DRESS AND FASHION NOTES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9596, 10 December 1896, Page 2

DRESS AND FASHION NOTES.

*' Weekly Press and Referee."

LONDON, PARISIAN AND AUSTRALIAN. Flower rosettes are very popular, and promise to continue. . They are made of silk, velvet, or tulle, arranged by the clever fingers of the milliner into flower shapes, generally roses or poppies, and an artificial flower centre is added. They are used quite as muck for dress trimming as on hats, and the tulle ones are charming on tiny capotes. A stylish dress of dark blue alpaca has a plain skirt, the corsage and upper portion of the sleeves trimmed with black Grenada lace, the fine cording picked out with gold thread. At the neck is a rolled-over collar of black satin lined with lemon-coloured velvet. The hat to b3 worn with this dress is of dark-blue straw, and rising frbin the side is an aigrette of yellow marguerites. Another dress is of canvas in pink and grey shot, with a little leat in silver brocaded over it. This is bordered with silver galon* and worn with an Eton jacket over a front r of striped silver galon and biscuit-coloured ace. The little Eton jacket is lined with pink taffetas, has a row of silver galon laid on the edges of the revere covered with biscuit lace. The manner of making up the grass lawns gives value to the gowns. The newest style is to have the edge of the skirt trimmed all round with deep applique's of lace, and let the whole hang quite loosely over a coloured skirt. Some of the prettiest garments inspired by the hot weather are white muslin blouses patterned in small flowers and stripes. They are deliciously cool, aud as their trimming consists of frills hemmed with narrow Valenciennes, and they can easily be made at home, they are not expensive luxuries. White book muslin shirts, soft and full, with wide bishop sleeves, stiff linen collars and cuffs, and a black satin belt tied in large bows at one side, are pretty and cool. They have, moi'eover, the admirable quality of never going wrong in the laundry. FASHIONS FOR "THE THROAT. Ruffles are much worn, but they are not the height of the fashion ; the newest things are the collar bands close-fitting to the throat, and high, with pleatings either of lace or of ribbon falling over at the back. Broad ribbon bands, tied with a bow at the back, are also in fashion. It is almost impossible to wear too much lace this year, on the fronts of dresses, and cascades fall from these collar bands. The frills are made in coloured tulles, or in black with white edgings, and in white chiffon. One of the newest makes is a series of bouillonnes in blue and green, with a bunch of flowers at the ends, which are allowed to fall in front. Some of the newest are covered with or entirely composed of rose leaves, and flowers also form many of the new throat ruches. COLOURINGS. Colours are quaintly intermingled, and a dress appears nothing without a touch of bright colour. Particularly . noticeable are deep red peach, cerise, magenta, pink, red, yellow and blue. Parts'of cerise and bright red are applied to light washing dresses. Lavender toning to blue, grass-green and old-rose shading to fawn, are favourite admixtures. Deeply, darkly, beautifully blue, with a judicious admixture of green, is the fashionable world for the moment. Those whoie sartorial memories include the frocks of yester-year may recollect that this duet was in the forefront of the modes of that remote period—a faot which proves that L* Mode ia not so fickle as she is painted. BODICES. In bodices' there is ample choice of differences! With cloth bodices, theskort basque is certain of some success, but the longer basque is not likely to be seen on the dress most noted for atyle. The bodices

