lace frill, which comes out from the sleeves, and spreads over the lower part of the undersleeve, composed of lace insertions all the way to the wrist.

General Remarks. The "dress-reform" seems to find favour and to create alarm, not only in America but in Europe also. It seems to have penetrated even to Paris itself. Here, however, something curious occurs; 'tis the coat rather than the pants, which is the matter in dispute. The writer of the weekly review of fashions in "Les Modes Parisiennes" discourses as follows. "It becomes my duty to speak of an innovation attempted by some ladies; they wear waistcoats, real waistcoats, rose, blue, &c. I do not know whether this will, or will not become a fashion; but, in any case, it is not by me that you will be advised to follow it. Fashion has its caprices, which ought to be respected; but, if it goes astray, duty requires us to seek to bring it into the right path again." The - Moniteur de la Mode" speaks even more tartly. It says," But there is one grand innovation already sanctioned by the approbation of the queens,-we are in error,-by the lady-presidents of Fashion. The question is, under your pleasure, nothing less than a revolution. We have seen,-seen with our own eyes,-waistcoats, true waistcoats, copied exactly, or very nearly, after those of the men. Sleeves with elbowbend and cuffs, skirts of various shapes, rolling collar, separated from the reverse by a notch lightly pointed out, the fronts, each furnished with a row of button-holes, and a row of

FIG. 2.

VALERIA MANTELET.

fancy metal buttons. The material is coutil, nankin, or quilted stuff. Thanks, this way of wearing the clothes being once made to prevail by fashion, the equilibrium of the sexes is henceforth established: Français et Françaises are alike, in the presence of the waistcoat." The "Moniteur," one month later than that from which this extract was taken, refers to the innovation in somewhat different and rather more favourable terms. It says, "If there is anything, at present, as interesting as Nicotine (in allusion to the Bocarme tragedy), it is the question of the waistcoat. We have from the first made our readers acquainted with this new-comer in the regions of fashionable life, where it has quickly made its fortune. It is now firmly established; and all predict, that, after having flourished during the summer, it will bear away the honours of the coming winter season." Ladies appear to be determined upon some radical change from their present inconvenient and uncomfortable costume.

The linens form a part of the dress which gained most by the change, which has, for some time, been effected by fashion. It has given birth to a throng of pretty things. Under whatever circumstances a lady is seen, whether in morning négligé, in promenade toilette, or in full evening dress, a single glance at these accessories of the toilette is sufficient to demonstrate the degree of importance attached to them. No one iwell dressed, no matter how costly her robe, un

The word gilets, which is translated waistcoats, seems here to mean what we call tightbodied or dress coats.