which has resumed its old name of Ninon, has lately been made for the Queen of the Belgians; it is composed of taffeta of a new shade of green, and trimmed from the bottom of the skirt to the ceinture with narrow volants decoupés et frappés in such a manner as to produce the effect of rose leaves. Each volant is headed by a small ruche. The sleeves, which reach only to the elbow, are ornamented in the same manner. The colours I announced in my last letter are those in vogue; the lighter shades of green and grey seem to predominate. I observe that in shaded silks, the colours this year are generally lighter than last season. ADRIENNE DE M-. DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. FIRST PLATE. Azure-blue taf DEMI TOILETTE. feta robe; the corsage, nearly but not quite high at the back, opens in a long V nearly to the rounded point, displaying the embroidered cambric corsage of the under-dress; it is ornamented with knots and bands of blue ribbon, forming lozenges: the opening is continued down the front of the skirt, showing the under-one worked in detached bouquets, and the lozenges are continued from the waist, increasing in size as they descend. Sleeves rather more than a three-quarter length, partially open from the elbow, but closed by knots of ribbon, through which the under-sleeves protrude; they are demi-large, and finished by lace ruffles. Oiseau crape chapeau; a very open round brim; the interior lined with tulle bouillonné to correspond. Oiseau brides; the exterior is decorated with a very long full white willow plume composed of the beards of marabouts. TOILETTE DE LONGCHAMPS. Shot silk robe; a plain high corsage, and sleeves a threequarter length over long transparent ones. The front of the skirt is trimmed down the centre with a new kind of passementerie bordered on each side by a double row of quilled ribbon. Mantelet of the material of the dress; it is made quite high, close to the shape at the upper part, reaching only to the waist at the back, but descending very low, rounded, and close in front. It is trimmed entirely round the bottom with a fall of black lace of great breadth and beauty, surmounted by two rows of quilled ribbon, between which are armholes. Chapeau of white poult de soie, rather a close shape; the interior trimmed with a puffing of blonde and white brides; the exterior with a tuft of roses panaches embedded in foliage on each side. CARRIAGE MANTELET.-It is of the shawl form, composed of lilac taffeta, of a large size, and two falls, deeply pointed behind; the lower fall, rounded in front, is covered by the upper, which descends in full but rather short ends: it is made quite high, with sleeves rather more than demi-long, and of equal width from the top to the bottom. The garniture is shaded fringe, with a heading of a rich and novel kind; it encircles each fall of the mantelet, and also the top, and is disposed in three rows on the sleeves. MORNING PALETOT.-Composed of emerald green silk, made quite high, with lappels of the habit form; trimmed, as are also the fronts, with four rows of narrow velvet; they descend round the bottom, surmounting a row of deep fringe. The sleeves rather more than a half-length, and wide at the bottom, are similarly trimmed, as is also the basquine. SECOND PLATE. CARRIAGE DRESS.-Deep blue poult de soie redingote; the corsage, made quite up to the throat, tight to the shape, and descending in a rounded point, is closed down the front by a row of velvet buttons to correspond: they are continued down the front of the skirt. Two rows of very broad black lace are disposed en revers round the corsage and down the front of the skirt. Long tight sleeves, finished at the hand by a double and deep cuff of black lace. Chapeau of the new material Sparterie, a round open shape, meeting under the chin; the interior trimmed with tulle and small flowers; the exterior with a wreath of flowers, which, encircling the brim, turns round the bavolet: the crown is decorated with a drapery of a novel description, edged with flowers. White brides. Black lace scarf. PUBLIC PROMENADE DRESs.-Lilac taffeta robe; corsage a three-quarter height, and demilong sleeves, reaching just below the elbow, and finished with a narrow double volant, festooned at the edges. Long cambric under-sleeves, terminated by bouillonné. The skirt is trimmed with two very deep flounces, the upper one reaching nearly to the hips: they are festooned at the edges. Casaweck mantelet, composed of light green silk: it fits the shape closely; is made quite high, with a close collar; descends but little below the waist behind; terminates in sharp-pointed ends in front, opening so as to form a V on each side, and is closed from the throat to the opening by fancy silk buttons to correspond. Sleeves of the Venetian form, open from the bend of the arm. The collar, sleeves, and round of the mantelet are embroidered in three rows, of a light pattern, with silk to correspond. A single row goes up each side of the front. Italian straw chapeau, a helmet crown, and long close brim. The garniture is composed of lilac ribbon, and a gerbe of ears of ripe corn on each side of the crown. HALF-LENGTH Figures. No. 3. Demi-toilette.-Lilac silk robe, corsage à la Dubarry, trimmed down the sides and across the front with puffed ribbon to correspond. Tight sleeves, descending just below the elbow, finished with three double biais set on very full, and surmounted by puffed ribbon. The skirt is trimmed round the border with three rows of the same kind of garniture, placed at regular distances, and similarly headed. Muslin under-sleeves. Embroidered muslin high chemisette. Lace cap of a very small size, decorated with roses panaches. No. 4. Home Dinner Dress.-Rose-coloured barege robe; a half-high corsage, tight at the top, but descending in a gerbe of folds on each side to the waist. Demi-long sleeves, bordered with fancy trimming to correspond. Pelerine canezou of embroidered muslin, trimmed with lace; it descends in points to the waist; it opens on the breast in a V, and is attached by a knot of rose-ribbon. The hair is turned up in a knot at the back, and disposed in full ringlets at the sides. Black lace mittens. No. 5. Social Party Dress. - Buff-coloured poult de soie robe; a low corsage, and tight sleeves; they are a three-quarter length, open from the elbow, and rounded at the bottom, displaying a loose under-sleeve, trimmed with several rows of lace. Lace canezou opening in a square form on the bosom; it has a very small mancheron. The hair is disposed in soft bands at the sides, and a plaited knot at the back. TO CORRESPONDENTS. We shall be happy to receive any communication from Mr. W. relative to the strictures on "Macau. lay's History of England," contained in the last number of the Quarterly Review." Mr. W. may rest assured that our correspondent L. will not feel his peculiar province invaded; in fact, but that he was reluctant to interrupt the continuity of his remarks upon the history-we use the expression in its popular sense he would have interwoven a defence in the article he has contributed to our present numof Mr. Macaulay's celebrated "Third Chapter,” ber. Several notices, &c., are of necessity abridged or held over. Printed by Joseph Rogerson, 24, Norfolk-street, |