LONDON FASHION JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9789, 27 July 1897, Page 2

LONDON FASHION JOTTINGS.

[Written Specially fob the Weekly Press.] London, M»y 22, Even so recently as a week ago there came reports of snowstorms in various parte of the country, and in London we experienced most biting east winds for days together. So it did, then, seem a little previous to write about muslins and such like flimsy materials for blouses and dresses for out-door wear. But a sudden change has now set in with the result that all these dainty light materials are being eagerly sought, and one feels much more inclination to liDger and admire alt these novelties—though doubtless a great many are extremely hideous—than one did a week ago. In woollen materials pale grays and delicate fawns are the more prominent, and so far the moat popular tones, and many of them are extremely pretty and becoming, especially in cashmere and small check silk canvases, the latter being worn over white or coloured silk with trimmings to correspond. The bolero in some form or another is certainly in the ascendency, but a good many of its different styles are far from being becoming or at all pretty.

In pale grey cashmere a new costume had its skirt trimmed round the hem with numerous rows of narrow grey satin ribbon, while the bolero was edged with two rows of the sane. A full pouched front of white •ilk was tucked at the neck and confined at the waist with a deep folded belt of the same, which was fastened by three silver buttons. As a finish at the throat a jabot of fine cream lace was worn. The silk cellar, instead of being plain, was ganged, and faffing over it at the back were fan-like pleats of cream lace. The sleeves were made with a butterfly puff, and were encircled al the way up the arm with rows and rows of the narrow grey satin ribbon. This last feature quite spoilt an otherWise becoming costume, but this is one of the newest modes of Bleeve trimming, and one, too, to which a good many people seem already to have taken, unbecoming as it is.

In the Park yesterday I saw a drew* of pale grey checked silk canvas over white ■ilk. The bodice was full-fronted and had two bands of silver insertion coming from the shoulder-seam, both back and front, and taper iag to a V shape at the waist. The waistbelt was of grey and white twisted silk and fastened at one side with one white and grey silk rosette. The sleeves were shirred all the way up the arm and finished in a series of small grey silk frills, each of Which showed a lining of white. The collar corresponded with the waistbelt, and was finished in front with a jabot of white embroidered chiffon and at the hock of the neck with a pleating of white silk. The accompanying hat of the picture order, somewhat raised at one side, was of black satin straw, trimmed with black plumes and pink roses: patent-leather court shoes, white gloves with black points, and a dainty sunshade of black prettily lined inside with pink chiffon, completed a very becoming rammer costume.

lb is the latest fashion now to have a fanlike pleating of lace falling over the back of the collar, and this graduates in width until it disappears altogether at each side, just under the ears. The ribbon collarbands fastened in a bow at the back, which have been so much en evidence for two summers, are not anywhere to be seen this season, at least among the most stylishly dressed people. Lace similarly arranged in graduated pteatings adorn the sleeves, its greatest depth being under the hand, its least on the top.

All the most fashionable skirts continue to be lined with shot or with plain glao6 silk. This also applies to the tailox.made style as well as to the more dressy and ceremonious costumes. Of course it adds materially to the eo3tof the dress, but then London people don't mind that detail of expenditure. Care is always taken to show the lining and tire small pinked-out silk flounce at the hem, when it is necessary to lift op the skirt for the purpose of crossing a street—and not infrequently when this necessity does not arise. A few of this season's tweed costume skirts are made without lining of any description, but this is not so with the skirts of most fashionable people. While ail unlined skirts are finished off with great neatness, yet it is perfectly obvious that in the nature of thiugti they cannot be so tidy inside as those which are lined throughout. Others, •n the pretence of being lined, have a sraa! silk frill at the hem. Of course for,these unlined skirts none but the heaviest olasa of tweed or box cloth can be used. This of course in a degree lessens the chance of one's •kirt suddenly flying over one's head, but it undoubtedly is not the style which many people will adopt.

Capes are but little seen except when worn by people driving in the park, when they are invariably elaborately made of and trimmed with the richest of materials. Quite suddenly capes seem to have vanished almoflt entirely for walking wear. When anything of the kind is required jackets of a thin tweed or cloth are worn which match the skirt. The new boleros too, with angel sleeves seem to have been favourably received by most people. Bat I think that the majority of them are very ugly especially when of the more simple variety and made in plain oloth. They look somewhat nicer when intended for dressy occasions and are donned by rather matronly people who seldom venture oat "intheir figure," for in such instances they are made •f handsome materials and are so much trimmed that they are void of that severity so much marked in the plainer variety of the bolero with angel sleeves, and in them the style itself does not seem to be so proneunced.

Naturally there are some people on whom this new form of jacket looks very wellthere always are some people who look well n anything—but these are in a decided minority. When made of box cloth, the material most employed for their construction, they are generally piped with cream, and if the colour be fawa, then gold buttons and gold braiding are largely used, while if the colour be grey, then like •rnamentations of silver are most seen. Others are not unfrequently heavily braided in thick military braid of cream or white, and occasionally m black.

The use of frosted tulle is one of the latest developments in the millinery world and all colours are largely used on numbers of the new spring hats. The small spots are invariably white, but it is not nearly so pretty a material nor is it so light in appearance as chiffon or (be plain variety of tulle, though perhaps it may be more serviceable than the former favourite, but perishable, material. Frosted tulle carries with it an unsatisfactory air, and I think the spots are most irritating. It somehow does net give one the impression of looking fresh and clean. Jet trimming for bonnets aud toques is still much need, bat aB jet for summer wear fa worked on black horsehair, and is much more expensive than the ordinary jet ornaments. Bat it has the great advantage of being exceedingly light in weight, and is therefore most appropriate fer this season of the year.

Coloured points are a novel feature on many white Kid gloves. Some of these-have points of pale pink, bine, heliotrope, green, red, mauve, gold—in fact, ail shades aro seen, some of winch are rather nice, but ail the same cannot be placed on a level with *he white, canary yellow, and lavender kid gloves which hatt bkckxxnata,