If I were asked what was the favourite colour, I should very certainly respond “Blue” to that question. But there are blues and blues; and I have seen so many that it is difficult to say which is the ruling hue. A very bright shade is certainly much liked, which is quite of the old Royal-blue description. Plaids and stripes are much on the increase, and I should not be surprised if we were to see a winter of them. These very narrow skirts are well suited to the cutting of striped materials, which are arranged with a seam in front and one at the back, the stripes meeting in points like arrow-heads at both these seams. There are also many spotted materials, and any number of ribbed and smooth cloths, of varying degrees of thickness. Serge, too, is much in evidence, and is as popular as ever, and so is woollen poplin and Venetian cloth. Satin is as much used, and as fashionable as it was; but fancy silks of all kinds seem to have been less liked than muslins were during the warmest days of the summer; while the satin-faced foulards were very pretty, but were not so popular as they promised to be. The shoe most worn this season has been the Cromwell shoe, having a buckle for ordinary daily use with afternoon attire. But where evening dress is concerned, there has been a great development in luxury, and they are now made of brocade and velvet; and as to the buckles, you may expend any amount you like upon them, for they are sometimes set with precious stones, and are really beautiful. As yet, these shoes are exotics, and only worn by a few, but no doubt the brocaded ones have been copied from those of the time of Elizabeth, which have been shown at the various exhibitions held of late years. There has been rather a revival in the fashion of cycling, which has recently suffered rather an eclipse, and there is a very great improvement in the style and cut of skirts for this exercise, and also in the general appearance of women a-wheel. The new method is to sit high and straight, with the handle-bars within easy reach; and there seems much less exertion in the management of the machine than when the seat was lower. The cut of the new skirts is so good that they hang down on either side of the machine quite straight, and there is plenty of room for pedalling without any of that ungraceful drawing up of the knees and of the skirt as well that used to be seen and is noticeable even yet when some careless rider passes us by. We have all, I suppose, read the Prime Minister’s speech about the ungracefulness of the attire used in wheeling, and I for one feel quite grateful to him for his plain speaking. So far as in each of us lies, we should strive to be graceful, and as pretty as possible, while on our favourite iron steed. The pattern of these skirts is sold at several paper pattern depôts, so they can be cut and made at home.