THE ENTENTE IN SHOPS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 186, 6 August 1913, Page 8

THE ENTENTE IN SHOPS.

FKUITARIAIT DIET AGAIN POPULAR. FASHION XOTES FROM LONDON. (From Our Lady Correspondent.) LONDON, June 27. Set down in the midst of London from an aeroplane, if it could be, the Londoner, if lieM been even twenty years in | New Zeal.md, could hardly fail to tell' the season it is to-duy or that Midsummer Day fell in this week. For there will be as many as half a dozen great barrows of strawberries ("Id a Alb" is their vendor's funny way of disposing of them —this to cat-.h the eye and attract the sensitive mouth of the Fleet Street office boy when in this street, no doubt!) in charge of Cockney salesmen in every street, with another half-dozen icecream stalls and their Italian owners side-by-side, with them. /

Flower girls are hid behind baskets of glorious roses, sweet peas and ferns, shop windows are aglow with bathing gowns and gaudy caps, everyone walke in summer attire —in short, it i 3 midsummer and England is looking her best for New Zealaaiders, who are • here in great numbers.

Tlie visit of the French President this week, and Alexandra Day, have added to the general air of gaiety, for all the thoroughfares M. Poincare is likely to travel through are alight with bunting and messages in French written in ail manner of wave, in flowers and flags, or on flags, the shops being no wav behindhand with their greetings; while on Wednesday (Alexandra Day) motor-cars that were just swift-moving bowers of pale pink roses, and decorated carriages, added their quota to the scheme. SALES threaten the fashion world, and some in the less imposing shops have already begun, so that, whether we will or no, some unkind individuals are telling us so, that grey winter is not so far ahead, since they want to clear their shelves of summer thing 3to make room for those others. TUNICS, as simple tunics, certainly are out of fashion, but something .between tunic and pannier, on new lines, is having a good time in the forerank. Pompadour materials and patterns are more popular than any others, and these lend themselves well to the graceful draping that is necessary to make the style a success. Even passed as such, though, it is for the tall or slender only, as all who know the pernicious tendencies of figured materials will recognise.

The dress is often of cashmere or silk cashmere, with the draping of eitlter woollen or silk stuff. One rather unusual colour scheme of this week occurred in a dress seen in Regent Street, the foundation of which was of warm blue cloth, the tunic of grey figured material lined so that the lining was evident, for tlie draping was not stitched down, with brown. Tho effect was not a hotchpotch, as it may sound, but quite auccessiui.

ROUMANIAN EMBROIDERIES, the clever home embroiderer will to hear, are just as popular as they have pvor been, though not tiresmnely so thin season. They are especially prominent as embellishment on the tussore and shantung coats and skirts that, it is safe to assume, will never go out of favour, and are much used, too, on indoor blouses. One handsome blouse of a few days ago, cut sqtinro at the collarless nes'k. was of white rich silk, embroidered on the bust in greens, reds, purples and yellows, the lower part of the front being a wide inverted V of plain satin with dark blue iridescent buttons edging this at each side. SPLIT-UP SKIRTS are becoming, 6trangc to relate, for this sort of thing is usually the other wav about, less daring than at first, the opening being used to display a littlo touch of colour not seen anywhere else ou the gown. . Thus on a mole charmeuse dress a glimpse of pale blue or pale pink silk petticoat. These dresses are always cut short. WHITE COATS ON BLACK. White broehe eponge coats worn on plain black silk skirts are new notions. The great essential in these is that they be well cut, otherwise the method will be a hopeless failure. lace coats are also being worn these are mainly semi-sac fitting and come down over the hips.

TULLE BOWS NOW WIRED. A further development in tho great tulle bows that greet the eye on overside is that they now have wire showing round the edges. Many are almost round hi shape like transparent saucers set on a hat, but their effect generally is o£ a light prettiness. Long bows—like wings—have now been introduced which are worn right across the front of a brim. FRUITABIAN DIET. is prescribed again ",n the millinery world, and now on large hay-coloured hats or white silk or fine straw ones we have toothsome conglomerations of purple grapes and luscious-looking strawberries, cherries, etc. ' WHITE SHOES WITH BLACK GOWNS sound incongruous, and look rather so save on the rare possessor of tiny feet. The shoes are of white kid with black patent leather slashings or tope. CAKE-LIKE BOAS appear fashioned in marabout in three different shades, one set above tli? other, so that the effect is as if a tennis cake bad been cut down the middle! Two colours might be effective, but three is clumsy and ugly. foulard ix milllxeky. Foulard tops to hats are very popular —the silk being stretched very tightly orcr the shape. They are cool and dainty, and not expensive, p.nd could be varied without much trouble to match the 3ress worn if nothing more elaborate in the way of extra trimming than a wreath of flowers or fruit that* could bo removed were worn.