LONDON FASHION NOTES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10267, 9 February 1899, Page 2

LONDON FASHION NOTES.

„ e> — i Written for the Weekly Press. ] LONDON, December 17. \ To-day I hope to conclude my notes on • evening attire, a subject to which two " articles have already been devoted. To be- " gin with. I will say something about hair- . dressing, hints with regard to which have been supplied by a well-known London coif- \ fenr. ft is becoming more and more notice- \ iible that sensible women and women of taste [ wear tfieir hair arranged to suit their own t partieijsr features and style of beauty. Therevjs at present no specially favourite k shade of hair ; it. is not long since the vivid j ec-lour popularly known us "Venetian red" [ was all the rage ; but now it is no longer , worn, unless of course, it be Nature** s natural " colouring. But it is no longer fashionable when obtained with the aid of the dye f pot. Few women possess it in their { . own right, and when it is the natural iuie j the complexion is in perfect harmony .with j it. a drtiil of the utmost iirp'trtaTice, not , infrequently overlooked when the Venetian ' red hair had b;en artilicial.y produced. As the momeni, tbvM-o who have welli sl>.ap:<l liecids dress their hair low down. I particularly in tho evening—though same • of the smartest woman iiave begun to adopt » it fur the daytime too. The wave is still t in but it is widar than ever. One of the i latest modes of dv;fs'.n>; tie hair low is, t iiftur tying it slightly «bove the nape of ; the neck, to divide it in half, coiling , the . one hai.f upward in tiia form of the figure 3 eight; the second half is similarly used i except that the iirst twist stalls downward, ; thus resting on the neck ; on this bottom . twist i.s trenerall" worn a tortoise-shell or f some other "fancy slide. , Straight fringes, which were threatened . some little time ago, and which were spari ingly adopted at that time, are only very t tardily muking their way, and one be--5 gir.s to think that they will not "take" a<D • all, for to the average type of English face • they are not at all becoming. Heavy i fringes are not worn now, the prevailing • mode being to brush the hair back high t above the forehead, waved, of course, while s on the temples there are only a few curly - locks permitted to rest. There is nothing i neir here, but for all that I anticipate that ? it will be the established fashion all through - the winter season. The tortose-shell comb has evidently ' come to stay for some time, and the most ' beautiful specimens, so far as colouring is - concerned, are named "reddish blonde." 1 sometimes these combs are edged with bril--3 Hants or other sparkling stones ; sometimes 7 they are pierced in different patterns, and ' sometimes the edges are just indented' in 1 a kind of broad arabesque design. A£: oue time grey hair was tabooed, but now it is " being reinstated, and always is most effective i and becoming when it is natural. Ladies now seldom interfere when, the hair • is turning grey, but permit nature to take ' her course. While the low style :s ■ pracac*ally the prevailing , mode in London, " we have only just to peep across to the : other side of the Channel to find the very 5 opposite. There womenkind, no matter 5 when"and where seen, have always their hair dressed right on the top of the head, i and hideous it generally looks; the-hair is 1 twisted into the smallest possible knot; :, Jt is worn high in front, very much puffed at 5 each side, and stands out well at the back ' of the neck; the ondule remains, only it is l ' larger and looser than heretofore, Gombs • are still the rage there; side combs are • worn in addition to a large one on the top " of the head and an Empire comb at the t back. j But to return to London. In the evening, some ornament — or " ornaments —usually adorns the hair. When the latter is arranged on to the neck, noth- ' ing is more modish than for a lovely rose to ha tucked into the hair on the left side. Other, flowers too are worn. Out the rose is I most favoured. Then, as hair ornaments, : there are pretty little gauze butterflies in all ' delicate colourings, some of which glisten ; with crystal ornaments; the antennas are J usuaJly formed of little aigrette wisps. Beside tlve butterfly, the grasshopper and the 1 dragon fly figure as hair ornaments. Also • there are pretty little ostrich tips and soft ' fluffy m.irabout plumes, the latter -often . being