depend more on their addenda for effect than upon their immediate modelling, which is generally quite unpretentious, and then increased in elaborateness by the collars of large proportions, or the ehoulder garnitures that simply cannot be dispensed witli, even long revers and bands going "off into some manner of collar finish. Box-pleats as centres to back and front of bodice are too becoming to be set aside lightly, «n d the y exist with the collare. Many charming bodices have vests real or simulated, and though sometimes assuming the jacket fronts they set quite closely into the figure. The double-breasted bodice is always capital for tweed, and usually it displays the, linen collar and cravatte at the neck, and boasts a basque more or less deep with important pocket flaps. In these the sleeves are l-educed, a slight height at the top often merely distinguishing the plain coat sleeve. With the Louis XV. bodices there is considerable luxury visible in the material of revers and waistcoats. Beautifully embroidered satins are mingled in choice with damassee floral brocades. Skirts are worn considerably full, and reports from Paris say that designers are not attempting anything in the way of trimming, a panel of decorative fabric only being occasionally introduced. ARTISTIC GARNITURES. Minute nautilus shells in light pinks, blues, and other colours are introduced into the embroideries, and a new Etruscan scroll gilt frame forms the new oblong buckle with a plain strip of enamel, such as blue or purple, in the centre used for .waistbands. A new crepe waved gold cloth galons shot with varying colours, having a perfectly straight edge, are to be employed on dresses and mantles alike, and the-same weaving is applied to the sLuif by the yard intended for waistcoats, vests, and panels. Cream braids on black and on lawn cloth, which are charmingly embroidered iv white with light floral sprays, and there are many low bodices, fronts and backs in lisse or lawn, embroidered spirally in the same fashion with paillettes and crystals. Wheat figures largely in all the embroideries and bearded grain of all kinds, many of the straps of lisse having a small beaded edging. Turquoise remains the height of the fashion intermingled with gold and silver, and few things are more effective. All the paillettes are accompanied by beads of the same shade, for they cannot be put on without them, the method being to thread a paillette first on to the material then a bead and cast the needle back through the centre of the paillette. A new pin for securing blouses at the back is oE the eafety order with a serpent intertwined in ormolu with jewels in the head. Among the new materials are the black and coloured canvases, made \ip over coloured silk, and trimmed with guipure, the fancy chine alpacas and mohairs, silks and grass lawns, crepon3 (for teagowns) and thin cloths. For trimmings, there are the new laces, dainty and beautiful; the guipures, for mounting on white satin ; the fancitul large collars or shoulder capes, now in the height of fashion ; and effective black silk grenadine, with insertion of cream Valenciennes lace. EVENING DRESS. For evening gowns a great deal of satin is used, making the skirts plain and full,- wilh lace shoulder capss, and, in many cases, full basqued bodices, with a large bunch of flowers or a knot of ribbon smartly tucked in among the lace on the berthe. Some most becoming day gowns arc of the fancy b>ick alpacas, with white trimming, principally cream guipure laid on white satin. A gown of fine blue cloth had a basque on the back of the bodice, but the fronts were open, in the becoming Zouave style, showing a deep waistband of black satin, keeping in the full vest of ecru grass lawn, spreading from a yoke of open-worked lawn, showing blue satin through. A simple, inexpensive teagown of a lovely shade of peach crepon had a large collar of cream lace becomingly arranged with fancy ribbon, ruffles to the sleeves, and a wide sash tied at one side, with a handker. chief pocket on the other. . ■' Among the handsome evening gowriii is <|>ne in pale heliotrope satin brocaded in fjwhite, of strikingly simple style, emphasised by large sleevee of emerald green velvet, touches-of the same colour being introduced in the skirt. The theatre and dinner bodices : in black, white, and coloured satin are quite ' a dream of beauty. One exquisite model in black satin with full picture sleeves ie trimmed with jewelled paillette embroidery intermixed with Honiton sprays ; a second has a garniture of cut steel and mother-o'-pearL MILLINERY. Fancy coloured straws and tulle garnitures reign supreme, while in many of the indescribably dislinguelihtle toques the fashion is followed of transparent jewelled crowns and wings in beautiful iridescent colours. An exquisite hat in mauve straw has, for trimming, two erect groups o? delicate orchids softened by a full ruche of tulle of the same shade. Another, the "Mephistophe," is in white crinoline, with a turnedup jet brim and transparent jet wings. -Black and white mingled are largely made use of and constitute the colouring of many successful creations. A hat in white Italiau straw, with a nuance of white tulle, with ostrich tips, and large loops of black velvet at the back, is the perfection of style. The toques, as we have remarked, are indescribable in their je ne sate quoi of Parisian charm. An indication of one of them must serve to suggest the rare style of these unique productions; the shape is quaintly three-cornered, with choux . of coloured velvet at the points, giving substance, as it were, to the ethereal-looking creation, in which a jeAvelled crown and applique lace wings have the appearance of having been blown together without touch of fingers, and a most goodly show of French millinery, which combine large and beautiful hats trimmed with cornflowers, black and pink toques decorated with paillettes, and some charming bonnets in horsehair lace with mauve and white poppies, black satin bows, and bold, upstanding ospreys. A gold bonnet here, with, lilac, was unmistakably Parisian, and the Panama hats are exactly what the world - who cycle are wearing. The most charming guipures, with minute shells forming the pattern, have been introduced alike on to yellow straws with green velvet bows and on to black chips ; and lace edged handkerchiefs are deftly fashioned into aigrettes, which assume fan-like proportions. Ospreys grow larger and more quaintly coloured in horizontal stripinge, and those who affect a close shape in bonnets can, if they please, adhere to the Puritan form, trimmed with bright-coloured velvets and shaded roses. Elderly women have nothing to complain of, for the bonnets with flowered brims forming three scallops over the face, bordered with jet, and trimmed with white lace, are singularly becoming, because they are perfectly suitable. It is onet>f house that the,shape of the head ie duly considered. Bashes-are made to form the foundation of many charming bonnete trimmed with the inevitable ivy. ,; "Birds of paradise and the corn salad leaves are other; novel features, ahd-"6qe L, b*fc TOth a triple frill! of silk edged with these leaves, was "altogether charming. Tuscan straw and splasned straws come well to the fore, : ,

