FASHION NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 276, 27 November 1897, Page 1 (Supplement)

FASHION NOTES.

THE 'FRANCILLON' GOWNS.

Although the man. who made the

great reputation as an artist in mat- j ters of dress is now. dead, the name of Worth, still retained by • the firm in Paris, is something to conjure with in woman's world. I think I told you in a previous letter that we were ; all looking1 forward anxiously to the production at the Duke of York's Theatre by Messrs Williamson and Musgrove of 'Franeillom,' and that our interest was due as much as anything- to the announcement that the entire piece . was to be gowned by Worth. It was statid that the dresses would be a forecast of coming fashions, and you can well understand that this as much as anything .whetted. our curiosity. ; The eventful first night came at last, just a fortnight ago today, and it is pretty safe to say that the costuming of any play—even in London, where regardless of expense appears on the face of most of the theatrical enterprises—has never rivalled 'Francillon' in startling originality or costly beauty. It is a genuine feast of nice dresses, and whatever the defects of the piece, I can tell you the dressing makes up. for. them. In the first act there are three lovely evening dresses, namely those worn by Mrs Brown-Potter, Miss Grace ISfoble, erstwhile a shining light with the B. and B. comedy company, and Miss Helen Vane. Mrs Potter's gown is cut extremely low, the sleeves beginning I should think at least five inches below the shoulders. lam not going- to take the trouble to describe these dresses at length, but 1 send you an admirable account of, them from the 'Morning Leader.' Says that paper:—'The first act provides a trio of notable evening- gowns, the one worn by Mrs Brown-Potter being pre-eminently daring—indeed, it is probably the most decollete (modern) dress ever seen on the stage.

It is a trained Princess robe of black velvet, the almost severe simplicity of the corsage relieved by festooned chains of cut jet interspersed with flashing- diamonds, while all down the left side of the skirt little straps finished off with a tiny trefoil ornament in a design usually associated with braiding are carried out in jet and diamonds. The sleeves commence some five inches below the shoulders, but to make up for this they fall over the hands almost to the knuckle. They are fashioned of transparent black net all embroidered, with diamonds, burnished steel paillettes and jet, and at the top are held out in a species of triple puffings by a clever arrangement of wire covered by a piping- of black velvet.

The ingenue Annette de Riverolles (otherwise Miss Grace INToble) wears a delightful gown where alternate stripes of white moire and satin are arranged to meet in the front of the skirt in deep Vs. At the waist there is a softly-folded hand of vivid green chiffon tied in a bow at the back, arid above this the front of the corsage forms a sort of fan effect, while it is slashed open at the sides to show the soft fulness of the yellowish lace beneath and held together by half a dozen little strappings of satin embroidered with diamonds. The long sleeves are of the lace, and some pink roses are fastened carelessly on the right shoulder.

Miss Helen Vane, as Baroness Smith, wears a gown of vivid rose pink satin, embroidered in shaded silks, diamonds and silver paillettes, with here and there a touch of cobwebby lace applique —the design, a particularly ei':ing outwards from a conventional scroll bordei-ing. Just in front the skirt opens over a petticoat of the palest pink satin, where a narrow' flounce of yellowish lace is tied up in the centre with a bow of satin ribbon. The corsage, where the lily design also appears in miniature, and where a slight drapery of cobwebby lace is introduced, is cut in a deep V, reaching almost to the waist, both at the back and in the front, a somewhat startling effect being produced by pale coloured silk and tulle being used to fill up the opening. Here again the skirt is slightly trained, and there are long sleeves of the satin with a suggestion of fulness at the shoulder, and then tightly shirred to the wrist, where they are fastened with little diamond buttons, and finished with a softening frill' of lace. Last touch of all, one great pink rose.

In the beginning- of the second act Francine's (Mrs Potter's) dress is a matinee, wherein the sleeveless overdress is of white moire vc ours bordered with a cascade of mellow tinted lace, where it opens in front over a corsage draped with lace and sashed with pale mauve chiffon. This matches with the petticoat of white satin veiled with white chiffon where broad insertion of lace alternate with foamy ruchings of chiffon. Despite the fact that Mrs Potter looks lovely in the violet velvet skating dress intb which she changes towards the end of the second act, I have come to the conclusion that it is best for you not to have a description of it. For as yo\T have no ice, just to copy the dresses you might attempt to manufacture a, little, and I feel certain that the experience of trying to learn to skate on it would not be good for you. In the matter of the. last dresses,. I will again have recourse to the 'Morning Leader,' to save myself the trouble of writing a description that might possibly not be as good: —

'In the last act,' said the writer, 'while Mrs Potter appears in a wonderful tea gwvn of the finest white cloth with a tight fitting- slightly trained back, while it opens with a bordering of dark mink over a front also tight fitting where corded gold braid, banded at either side with satin ribbon, is laid on the cloth in V shaped stripes, divided in the centre by a broad band of lace applique. There is a belt of gold galon fastened with a diamond buckle, and the sleeves of lace over cloth widen out at the wrist to form a deep cuff edged with fur and lined with lace, which almost hides the hand from view. By the way, the white and gold harmony has for most effective contrast a satin lining in the dark brown of the fur.

Miss Noble's last dress is in turquoise blue crepe de chine, the back of the skirt arranged in a series of tucks, while at the sides applique bands of string-coloured lace do duty as trimming. The waistband is of white satin, fastened with a buckle which is a faithful copy of a peacock's feather. And amid all the splendor, Miss Marie Brooke, as the maid Elsia, looks chic to a degree in a black skirt with a black satin apron and a perfectly-fitting- shirt in black and white spot foulard with a linen collar and a scarlet tie to give a dash of colour. Altogether a costume which manages in spite of its demure aspect, to be decidedly attractive, thanks to the piquant prettiness and trim figure of its wearer.' And now as I think I have written enough to make you envious that you are not here to see the 'Francillon' e-owns, I will leave off. .-,•-.