FASHIONS FOR MARCH, 1812. EXPLANATION OF THE PRINTS OF FASHION. Minister of vengeance is Ridicule, who, with malignant smile, punishes those who do not obey her laws."-These laws, then, and the regulations of her government, we are at dili. gent pains every month to study; and least Ridicule should raise the saucy laugh against any of our female readers, we present to them the following observations, which, though we do not call upon them implicitly to adhere to, yet they may rest assured, that they take their rise from our frequent opportunities of mingling with the first classes of fashionable A purple velvet pelisse, with a full standing-society. up collar, worn carelessly open over a round white dress of fine French cambric; the pelisse trimmed with a broad bordering of braided ribbon, the same colour as the velvet. A Minerva bonnet of amber coloured sarsnet, with a long white ostrich feather across the front; the feather made round, and very full; long black lace veil, a la religieuse; a chain necklace, composed of pearls with a gold ornament depending in front, representing the Apollo Lyre, set round with a circle of pearls; a gold Lisbon chain with an eye glass hanging below the waist. Plain gold oval-ring pendants. Purple half boots, and York tan gloves. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FASHION AND DRESS. Fashion reigns over her followers as an absolute monarch; an elegant Freach author of modern date, assures us that "her Prime Pelisses, though we believe they ever will retain pre eminence for the promenade, are now, from the mildness of the weather, iu which spring evinces its approach, generally thrown open; and a new article, the short Indian coat, seems to be very prevalent amongst our elegantes: it is generally of fawn colour, and made of fine Merino cloth, richly embroidered with silk of the same colour, down the front and seams, and the bust is ornamented a la-militaire. Some of these coats are made in the form of the Sicilian tunic, open before, and are worn with a large Chinese hat, of pale brown beaver, eutirely plain. The peasant's mantle of fine cloth of a drab colour, with the slope of the neck formed only of a few plaits, fastened down with a cordon and button, and the corners of the mantle simply rounded, are much worn by those ladies who affect a simplicity in their morning attire: we have also observed a few pensers; and over these is thrown, in elegant drapery, a long Indian shawl of the scarf kind, the colour of |