FROM OUR FRENCH CORRESPONDent.

BOULEVARD DES ITALIENS, August 28th, 1858. CHERE AMIE,-It would be rather difficult at the present moment to designate any great novelty in toilettes; basques continue to be worn with silk dresses, and skirts are more bouffantes than ever. Though a new form of dress may not be introduced, at least new trimmings are required, and the fashion of the moment is marked by them: bodies of dresses are very much trimmed, though quilles are less fashionable on skirts; nœuds, the apron or tablier style, in front, and ornaments of guimpe, of quillings, as moutants are used. It is expected a more simple style will prevail this winter, but for that we must wait; the flounces of silk dresses have ribbons, blonds, ruches, or even velvet on them. Short pelerines are fashionable on the bodies, made round, sometimes pointed in front, but not behind; in jaconet dresses they are lined and trimmed with plissé à la Vieille, or frill; jockeys are almost indispensable on the sleeves with these pelerines; the pagoda sleeves, with two frills, and large plait on the arm, or the ballon with ruche at the bottom, are adopted.

Large casaques of jean, sprigged with small roses, blue, or lilac, have been universally worn in Paris during the warm weather. A dress of white jean with large casaque had both skirt and casaque ornamented by embroidered insertions, in a lozenge form; the body, the revers of the sleeves, and quilles on the skirt, a narrow Valenciennes edged the insertion. Another dress of white taffetas chiné in delicate colours had a single deep flounce with heading, the flounce being trimmed with green taffetas in bands placed en bais; the body high and pointed; a small pelerine with frill ornamented as the skirt is put on the body; very large pagoda sleeves. In simple toilettes, suitable to the temperature and season, are the robes of jaconet in new designs and greatly embellished by the ornaments of ribbon so much in favour; these dresses are mostly made with two flounces with flutings á la Vieille, edged at each side by guipure; double skirts are not pretty in thin materials which require support; flounces will not easily be abandoned, they give a fullness which is wanting in the double skirts. Guimpes and narrow ribbons, gauffered or in ruches, form the trimmings of most dresses. The under-sleeves continue to be worn very full, mostly composed of large bouffants, with or without frill of lace, noeuds of ribbon being added; some of spotted muslin have bouillons lined with coloured ribbon placed lengthways, these are with wristbands for negligé; collars and sleeves to match are worn embroidered in colours. Very elegant dresses are made of plain white muslin in single skirt, very bouffante, entirely lined with coloured silk not loosely hanging over, but each breadth sewed with that of the under silk, the front ornamented entablier by bands of lace or noeuds of taffetas placed gradually diminishing to the waist. Long ceintures of very wide ribbon are preferred to basques for dresses of thin materials; flounces and double skirts contend for preference, but flounces generally prevail. White has been very fashionable this summer, particularly for carriage wear, and the favourite style for wedding dresses at this season in Paris are those made of tarlatane with flounces ornamented by Alençon, Argentan, or Venetian lace; the skirt, which is worn over white silk, is sometimes with lace placed perpendicularly or horizontally on it, and lace thus used is fixed on with ruches of very narrow taffetas and ruches of tulle; the bodies high and full, with wide moiré ceinture, which is sometimes spotted with silver. White embroidered organdys are much in favour for evening wear, either with flounces or double skirts; in the latter case a bouillon with ribbon through terminates both skirts; the corsage low and round, over which a small fichu Louis XIII with long ends is worn, of the same material as the dress, finished with a bouillon. The burnouses are very universally adopted, and are particularly commodious for travelling; they obviate the necessity of conveying various kinds of out-door toilettes; they are mostly made of light cloths, or tweeds; some are ornamented by a wide biais of taffetas or checked velvet, red and black, white and green; others are trimmed with a fluting of the same, confined by black velvet, the hood with ruches and noeud, trimmed as the burnous; others have a plissé, or double fluting, with heading at each side. The Mante Bretonne is of

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á la Vieille; these frills may be replaced by lace ones. Shawls of white muslin, with fluted frills, have been much worn, and are pretty with muslin dresses. Scarfs of every description continue in high favour, generally of transparent texture but frequently the same as the dress, and invariably with the noeud and ends in centre drooping behind. A very rich novelty in trimming is spoken of, it is of checked velvet gauffered with wide stripes of black velvet, and from its brilliant effect likely to merit attention; it may equally be applied to ornament dresses, out-door costumes, and bonnets. Another new material is quilted, as the borders or linings of manteaus, in white, lined with mauve, blue with white, black with plaid, etc. For opera cloaks, burnouses, or mantles, nothing can be prettier; it may even be pretty for bonnets.

The fashion of the half wreaths on the forehead or roses is becoming rather common in Paris; the flower, or nœud, is again returning to the sides with the blond, with this change that it is only put on one side.

Paille de riz is the material most generally used for dress bonnets, but it requires to be ornamented; for that purpose feathers or flowers may be used. A bonnet of pink taffetas and tulle was prettily trimmed with a bunch of white lilac drooping. Negligé bonnets are trimmed with black lace, falling on the bonnet, which is edged by ponceau velvet; inside are geraniums with ponceau brides. A bonnet of white tulle bouillonné was mixed with blond, the tulle covering or veiling three roses without leaves placed on the left side, and on the right side were two roses with long foliage, inside a diadem composed of a single rose and half blown buds; a blond of moderate width drooped round the edge, and was a little raised at the left side by a noeud without ends. Another of paille de riz was edged by a blue and green plaid ribbon, bavolet to correspond; a wreath of corn flowers and grass round the crown; and diadem of similar flowers inside; very wide strings of ribbon as the trimming. There will be no change in the form of bonnets at present, the approaching season may introduce some novelty but we must leave that to the proper period.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ENGRAVINGS.

PLATE 1.-Ball Dress.-Robe of pink taffetas, with trimming of three bouillons at the bottom, and lace upper skirt raised at the sides by chatelaines of flowers, pointed body with berthe of lace, and bouillons of pink taffetas. Coiffure of hair, with white convolvoluses and pink ribbon.

Evening Dress.-Robe of gauze, with triple flounces rounded off in front, showing under skirt of taffetas; pointed body, with pelerine berthe crossing in front, and terminating with wide ends of the gauze. Coiffure of hair and flowers.

Evening Dress.-Robe of blue crape, with flounces edged by rich deep fringe; body with berthe to correspond; opera cloak, of light grey cloth, with hood lined with white quilted satin. Coiffure of tinted feathers, and plait of ribbon crossing the top of the head,

PLATE II.-Walking Dress.-Robe of taffetas, with double skirt, each ornamented with a ruche placed a little above the hem; high body, with basque similarly trimmed. Mantelet of black silk, with deep frill covered by one of lace; a second row of luce forms pelerine headed by a plissé, with nœud and long ends of ribbon. Bonnet of brown straw, with trimming of dark blue ribbon and flowers.

Morning Dress.- Robe of taffetas, with flounces edged by a plisses; high body, closing with double row of buttons; half long sleeves, with bouillons ornamented by buttons and plisses of ribbon; small lace cap at the back of the head.

Promenade Dress.-Robe of pink barege, with three flounces edged by bands of black and white checked ribbon; high body, with ceinture and fullness confined by bands of ribbon; pagoda sleeves, with jockeys edged by the checked ribbon. Bonnet of paille de riz, ornamented with red flowers and long foliage.

PLATE III.-Carriage Dress.- Robe of green silk, with plain full skirt and casaque of the same, with facings of quilted silk, forming small pelerine and revers to the sleeve à ballons. White crape bonnets, with white feathers tinted with green.