spangled ■ they arc so soft and light looking. Then, again, the Louis Seize bow J is sn important little etcetera for evening wear J ,i n the liain It is maddfcof coloured wired J inch-wide velvet ribbon; some of these bows are made to look brighter by the addition of a little sparkling ornament, and others are J made to look less stiff and prim by having [ mixed in with the ribbon a little osrorey. \ Sprays fotf the hair are also being made in ' the form of leaves; those depicting the ' maiden-hair fern give promise of being popuj lar, but as yet they are quite new and therefore rather expensive, as tfhey are made of . gold. And beside the things-ust mentioned, , there are jewels and fancy Combs innumer- | able. j While orf the subject of ornaments, I » may as well say a few words about some of ) the- jewellery in vogue for evening wear at the \ present time. Of all stones I really think that . the diamond and the pearl rank first in faj votir now. y ln the way of neck ornaments . there is much variety. Some "dog collar!' r necklets of pearl, wa-i diamond clasps, are ; very much to the front, but, on the whole, i perhaps, neck ornaments are not so much . worn bigh. or clos-o round the throat, as they are just round the base of the throat, front which, point they circle out broadly. Often ■ long necklets are twisted round several times and then allowed to fall » down the front of the bodice. It is now ; quite the exception to see the neck bare of . ornaments. With regard to anything tight s being permissible round the throat, there i is exception made in favour of the black I velvet band, which is drawn through one ! or more jewelled buckles or slides, and is ' fastened in a bow at the bade The revival ' of the locket has given the goldsmiths much . scope to display their taste, and some of [ the little heart-shaped lockets, pendant on : fine gold chains, are really beautiful. Of course they are not so showy or so elaborate I as the gorgeous necklaces, bub for all that

1 they arc effective and simple, in much beitpr / taste, and far more girlish. The leckets j are often of plain gold; sometimes they ; are set with one stone, and at other times the surface is completely dotted with precious gems—notably tiny pearls. For airls, ono of these -utle heart-lockets, or a simple necklet of two or three rows of pearls, or else v circle of moonstone, is most general. Perhaps the most striking and newest of the neck adornments is the double row of I "lucky" , beans, made of opals, which are I strung on silver wire, with discs of crystal i the bsaus. Many other sorts of stones I are. cut in this same fiape. and some of the I little lockets are made in the srims pattern. - -You will doubtless recollect that I told you ! a few weeks ago the lucky bean was one of the most recent innovations in the form !of "charm." .Why the word "~ is so much to the front this season with the many little nick-nacks, it not explained. ExpenI sive and elaborate ornaments can be made to serve for different purnoses. and one of the latest functions of the tiara is—after a few detachments —to take the form of a necklet, to say nothing of the becoming ' girdle omamsnts they make when used with 1 silk or velvet. Many months ago I spoke of the anticipated revival of earrings. These emblems of barbarity—what else are they? — are gaining affection all round, though perhaps son»o>wiat slowly. As yet the ncavy earrings of our great-grandmothers are not countenanced, for it is considered sufficient for the present to we.tr a small, close sUir-shaped i ornament on the lobe, with a small pendant attached. Here, too diamonds and p?arls arc in the ascendant. »So exquisite and effective are the stones produced by the Pari- ; sian diamond companies that I believe many '■ poople, in view cf the constant changes of . fashion, patronise these establishments. Prices are much less, and it is a great respon- . sibility taking charge- of real diamonds; even i people who have the real thing often weur imitation stones for fear of something hap- > polling to the more costly possession. Par- [ ticularly does the use of the imitation stones 1 apply in the case of earrings, for who knows . how long the erase fer them will remain? [ The old-iaslrioned crystal earrings are being ; '"resurrected," and they are made to form , rather large lrops, having a single drop be- ', neath, and this kind can be affixed to the , cars without the necessity of the piercing j operation. ; Then too many of the