DR. LAHMANN'S COTTON WOOL UNDERCLOTHING. •, In these clays of hygienic underclothing, when nearly everyone indulges in a theory of his or her own as to the best description of material for the purpose, it is a universal and primarly accepted axiom with every theorist that, to be thoroughly hygienic, the fabric must be a non-conductor of heati and, at the same time, well ventilated ; that it must be non-irritant to the skin and of the most absolute purity, while, to be of any practical use, it must be unshrinkable and not of a nature to " felt " or become thick after washing, which is the drawback to the employment of many kinds of woollen substances. A material that seems to combine all these desiderata is that in vented by Dr. Lahmann, founder of the Sana-tori urn " Auf Weisser HirHch," near Dresden, for the treatment of chronic affections by the Physico-Dietetic Method. The fabric is composed of a special kind of cotton, which has been proved to possess all the above-mentioned qualifications, and is, moreover, of so soft a texture as to be scarcely distinguishable, to the feel, from wool. It is made in various qualities of thickness, so as to be suitable to every climate and season. At the Lahmann Agency, 15, Fore-etreet, E.C., ready-made garments for ladies, gentlemen and children may be seen, or ordered on approbation, and orders are executed to given measurements. Night dresses and articles of under wear for ladies are ornamented with a lace resembling Torchon, made from Dr. Lahmann's cotton,| and all the garments can be had in "natural" colour, or pure white. . SMART DRESSES FOR SUMMER FUNCTIONS. Dress of vieux rose alpaca ; the skirt is in a modified godet shape with a double stitched seam down the front and silk lining. Louis XV. jacket of the alpaca, the fronts lined and faced with-moonlight blue satin embroidered with iridescent sequins. Waistcoat of plain satin to match fastened with bows and ent in a low square over full vest of moonlight blue chiffon. Collar, jabot, and sleeve ruffles of fine lace. The sleeves opening out; at the wrist. Black satin hat trimmed with black feathers and paste ornaments. " . Skirt of mauve canvas over silk, quite plain, with the fulness at the back. Blouse of white silk muslin, the sleeves gathered at the seams and arranged in draped puffs at the shoulder. Broad corelot belt of black satin. The half jacket over the bodice is of earu embroidered grass lawn trimmed with tiny ftills ot mauve chiffon. Hat in white and mauve tulle trimmed with mauve and' black ribbons and roses under the brim. Skirt of chine" silk in shot pink and green,, mounted with pleats at the aides and bock. The double-breasted bodice is of darker green shot silk with wide epaulets of the same and a - single revere of palest pink satin, j The sleeves are of the silk, and have the fashionable draped puff at the top and point falling over the hand. Frill of cream lace round the epaulets and down the right front. Paste buttons ; sash of black satin ribbon; lace falling over the collar. Green straw hat trimmed with lace and pink roses. Costume of shot blue and beige Sicilian alpaca ; plain skiit with godet pleats ; jacketj bodice with basque at the back, ihe fronts' cut in a low round edged with sequin trimming and fastened on the bust, then cut to form scarves crossed above the waist and fastened on each side with paste buttons* the ends forming the beginning of the basque. White satin waistcoat; white tulle cravat. White satin hat, the brim bordered with black velvet. Trimming of blue and white tulle and Shirley poppies with black centres. , Dress of e"cru, grass lawn ; the skirt is nearly round and mounted with gathers and trimmed above the hem with an applique I band of embroidered lawn. The blouse bodice has a yoke and'bands of embroidery, and bands to match stripe the sleeves in diagonal lines. All the trimming* are lightly embroidered with white, colours, and gold. Black satin belt. Silk collar matching the prevailing colours in the embroidery. Straw hat trimmed with green ribbon and rosea. The skirt, bodice, and sleeves are of canary-coloured silk ; the skirt is trimmed with narrow flounces of white silk muslin put in in festoons-. The upper part of the bodice and the sleeves to the elbow are trimmed in the same way; the top frill edges a full chemisette of silk muslin aver yellow silk* White ribbon! collar and belt. Straw bat trimmed with white ribbon and dark violet pauaies. t v