dc-ap pearl "dog i collars," which people wear are created by the Parisian Diamond Company, nnd they luck, to the uninitiated, quite as nice as t-lib srcn.uir.e :ir<-iele, thcv>r.h no doubt oonimis- | seurs could easily detect their artificialty. . Ay ihu ruby is i»cc<iminy more and more [ scarce, it is much t:o costly for ordinary , people, so I hear that the enjeiuld is likely ' 1« be cno of the most prominent of. jewels ; far the winter season, as it can be worn by ; people who are blonde and people who are ; fair, while it has ths additional charm of lighting up well. A favorrito piece of jewellery is the tro , - L toise, especially when it is made with hang- . ing and movable joints which wobble as the wearer moves. Its full designation is the I 'iuck-- tortnisw.' but why the word lucky is again used I know not.* It is usually made . of plain gold, more or less elaborately set . with jewels. In most cases it depends from v a slender gold chain, and is attached to the , drcie by a little pin. Pink coral is a good ' deal favoured fer all ornamental purposes. „ and unstil mictions of it appear in the s]*d I editions—which will era long be the case, I , gfaney—ifc will be popular in society. \ Before concluding this topic of jewellery r I cannot resist bringing to your notice one ' more craze in the way of charms. It is ' { mad 3of gold, in the shape of a miniature egg ; on touching a spring the top flies open, . and up pop two tiny twin chickens. It v is meet amusing to see it work, j Fans are very varied, and as beautiful as ' they are varied. Perhaps the tiny Empire . fan i≤ considered the most modest, but j tfashions.in fans change hs they do in every--1 thing okc, tiiough the big handsome ostrich fe:;Mier fan is as prominent as any, and while j it is not the newest, it always seems able to i -'■keep' abreast of all fresh comers. Some of . the large fans are nwde of .Thawed feathers, and are most extremely effective, especially [. when ihe base is dark mauve and the tip's j have shaded off to light mauve. The sticks can be as gorgeous and rich as desired, or they may be very plain. Those fans of real ostirich feathers are quite a luxury, for any- [ tiling roaily handsome costs at least 5£ ' T guineas, and many are fa-r more expensive f still. On the tiny gauze fans hand-painting „ is very general, and some are spangled as well; others are adorned with luce applica-. ' tions. t . What are the coverings for our gorgeous c : evening goivns, I seam to hoar you say. Well, . there are cloaks of many materials, of varied 3 shapes and of several lengths. Ail agree in 5 that they cling closely to the shoulders like' j the old-time shawls; it is after that point \ that the variety begins. If the , cape is to ■, reach the waist only, then it. becomes suddenly very full just below the shoulders; l if ifc is to roach the knees then the fulness , begins below the waist; if it is to cover the ( dress entirely, then the fulness starts lower down still. Many have rounded fronts, and ' many, too, have the fronts cut in a deep point, in which case the back of the cape is shorter than the front, being exactly oppo- * site in this respect of the cape whose fronts ! are rounded. Trimming us a rale is put on all round, the favourite for a pretty opera I cloak beimt a full ruche of feither trimming. ' or else a thick quilling of chiffon. Some of [ the capes are much more elaborately trim- ' mcd than others, and are made with huge J embroidered rovers, and a fearfully high and ' very much over-trimmed collar. When very [ long, fine.cloth is frequently used in their ' t construction, and then the trimming is form- [ ed by two .graduated frills, cut on the cress, j" which go right round the garment and get 1 narrow at the neck in front; these frills I should be lined with a contrasting colour. f Materials, however, range from handsome i and costly brocades and silks and satins to '< cloth, cashmere and veiling. One of the newest of the evening cloaks is made of per--1 fectlv plain cloth or double cashmere, and a ! popular shsde is pale biscuit or mushroom. " In fine white cloth, too, they look extremely ■ well. A great and important feature of f wraps, particularly of the more useful variei ty, is their lining, which shouldi)be of a • pretty and contrasting snade of silk, either quilted or plain. In delicate pinks and ! blues and yellows, and creams and helio- " tropes and greens, the opera, and evening > wraps generally, are very tempting. t ANINA.